My question to them is “What is so big in your life- what is crushing you under its weight- that you don’t you don’t think God can handle”

“For who is God except the LORD? Who but our God is a solid rock?” (2Samuel 22:32 NLT)

“Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” (Jeremiah 32:17 TNIV)

“I love you, LORD, my strength.The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.”

“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.” (Psalms 18:1-3, 16-19 TNIV)

We do not serve a God that is ineffectual. Our God is not small. Our God is large and in charge for He is mighty to save. Call to him in your distress- HE HEARS YOU!

Survey: 72% of Millennials ‘more spiritual than religious’
By Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY

Most young adults today don’t pray, don’t worship and don’t read the Bible, a major survey by a Christian research firm shows.

If the trends continue, “the Millennial generation will see churches closing as quickly as GM dealerships,” says Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources. In the group’s survey of 1,200 18- to 29-year-olds, 72% say they’re “really more spiritual than religious.”Among the 65% who call themselves Christian, “many are either mushy Christians or Christians in name only,” Rainer says. “Most are just indifferent. The more precisely you try to measure their Christianity, the fewer you find committed to the faith.”

Key findings in the phone survey, conducted in August and released today:

• 65% rarely or never pray with others, and 38% almost never pray by themselves either.
• 65% rarely or never attend worship services.
• 67% don’t read the Bible or sacred texts.

Many are unsure Jesus is the only path to heaven: Half say yes, half no.

“We have dumbed down what it means to be part of the church so much that it means almost nothing, even to people who already say they are part of the church,” Rainer says.

The findings, which document a steady drift away from church life, dovetail with a LifeWay survey of teenagers in 2007 who drop out of church and a study in February by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, which compared the beliefs of Millennials with those of earlier generations of young people.

The new survey has a margin of error of +/-2.8 percentage points.

Even among those in the survey who “believe they will go to heaven because they have accepted Jesus Christ as savior”:

• 68% did not mention faith, religion or spirituality when asked what was “really important in life.”
• 50% do not attend church at least weekly.
• 36% rarely or never read the Bible.

Neither are these young Christians evangelical in the original meaning of the term — eager to share the Gospel. Just 40% say this is their responsibility.

Even so, Rainer is encouraged by the roughly 15% who, he says, appear to be “deeply committed” Christians in study, prayer, worship and action.

Collin Hansen, 29, author of Young, Restless, Reformed, about a thriving minority of traditionalist Christians, agrees. “I’m not going to say these numbers aren’t true and aren’t grim, but they also drive people like me to build new, passionately Christian dynamic churches,” says Hansen, who is studying for the ministry. He sees many in his generation veering to “moralistic therapeutic deism — ‘God wants you to be happy and do good things.’ … I would not call that Christianity, however.”

The 2007 LifeWay study found seven in 10 Protestants ages 18 to 30, both evangelical and mainline, who went to church regularly in high school said they quit attending by age 23. And 34% of those had not returned, even sporadically, by age 30.

The Pew survey found young people today were significantly more likely than those in earlier generations to say they didn’t identify with any religious group. Neither are Millennials any more likely than earlier generations to turn toward a faith affiliation as they grow older.

I agree with Hansen. Yes, the numbers seem overwhelming. The task is daunting. The consequences of failure are real. However, all is not lost my friends. Remember, the gates of Hades will not overcome the Body of Christ.

Looks like we’ve got some work to do.

As I was trying to explain to my sister what I would be doing during my month of living like Jesus she had a hard time wrapping her mind around what I would actually be doing. She said, “I still don’t fully understand what some of the changes you’ll be making will mean for your day to day.” In an effort to clarify what I want to do here is a list of the guidelines I’m setting for my Jesus month:

Eating Kosher- I decided to keep my kosher laws as simple as possible. I have 2 rules:
1) Avoid “unclean” foods such as pork, shellfish, and bottom feeders. So… I can’t eat any catfish or shrimp or pork or camels this month. 2) Ed Dobson wrote extensively about keeping Meat and Dairy dishes separate. That will be my goal as well. Farewell Chicken Nachos. I’ll see you May 1.

Looking Like Jesus-One way to live more Jewishly will be to dress the part and to join with some of the traditions that are very foreign to this city boy living in 2010.

The Tallit Katan is an undershirt/underpancho that has the tassels attached to the four corners. There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus wore the fringe on his garments. The commands for wearing the fringes come from Numbers 15:37-41 and Deuteronomy 22:12. Before today I gave wearing the the tallit a trial run. Each time before I put it on, I recited the traditional blessing: “Blessed are you, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with his commands and has commanded us to wrap ourselves with the fringes.” Believe me, I am keenly aware that I am wearing the tallit katan. It isn’t uncomfortable but it is a bit stiff. Maybe over the course of the month it will relax and fit like a Hanes undershirt.

I am also growing out my beard. Not because every painting we see of Jesus shows him sporting a sweet beard but because of the command found in Leviticus 19:27. It says, “Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.” I stopped shaving about a week ago so I am a little ahead already in the beard department.

When I told my wife my plans for this month she mandated that I wear sandals. So, I am wearing sandals too.

Observing the Sabbath- Each week I have a day off built into my schedule. Since my son’s arrival I have truly enjoyed the benefits of a day off from ministry. I have done little to no work- I rest and enjoy my son. I still check my email and occasionally I’ll have to finish a pwrpnt or work on something youth ministry related but nothing compared to the years before. I would work nearly as much as a regular work day. The Sabbath is different than just a day off. It is a day set aside for the glory and remembrance of our Lord. When I can I will observe the Sabbath (sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday) to the best of my ability. No phone, no computer, no tv. Just rest and time to spend with my family.

Eating with Sinners- Jesus was accused of being of the Devil because he associated with “sinners and tax collectors.” So, how can I, today in my community and context, eat with sinners?

As I was sitting at lunch the other day, I was asking myself this very question. Typically, I take a book with me and use my lunch hour to read. Sometimes I have my iPod with me. As I reflected on this I realized that my current lunch habits isolate me and close me off from the dozens of people sitting around me. Jesus withdrew to solitary places to pray and reflect but when he was in the marketplace- the community- he was engaging people in discussions, meeting with and reaching out to people. Jesus ate with people.

In order to “eat with sinners” this month my plan is this: whenever I am out at lunch during the day, I will look around the restaurant for a guy or a group of guys eating and I will ask if I can join them at their table. Not a perfect solution but definitely an interesting one. I feel like I’m on the right track because this proposition makes me really uncomfortable.

Other-
Get up before dawn and “retreat to a quiet place”
Give away “treasures”
Praying the prayers Jesus prayed
Celebrating a Passover seder (check)
Living simpler
Curtaining media intake

So this is just a short list of some of the external changes that I am making during this month. Some of them are minor but most are major. Of course, I understand the limitations of external changes. Walking like Jesus isn’t only about what I wear or what I eat. However, it is my hope that these external changes will act as a catalyst to shake up my routine to make dramatic internal changes.

I planning on posting about my Jesus month again next week. I want to make sure I have time to record and reflect on what I’m experiencing. Again, if you have any suggestions for my Jesus month, write them in the comment section.

Think Orange has been invaluable because Reggie’s heart families mirrors my own. “Orange” is the idea of “two entities partnering together to make a greater impact or to create a better solution.” To Reggie, the church is ” a bright yellow” light that exists to illuminate Jesus. The family is a bright “red” heart that demonstrates God’s love and character through unconditional relationship. Together these two forces combine to create Orange. What a beautiful picture and a perfect metaphor for authentic family ministry. The book has been great and I am excited to share some of this with those I minister to but, in the Spirit of Orange, I’ve really been thinking about Halloween this week.

Something Reggie wrote about this family-focused holiday (yes, I just called Halloween family-focused) has been on the forefront of my mind all week. Here is what he said:

- An estimated 47 percent of household consumers decorate for Halloween.
- Halloween is second only to Christmas in the volume of decorations sold
- Over 790 million pounds of jack-o’-lanterns and pumpkin pies will be bought
- Candy sales will exceed $2 billion.
- More than 93 percent of children go trick-or-treating every year. (I wonder how many of those families go to your church?)

Most families love Halloween. Right or wrong, there is something about October 31 that stirs the imagination of children and engages the hearts of parents.

Watch your neighborhood closely this fall.
Listen to the laughter.
Take a look at the generosity.
Taste the sugar.
Feel the energy.
See the glow in the children’s eyes.
Notice the parents walking with their kids.
And observe how families connect with other families.
It seems kind of… magical.

Why can’t the church be more like that? Why can’t the church create the kind of atmosphere for the family that captures their imagination and incites a relational revival in the home?

No color commentary from me on this today. It is just a question that I’m pondering right now.

How can the church create the kind of atmosphere for the family that captures their imagination and incites a relational revival in the home?

I believe that somewhere inside the answer to this question lies the secret to a dozen generations boldly proclaiming- in word, in deed, in heart, in mind, in power, and in strength- the Glory of Jesus Christ. So, there’s your challenge. It’s not just for this weekend but for the rest of your lives.

Have a Happy Halloween. Keep your eyes and your hearts open as you look for the answers to impact future generations.

How can the church create the kind of atmosphere for the family that captures their imagination and incites a relational revival in the home?

A Prayer for Small Groups
by Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.

Father, today as our small group meets
I pray that each person will feel your heartbeat
May they know they are special, they’re cared for, they’re loved
Your kingdom come, on earth as above

It’s a mystery to me why they seem to be Your preference
But amazingly in the end small groups make a great big difference
Life on life, Jesus you modeled it back then
So I’ll do the same, in Jesus name, Amen.

It amazes me that God created the world with seasons and cycles. Even here in Texas I can appreciate the turning of one season to the other.

Daniel 2:19-22
“Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said:
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
He knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.”

Thank you Father for glimpses of your power and majesty in creation. Just as you care for the times and seasons in your creation, you care and direct the times and seasons for our lives. Thank you that at just the right time you sent your Son and thank you for determining the time and place where I would come to know you. May you be forever praised. Amen.

Never underestimate the power of God’s people praying in one direction.

Sounds good right? I took much pride in my ability to come up with such a great little concept in well under 140 characters- a little wisdom honey dripping from my lips. There’s only one problem.

It isn’t exactly true.

After I said this (seemingly) brilliant nugget I thought of a specific passage where God acted when his people prayed in the same direction.

Look what it says in Exodus 2:23-25:

“During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.”

“Wow, look at what happened when God’s people prayed!” I thought. Then I realized that my statement was a bit off.

You see, there was no power found in God’s people in this passage. They were trapped, desperate, weak, alone, and pitiful. The power came from God alone. Yes they were one in mind and heart but the power wasn’t in what they did but in the one they were submitting to. The truth of the matter is this:

Never underestimate the power of God when his people pray in the same direction.

Think about when Peter was in prison in Acts 12. The church was gathered in prayer for his release and safe return. They were in community prayer for the life of their brother. They were all focused in one direction but it was God who acted. It was the power of God that sent the angel, that dissolved the chains, that opened the prison gates. Peter thought it was all a dream until he realized that he was standing alone outside of the prison.

I am in love with this idea of community prayer. I want to engage my brothers and sisters in it more and more but let’s not kid ourselves here. Let’s remember where the true power lies- firmly at the feet of the creator and sustainer of the universe.

Never underestimate the power of God when his people pray in the same direction.