Tag: Community

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Posted on by Northstar Devotional

“God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”  – Matthew 5:4.

In Matthew 5:4, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” This is a line right in the middle of the beatitudes portion of His famous sermon on the mount. Each beatitude starts with a blessing. Jesus is giving us ways to live so that we can live a happy and blessed life. Blessed are those that mourn: In essence, Jesus is saying, “ happy are those who are sad.” That has probably caused some confusion over the millennia.

Given the human condition, Jesus’ promise to comfort those who mourn could not be more counterintuitive or counter-cultural. For the world, grieving sin is regressive and constricting. But for the Christian, it is the pathway to joy.

The world does not reward the kind of living Jesus is talking about, but God does. The world says are you blessed when all your dreams come true. You are blessed when everything goes your way. Jesus said happy are the sad and blessed are the broken-hearted.

Jesus was “…despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.” (Isaiah 53:3) He understood the destructive nature of sin and evil. Yet it was the joy that was set before Him that gave Him the strength to endure the cross. Jesus knew that His suffering would both purchase our salvation.  This gave Him joy and purpose.

If we believe that God’s grace and sovereignty are greater than any loss or disappointment, we too can experience joy in the midst of sorrow. We may not understand why God allows tragedy to strike.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 says: “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.”

These are powerful verses. Verse 4 tells us that every pain in life can find meaning when we comfort others.  We are called to give out what we have been given. In other words, we should give out of the love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, blessings, finances, and comfort we have already been given. Christ’s comfort: it’s always greater than our trouble. It is more than our suffering.

It sounds difficult, but the unexpected good of brokenness is that it revives the life of Christ in each one of us. We become less and He becomes more. The more we become like Him, the more we become the people God created us to be.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Describe a time when your life was hit with an unexpected storm. How well did you endure it? What did you do when you felt like giving up? Did you experience God’s comfort during that period?
  2. What does “comfort” mean to you? What comfort do you need? What comfort have you received? What can you do to pass on the comfort of God to others?

The Need For Horizontal Relationships

Posted on by Northstar Devotional

“When I have learned to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now. In so far as I learn to love my earthly dearest at the expense of God and instead of God, I shall be moving towards the state in which I shall not love my earthly dearest at all. When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed but increased.” – C.S. Lewis. 

Many people seem to think of Christianity solely as their own personal relationship with God. That personal relationship with God is essential in true Christianity, but it is also not the whole story. Our goal in life should be knowing Christ above everything and from there letting Jesus affect our relationships. Basically, we should work on our vertical relationship and then let the love of that relationship influence the horizontal relationships we have with those around us.

Jesus told us that the Great Commandment is that we love God. “…‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38) The vertical aspect is indispensable to our faith. We must be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Knowing and loving Him is the primary goal. But Jesus also said “ a second is equally important”:“love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)  Here He reminds us that our faith is not only about our vertical relationship with God, but also very much about our horizontal relationships with others.

As we read the Bible we see God reinforcing this idea that we need horizontal relationships. Face-to-face relationships are so important that God sent Jesus to be like us, among us, as Emmanuel, God with us. And in a prophetic promise of this plan and purpose, He said through the prophet Isaiah: “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.” (Isaiah 42:6-7)

Christians need to focus on both the vertical and the horizontal if we are to become what God intended us to be. Statistics are staggering of the number of people who don’t have someone they feel they can confide in. In other words, they don’t believe they have people they can be authentic with.

Christianity is very much about loving God — but it is also very much about loving His people. Be a blessing to somebody this week.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Is everything in my horizontal life the overflow of a vibrant vertical love relationship with Jesus?
  2. What would my life and ministry look like if I focused on my vertical relationship first and then learned to adapt that relationship to my horizontal relationships?

Blessed To Bless Others

Posted on by Northstar Devotional

” I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing. The orchards and fields of my people will yield bumper crops, and everyone will live in safety. When I have broken their chains of slavery and rescued them from those who enslaved them, then they will know that I am the Lord.” – Ezekiel 34:26-27. 

There is an old hymn written by Daniel Webster Whittle in 1883 entitled, “There Shall Be Showers of Blessings.” Whittle wrote this hymn and many others. The words are based on Ezekiel 34:26-27.

God truly does shower us with blessings: deep compassion, amazing love, kindness and grace, His forgiveness, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and His multitude of promises to name a few. God doesn’t simply bless us just so we can say we are a blessed people. God blesses us because He loves us, and so we can be a blessing to others. He instructs us, so we can instruct others. He comforts us, so we can comfort others.

The Christian faith proves to be way bigger than just me and you. His blessings are not meant to be totally consumed by us. Blessings flow from God, but they should never stop with us. They come to us and then flow through us. Every blessing we have received from God, whether material or spiritual, is to be used for the benefit of others. Ephesians 2:10 tells us we were created anew in Christ Jesus for a purpose to “…do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

God is all about blessing people. In fact, God gave His people a blessing that we still use today: “May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’” (Numbers 6:24-26). 

Psalm 20: 2,4,5 says, “May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem…May he grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed…May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God. May the Lord answer all your prayers.”

God blesses others through the blessings we have received. In a way, we keep those blessings moving forward as we partner with God and share our blessings with others. We do it for the common good instead rather than for personal gain, worth, or recognition.

Look around you at your neighbors, the people you work with or go to school with, the person sitting next to you at church, or the person in your small group. Are there opportunities to share your blessings with them? You will never regret a moment of helping someone else. And, you might just find that you are blessed as much as those you set out to help. 

  

Discussion Questions:

  1. How has God blessed you?
  2. How are you passing on to others the blessing God has given you? 

Is It Time To Rethink The Value Of Community?

Posted on by Northstar Devotional

“Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” – Colossians 3:16.

There is a big difference between what we want and what we need in every aspect of life. For example, we all want friends that agree with us, share the same interests, and make us feel good. But what we need are friends that celebrate our victories, mourn our losses, and walk with us spiritually. Friends like that are not a luxury, they are a necessity. We need them because they support and motivate us to run the race that God has set before us.

God created community as a support system that helps us make and keep Christ as our first priority, protect and encourage us. People are there to fight for us…in person, on the phone, and through prayer, in good times, and in bad times.  

Maybe you are one of those people who see the value of community but don’t get involved. You have your family. You go to church. You read your Bible. And you have Christian friends that you can“hang out with” should the need arise. Those are all good things, but eventually, you will need a deep, God-centered community around you when a relationship goes sour, you are going through spiritual doubt, or when health issues sap your resolve. We need people to pray for us when we find it difficult to pray. We need people to listen to us and encourage us when we are in the valley and celebrate with us when we are on the mountaintop. We need people to pick us up when we are down.  

Maybe it is time to rethink joining a small group. One of the core values of Northstar is to foster community with others.  Community is more than just people getting to know each other and spending time together. We believe that community is – as described in Hebrews 10:24 – a group of people who “… motivate one another to acts of love and good works.”  We join up with others in community because we need intimate relationships: discussion that goes deep, friendships that reach beyond the surface, and support that can help us navigate through troubled waters.

Small groups provide a valuable opportunity to connect with other believers outside the Sunday morning worship. But extending our Sunday-morning relationships beyond our time together on Sunday morning and outside the walls of our buildings. Small groups have the potential to be a springboard for even deeper relationships. Smaller groups are a safe space for vulnerability, honesty, curiosity, support, encouragement, forgiveness, laughter, accountability, transformation, connection, and a whole host of other things that are not easy to do in a big crowd. 

We all need this type of community. Maybe it is time to rethink the need to surround yourself with people that help you live life to the fullest.

Discussion Questions:

  1.  Why do we need other people to watch over us and speak into our lives? 
  2. How might your life be different if you were a member of a small group?   

A Little Encouragement Goes A Long Way

Posted on by Northstar Devotional

“So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

Have you ever had someone tell you something and it changed your whole day? Or maybe, someone told you something that changed the course of your life. Perhaps, it was just some encouraging words on a hard day or maybe someone shared their story or life experience. Words can be powerful tools to change our outlook on life for both better and worse.

The New Testament reveals that encouragement was a regular part of the early church’s life together, One example is Acts 16:40: “When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town.”

The gift of encouragement is important in our lives. We can come alongside others and be there for one another. We can listen, comfort, console, and affirm. It’s a way of living out the command to extend grace and love to one another.

If you took a few minutes to think about it, each one of us could come up with any number of people who have encouraged us. Like the friend who made you laugh when you thought you may never laugh again. Or the aunt who listened to you while others just talked. Or the small group member who prayed with and for you when you were having doubts. Then ask yourself: “When was the last time I encouraged someone?” It’s not difficult, and the people you encourage are so blessed by it.

Ask God to give you a heart that loves others and the creativity to know how to show it. Ask God for the opportunities and desire to build others up. Ask God to be more like Barnabas. Barnabas was nicknamed the “son of encouragement” by the early church.”For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus.” (Acts 4:36). It is a fitting name, as we see him actively encouraging a young follower of Christ, a young church, and a young failure. His encouragement gives us an example to follow in encouraging one another in our own relationships.

Make encouragement a daily discipline. For some of us, encouragement comes naturally, for others, not so much. Find the time daily to send someone an encouraging note, email, text, or phone call. It just may be the encouragement they need. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you ever felt prompted to encourage someone? How did it turn out?  
  2. How is encouraging someone one of the most spiritual things you can do? Who do you want to encourage? How could you spiritually encourage them?

Working Together For The Greater Good

Posted on by Northstar Devotional

“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.” — Philippians 1:27.

Casey Stengel made a comment about the challenge of managing a professional baseball team. His observation applies to life in general. He said, “It’s easy to get good players. Getting’ em to play together, that’s the hard part.”

You can place people together in a team, but the true bonds of teamwork form when the individuals work together towards the same goal.  This is true in our faith journey as well.  We can sit side-by-side with people in our congregation every Sunday for years, and yet we don’t start to build relationships until we work together outside the church auditorium.  When we do life together or work with each other towards a common goal, that’s when we can learn from each other and support one another through our faith journeys. While it’s essential for us to take responsibility for our own faith, it’s also essential for us to form bonds of relationship with others, so that we can grow together as God intended.

One of the best-known native textile art in North America is the weaving of Navajo Indian blankets and rugs. Navajo Native American Indian rugs are made from wool using an ancient style where colored threads are woven together in a pattern. On the surface, some threads stretch vertically while others stretch horizontally. In many ways, each thread can appear unique until the elements are woven into a whole. This is similar to the way God knits together His people. We are not the same. We have many personalities and interests. On the surface, there doesn’t appear to be a pattern. We are being knit together in love by God Himself. We don’t oppose each other; we just accomplish different aspects of the same mission.

As He builds the church, God calls each person to focus on the role He gives us as individuals. He wants us to be the thread He has created. We might look different from others. We may not agree. But as we surrender our lives to God, we will realize that He has a special pattern for the whole body, knitting us together according to His design.

As we trust Him, He can harmonize each person with other believers. Seek to fulfill God’s special design for you. Don’t look at other believers as rivals or competitors but as parts of the same fabric knit together by God into something beautiful.

What happens when every Christian goes from sitting on the premises to standing on the promises and working for the purposes of the Lord? This is not something you do alone. We are called together to work together in Christ, connected and united.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you been trying to accomplish too much work on your own? What has been the effect?
  2. How does/should the Church exemplify working together to accomplish more for the glory of God?
  3. How can you get people to help you in the work God wants you to do? Who can you help?

Support For Your Dreams

Posted on by Northstar Devotional

“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.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community.

We are not the first people to stand before a challenge and wonder if it can be done. The building of the wall is a very clear example of a daunting task after years of complacency and indifference. Now, Nehemiah could have never fulfilled his dream of rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem by himself alone. It would have never happened. In fact, every phase of the dream that God gave Nehemiah would require assistance. In chapter 2 King Artaxerxes not only gave permission but provided resources and help for the project. Nehemiah goes to Jerusalem, surveys the broken down walls, calls the people together, and says, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work.” (Nehemiah 2:18)

And on it goes from there. There are lots of interesting human elements. We won’t likely remember all the names, but the description as a whole is filled with evidence that there is tremendous solidarity and unity of purpose among God’s people. God didn’t build the wall; the people did.  Imagine if the list of names was far shorter or if those involved did far less. Is Nehemiah even a book in the Bible? Probably not. Why? Likely the wall would never have been built. The opposition and the threats and the size of the project would have eventually overwhelmed them. It took all the people working with all their might for the entire wall to be done. It’s amazing what can be done when everyone is committed.

The alternative is dealing with your dreams by yourself. Just like a building needs support, your dream needs support. True success is never a one-man show. Anything significant that’s done in your life, any great dream will require help from others. Your dream requires the support of others because you can’t do it by yourself. You don’t know everything you need to know. You don’t have enough time or energy to do everything by yourself. And you don’t have every talent that you’re going to need to get your dream done. You see, God intentionally wired us to need each other so we learn how to work together.

We were not created to go about this life apart from relationships with fellow children of God. Without our brothers and sisters, we will never experience the fullness of life God intends for us. In community, we discover our place in the body of Christ. In community, we learn what it is to serve out of love, honor, and respect. And in community, we receive the healing and love that can only come from those who share in the same Spirit.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do we need support from others to fulfill our dreams? Why is it wise to prepare for opposition?
  2. What advice does Ecclesiastes 8:6 give about building your dream team? How can you apply that to your situation?

Is The Church Still Relevant?

Posted on by Northstar Devotional

“Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man.” –  Dwight L. Moody

How do you feel about church? Some people think it is full of hypocrites? Others, view it as a self-righteous, religious club.  There is some truth to both those accusations. After all, churches are made up of people, and people are not perfect. Imperfect people make for imperfect churches. The church is a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints. It’s a place where people go to improve their spiritual health. It’s a place where people go for encouragement, and to get their spiritual batteries recharged. For newer Christians, it is a place where they learn what it means to follow Christ and how to have a relationship with God.  

There was a time in America when the church was the focal point of a community’s culture and calendar. Families would make it a priority to attend church services and functions almost every time the church’s “doors were open.” Sundays featured several hours of church programming. The day started with age-segregated Sunday school classes, followed by the church’s morning worship service. Sunday evening culminated in an evening service. Most churches also hosted mid-week services, like prayer meetings in the church auditorium where everybody got together to pray. 

Times have certainly changed, due to a variety of reasons. But what has not changed is the critical importance of going to church. Why? The most important reason for God’s people to attend church is that the church is God’s idea, “… upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” (Matthew 16:18). 

The church is how God is accomplishing His work on earth today. The Bible is clear, from the narrative in Acts through the Epistles of Paul, Peter, James, and John, that God’s work in the world today is being completed through His church. One only has to review the words God uses to describe His church to get a glimpse of how important it is to Him: the bride of Christ, the body of Christ. 

In addition, God’s Word instructs us to be involved in the church. It’s clear from passages like Hebrews 10:25 that God wants His people to be actively involved in the church. “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another,…” Reading the Bible makes it pretty obvious that church involvement is important. 

God’s Word teaches the importance of active participation in a local church. Believers must make church attendance a priority in their personal and family schedules and put going to church ahead of other seemingly beneficial activities.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Someone once said, “Church is something we are.” What does that mean to you? 
  2. How might your life look different if you lived as though church wasn’t a destination or an event, but something you are? 

Getting Connected

Posted on by Wes M. Ward

“Doctrines are not God: they are only a kind of map. But that map is based on the experience of hundreds of people who really were in touch with God—experiences compared with which any thrills or pious feelings you and I are likely to get on our own are very elementary and very confused.” –  C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.

There are a few misconceptions about P.L. Travers mainly due to the fact that it was hard to know the real Pamela. The movie Saving Mr. Banks tries to peel back some of the story where you find a girl with a colorful imagination who was the product of a strange, stern and seemingly lonely upbringing. I’m not sure all the characterizations about her are fair, but I think there is little doubt she was a difficult and even unpleasant person. But what if? What if something in her past was different. What if Mrs. Travers had joined a Northstar Group early on in her life. We know she didn’t, but if we use a little Mary Poppins imagination, and imagine for a second as the narrator says softly: “Winds in the east, mist coming in. Like somethin’ is brewin’ and bout to begin. Can’t put me finger on what lies in store, But I fear what’s to happen all happened before.”

So what if Mrs. Travers had joined a Northstar Group? She could have because there is a group for everybody. There is a group that is right for her. She would have found others in the same place, the same season of life – and share, learn and have fun together. She may have been a little surly and withdrawn initially, but over time she would have discovered that studying in community allows Christians to ask questions, learn, and grow together. Christianity is not a religion of isolation. Jesus taught his followers to create a community of believers, and this Christian community keeps each member connected and accountable.

She would be part of a group that sincerely cared for one another and spoke of real-life issues, concerns and the challenges they faced. She would have a group of people who were real and transparent. She would have a group to support and encourage and pray for her. She would find love, caring, and compassion. The group could be her source of development and provide her with a real sense of belonging. She would have friends that would listen as she talked about her fears, her relationships, her past, and how much margin she has in her life. And more importantly they could talk about their walk with God.  I wonder if she ever had that kind of honest and straight forward conversation with other people. I believe Small Groups have the ability to change lives. The cumulative spiritual effect of being in a group cannot be measured. 

If you are not a member of a Northstar Group, you are missing out. You are probably tired of hearing me say that, but I believe it with all my heart. Acts 2:37-47 provides a biblical account of God’s work and blessing when believers share and serve together.  In Hebrews 10: 23-25, Christians are reminded to assemble together to encourage and receive encouragement. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 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.”

Groups tend to make things better. Mrs. Travers says in the movie, “I opened the door to Mary Poppins and who should be there but Walt Disney.” What will you find when you open the door to a group? If you have never participated in a group, I encourage you to find a group and get connected. If you need assistance getting connected to a group, or have not found the right group for you, talk to your campus pastor.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why does Northstar do small groups? What in your mind should the groups do? What should they not do?
  2. Do you believe you will understand the Bible better in a small group? Do you believe you will be able to handle stress and pressure better?
  3. Do you believe there is an open chair for you?
  4. Do you believe you could be a small group leader? If not, why not?
  5. What is keeping you from participating in a  group?

You Asked For It: What Is The Difference Between Church And Community?

Posted on by Wes M. Ward

“Just as Christians should not be constantly feeling the pulse of their spiritual life, so too the Christian community has not been given to us by God for us to be continually taking its temperature. The more thankfully we daily receive what is given to us, the more assuredly and consistently will community increase and grow from day to day as God pleases” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together and Prayerbook of the Bible

There are significant similarities as well as significant differences between the church and a community of believers. In fact, they are two sides of the same coin. Let me explain. If you asked random people what pops in their mind when they hear the word “church,” the answers would probably be things like Sundays, or sermon, or music, or offerings. You might also hear things like rituals and rules and maybe things like rigid, stale, and out-of-date. What you probably would not hear are comments such as deep and meaningful connections with people, sharing burdens, helping those who need help, love, etc.

The healthy church is a community of believers where hearts are knitted together, people share a common purpose, they have passion, all the while finding ways to love Jesus and others while serving God and others. Real community is not about making people happy. It is about inspiring and energizing people. It is a place to share our faith and life journey. It is place of generosity. It is place of faith in action. Their goal is to glorify God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” To glorify God means to magnify, elevate, and draw attention to Him. We do this by inviting Him into every segment of our lives, by telling others of His greatness rather than grabbing His glory for ourselves, and by nurturing our relationships with Him. We meet with Him often, admitting to others our struggles with pride, and continually asking ourselves, “will this bring glory to God or to me?” This is the primary purpose of the church and the community of believers who make up the church.

The church is seen as a haven or a firewall for Christ followers to hide behind. But a church that is a real community works to make our world a better place by living out our faith in our homes, neighborhoods, communities, workplaces, and schools. The Church does not exist to ride out the storm until Christ returns. Rather we exist to join Christ as He brings those far from the heart of God to Him.

The church is seen as out-of-touch. But the church that is a authentic community of believers understand that we live in a constantly changing environment. The Gospel never changes but the methods of delivering the Gospel is most effective when we talk to people where they are in life. The community must remain flexible, agile, and ready to change to more effectively minister to this community.

The first step in finding true community is look to Jesus. Jesus said, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25) Jesus is saying that the way we find life in anything, especially community, is to give of themselves. What we are looking for from community or relationships is life, because we were created to experience life through community. Many people know there is life in community and relationships; they are just going about finding this life in the wrong way.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does church mean to you? Community?
  2. In what situations do you find yourself moving toward community or towards isolation from community?
  3. What is needed to cultivate an authentic community where relationships are sustainable?
  4. Do you view serving as a necessary component in community? Northstar Group participation? What about Growth Track classes?
  5. Pray and ask God to help us build a community that glorifies Him and helps the whole world find and follow Jesus.