New Study on Sermons' Impact

Every pastor hopes that their sermons are challenging, biblical, somewhat entertaining, inspiring and life-changing. But a new study shows there may be a disconnect between the pastor and the audience. The study says that sermons do very little these days to bring about a change in people's attitudes or lifestyle. The new study comes from the CODEC research centre at St John’s College, Durham, commissioned by the College of Preachers.

Of the 193 people surveyed from various denominational backgrounds, only 17 per cent said sermons frequently changed their attitudes towards others or helped them look afresh at controversial or topical issues. Eighty-four per cent said the sermons should be rooted in the Bible. Sixty-two per cent of those questioned said sermons frequently gave them a sense of God’s love and helped them to understand Jesus, while almost two thirds said they “frequently” looked forward to the sermon.

The conclusion is that sermons are better at helping people to reflect than challenging them to act. This is a sad and scary thing to face. What this says is that it's not the media or culture or anything else causing the problem - it's preachers who don't know how to preach the Word in a way so it's applicable to daily life. Preachers aren't motivating us to live differently from the world.

This is why I'm very excited about our series on Ephesians. Yes, we need to look at the historical-cultural context but ultimately we need the Spirit to show us how we can apply that teaching to our lives for 2010. Preachers have a responsibility to help their members engage the text and see its relevance for today.

A Story of Grace

This weekend I exchanged pulpits with my spiritual brother and fellow pastor, Tim Springer. We didn't tell our congregations what we were doing, so it was a surprise to everyone. Tim was initially reluctant to do it because he didn't feel that he had a story to share. He grew up in the church and has lived in the same town all of his life. He never really did anything wrong - unlike myself who lived the life of "sex, drugs and bluegrass". But I encouraged Tim that EVERYONE has a story because if you've surrendered your life to Christ (and He is living in you), then that right there is a story of grace. None of us deserve God's grace and forgiveness. In fact what we all deserve is wrath and destruction because of sin. We have all fallen short of God's standard, but God offers a second chance - a new life. Realizing that we are no longer under the penalty of death and are freely offered eternal life, should motivate us to live out of that grace. It has the power to transform your life, your thoughts and your actions.

Tim and I have completely different backgrounds, but our story has the same theme running through it - God's grace.

God's story in the Bible is one of grace. We encounter all sorts of people that God used and showed grace to. Some really screwed up their lives with wild living and some grew up in the church never really doing any of that - remember the apostle Paul? It doesn't matter your background so much, but what does matter is that you come to the same point as any other believer - the point of grace. So no matter who you are or where you come from, you have a story. If you've surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, that is a story of grace.

Challenging Consumerism

Wow. What an impact Advent Conspiracy had on our congregation. Thanks to Brenda Burkey (our Minister of Missions) for leading this! Check out the link for a great article:
http://www.mennoweekly.org/2010/1/18/conspiracy-overcomes-consumerism/

Components of Change

It's been said that "Nothing is as constant as change". Things are always changing. Just look at technology as one example. Michael Fullan author of Leading in a Culture of Change says "Change cannot be managed. It can be understood and perhaps led, but it cannot be controlled."

Fullan talks about the components of change. These are essential for any meaningful change:

• Moral purpose—sharing the guiding purpose for an organization’s existence.
• An understanding of change—developing a working knowledge of the key dimensions and dynamics of change.
• Relationship building—seeking relationships with diverse people and groups, especially those on the fringe and those who resist change.
• Creation and sharing of knowledge—sharing information in a way that it becomes usable both to initiate and to sustain change.
• Achievement of coherence—bringing sense and common purpose to the ambiguity that is change.

The presence of these components in the life of a congregation will encourage positive change. At times the change will be chaotic. At times there will be conflict. But these components set a tone that makes positive change possible. The key to effective change is to always come back to the vision of the organization. All decisions are to be made based on fulfilling that vision.

I think I am decent at dealing with change. For those times that it makes me uncomfortable, I really have to stop and ask, "Where does my security lie? Who or what am I really trusting in?"If I see change as something to fear, then I have misplaced my trust and confidence in something other than my identity in Christ. But if I can stay focused that God is in the process of shaping and molding me (and the congregation) into the likeness of His Son, then I will embrace change.

Reasoning Together

This past weekend I attended a conference entitled, "Come let Us Reason Together". This came from questions concerning how to agree and disagree in love over the issue of sexuality. There were about 130 in attendance at Christ Community Church in Des Moines. Congregational leaders gathered around tables to reason and discern how to interpret the Scriptures especially when we don't agree. Some common assumptions were initially stated:

1. We are all created in the image of God.

2. We have different and sometimes conflicting beliefs about the meaning of Scripture. A vigorous dialogue about these differences is good.

3. We are committed to maintaining strong relationships with each other in the midst of differences.

4. We are committed to Jesus Christ - our Lord and Savior.

5. We are committed to the authoritative guide that Scripture has in our lives.

6. We are committed to the Church (Christ's Body) and we believe God is at work in our world through the Church.

The foundation was laid when we were reminded that we are all under the Rule of Christ. By this I mean that Jesus sums up the entire Law and the Prophets with two commands: Love God with everything you've got and Love your neighbor as yourself. (my translation). Jesus gives this double love command to show that love is the core and heart of God's intent for human relations and motivations. Love is the root for how we are to interpret Scripture. Love is the rule of Christ.

This provides the definitive framework for the church's discernment and implementation of Scripture. So we must look at all Scripture through this lens, but when it comes to interpreting the Bible we all bring our own views. We can't really help it. None of us can objectively read the Bible. Our experiences, culture, traditions, and reasoning all affect how we understand it. But I must say, I was very pleased with the spirit of humility that was present at this conference. Even though there were differences of opinions and beliefs, everyone seemed to yield and surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit. That was a good feeling. May we continue to do so as we walk in love.

"Only by Grace"

At Bellwood Church, we are starting a series on the book of Ephesians. It is a letter written by the Apostle Paul. One of the themes I see throughout the book is grace. And why not? Paul received a ton of grace in his life.

Paul (formerly known as Saul) was raised in the Jewish religion. From an early age, he was taught the Law and how to live it properly and by doing so, he believed he would receive salvation. He had little tolerance for people who couldn't measure up to its standards. But some new radicals calling themselves "Followers of The Way" seemed to be preaching against this Law. They claimed that salvation was not tied to the Law, but instead tied to Jesus, the Son of God. This was too much for Paul. He decided to take the matter into his own hands by persecuting these new believers. He beat them, dragged them out of their homes, arrested and imprisoned them. He even was an accessory to the murder of Stephen by holding the coats of those who stoned him to death. Paul felt it was his lot in life to "cleanse" his religion and preserve the Law.

But God had other plans for Paul. While Paul was in the act of carrying out his threats, he actually had an encounter of grace. On his way to Damascus, he met Jesus - the One he had been persecuting. Jesus told him that God was now going to use him to spread this message to other believers. Why would God choose someone like Paul? I mean, look how bad this guy was. God must have seen something in Paul that He wanted to use - maybe his passion and zeal - but only use it for good.

The reason God chose him was so Paul would be a prime example of His grace. It kind of says - No matter who you are or what you've done, you are never too far from God's grace. What I love about Paul is that he allowed God to use him. He didn't take grace for granted. After Paul collided with the risen Christ, he turned his life around. He gave 110% to his new life's mission and purpose...all because of the grace that had been given to him.

Have you experienced that grace? Are you living for God out of the grace that has been granted to you? Do we allow others to live out of that same grace? Do we see the potential that others have for a change in their life because of God's grace?

Stay tuned...

More "Spiritually Fit"

I was just reading through The Mennonite and came across this article entitled "How Affluenza affects the Church". It comes with this warning:

Spiritual health warning: There is a condition on the rise in our congregations that, though it does not have the telltale signs of SARS or the publicity of H1N1, it has made its presence known. It's called affluenza.

Check out the complete article by clicking the link below.

http://www.themennonite.org/issues/13-1/articles/How_affluenza_affects_the_church

Getting Fit in 2010

Since October I have implemented a lifestyle change. For too long, I have been out of shape and it wasn't until a recent doctor's visit that changed all of that.In October I decided I was going to get serious about getting fit and losing weight. I'm glad to say that I have been consistent for the past 3 months losing 12 lbs so far and am well on my way to my goal. How did I do it? 3 things:

1. Increase exercise - I work out for 30 minutes at least 3 days per week.
2. Decrease fat - I read labels and watch the fat percentage from calories and make sure it is less than 30% of total.
3. Change Behavior - I allow 30 seconds between bites.

I also chart my daily activity. At the end of the week I can see how well I'm doing. This gives me the encouragement I need to keep going because I see the results.

I believe there is a correlation with our spiritual fitness. How often do we feel lethargic in our spiritual walk? maybe we feel like we are carrying around too much extra weight or burdens? We just feel out of shape spiritually. I think the answer can be found in doing the same 3 things for our spiritual fitness.

1. Increase your exercise - Work out your spiritual muscles by reading your Bible at least 3 times weekly. The best time for me to do my physical workout is first thing in the morning. Matthew 6:33 says, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness". Put your faith into action by serving in your church or in the community. Get involved somewhere. get moving instead of just sitting around expecting to be in spiritual shape.

2. Decrease fat - We all have things in our life that are not healthy for us. Excess fat can block and clog blood flow in our lives. What are the "fatty" things that might be blocking the flow of God's Spirit in our life? The spiritual battle is over our thoughts. What are we thinking about as we watch TV, look at the internet, listen to the radio, etc? What do we need to decrease in order to experience more of God's presence?

3. Change Behavior - The Bible says we are to repent, which means to turn from our ways and turn toward God. Slow down from doing so many things and just be. We don't have to earn our salvation. It is a free gift, but we do need to produce fruit of God's Spirit; things like love, joy, peace, patience, and self-control. Only the transforming power of God's love can shapoe and mold us into the person He wants us to be.

I have found that journaling is a great way to chart my spiritual progress. For those times that I get discouraged, I can read back over my journal and be reminded that God is still at work in my life - even though I may not be seeing any immediate results.

Philippians 1:6 says, "I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ". The point for me is that as long as I do not give up, God is the one who will complete my transformation. So whether you are wanting to get in physical shape or spiritual shape, keep persevering and stay faith. You will see results.