A natural human tendency is what I call “linear” living.  As we conduct our daily business we operate with a sense of self, on  the one side, and, on the other, the person or task currently before us.  God calls us to “triangular” living.  It is never just “us” and the task or person in front of us.  No task, no appointment, no solitary moment is outside the realm of His watchful, beneficent gaze.  As we cultivate an awareness of this fact and its implications, our view on the world, its people and our problems is transformed.  If we look forward through the eyes of Christ, our gaze becomes essentially godly.

Jesus lived triangularly.  The evidence of it is in words like these, “The words I say to you are not must my own.  Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work” (John 15:10b).  Paul exhibits this kind of living, “I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits” (1 Cor. 16:7).  James advices it: “you ought to say, if it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:15).

Triangular living is a discipline that takes practice.  Some practical techniques can help us develop the habit but ultimately, we want it to become natural to us, like breathing itself.  Once, to jump start my development in this area, I actually set an alarm on my watch to sound periodically throughout the day as a reminder to look up and re-frame what I was doing in the light of Christ (if there is such a thing as a “spiritual nerd,” that has to qualify me).  More recently I have found that a day of fasting can accelerate my development in living triangularly.  Each hunger pang is a reminder to look up and pray.  This more intense practice helps me on the days when I’m not fasting to keep an eye heavenward.  Another useful and practical technique is scripture memory.  Rolling God’s words through the mind helps focus the mind on looking for God in the midst of the task at hand.

Jesus said, “Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”  Triangular living is fruitful living.  What helps you to keep an eye towards heaven in the rough and tumble of daily life?

Accountability is a discipline fraught with spiritual landmines.   In fact, most of us would prefer to avoid it altogether.  For clarity’s sake, by accountability I’m talking about speaking truth to someone to correct behavior or thinking.  The problem with our avoidance strategy is that, like a jettisoned boomerang, neglected accountability opportunities usually come right around and ping us in the back of the head, often with consequences worse than before.  Furthermore, we’ve all even been part of communities where accountability is absent and witnessed the slow decay that comes from increasingly diminishing quality of relationship.  James 5:19-20 reminds us that accountability “saves” people and “covers over a multitude of sins.”  Perhaps most importantly, accountability is ultimately an expression of genuine grace, unlike that less costly but ever-so-popular artifice called tolerance.  Whereas as tolerance says, “I’ll leave you alone, even if you are killing yourself,” accountability says, “I’m so in love with you I’m willing to risk our relationship in order to help you.”  We cannot follow Jesus in community without accountability.

So how do we carry out accountability?   In this post I’d like to make a few (not exhaustive) suggestions aimed at increasing our comfort level with this critical discipline.

Advice for those on the receiving end:

1. Remember that all people struggle with self-deception; you are not alone.  Even King David, who had to be one of the most well-adjusted humans on the planet, needed a Nathan to call him on his lack of integrity.
2. Always fight against oversensitivity.  I once worked with a college athlete the year after he graduated.  Because of his athletic context, he was used to large doses of critique and accountability.  He thrived on it.  Applying this mindset to the church setting he grew rapidly.  I have also worked with “more seasoned” types who have spent years being acknowledged as “at the top” of their game.  How awkward it was to watch them try to duck and dodge legitimate critique of their work.
3. View yourself as God’s beloved project.  If we are confident in God’s love instead of our level of spiritual attainment, criticism is much easier to handle.  In fact, we welcome the opportunity to learn and grow.

Advice for those called to be on the giving side:

1. Assess the receiver’s maturity level before bringing truth.  Some truths are too much for the moment.  At the same time, I’ve learned that I tend to underestimate what people can handle.
2. Assess the quality of your relationship.  In our culture, accountability is pretty unwelcome where there is little relationship.  But it is VERY welcome where strong relationships are developed (more than I used to imagine).
3. Assess the timing.  Are there other people listening in, adding unnecessary pressure?  Is there adequate time to air out the issues?  Is there humility and peace on your part indicating the presence of the Spirit?
4. Pace yourself.  It is tempting to let out everything when the floodgates are finally opened.  This can overwhelm.  See point 1.
5. Keep the long view in mind.  Your receiver may stop carrying your picture in his or her wallet once you deliver your message.  That feels bad right now, but in the long run, it may not be. Oftentimes people will return after a cooling off period to thank you for your input.

When you look at what it takes to speak truth into someone’s life, you realize that no formula can safeguard the process.  This is why God has called people to “shepherd” other people.  It takes a person to sense the leading of the Spirit, to pray and wait and then move at the right time.  Is God calling you to be that person?

by Andrew Franklin

My failure to live up to the standard of Jesus has a long, consistent history that has been well chronicled in my lifetime; in fact, I write a new paragraph daily. I am constantly frustrated by my shortcomings, but I have come to understand that until I leave this earth, my sinful human nature will play a role in all I do. Ironically, I become more aware of my flaws the more I study the Bible and learn more about this Jesus. Yet I also learn more about forgiveness and grace.

I have been thinking about good deeds. I find myself drawn to the aspects of the Gospel that emphasize our need to love our neighbors, serve the poor, care for the sick and be active in our faith. I am aware of my sinful nature shining through in these well-intended actions - there is always a sliver of selfishness in selfless deeds; always a moment of reluctance in generosity – but that is not what hit me the other day. I was recently convicted of my motivation for doing such loving acts. Often, Jesus is not the driving force. There should be no other motivation than Jesus. The rest of the world does good for goodness’ sake and I look no different if my love of Jesus is not my motivation for loving my neighbors.

In Mark 14, we read of a woman (believed to be Mary) anointing Jesus’ feet with very expensive oil. Like the disciples, I would have been indignant at such waste. Notice, their reaction was not to save the oil, nor use the money for drinks at the local watering hole, nor a new set of wheels for their wagon; no, their reaction was selfless! They said that the money could have been given to the poor. “Amen!” would have been my reaction. It was not Jesus’. “You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But I will not be here with you much longer” (Mark 14:6-7; New Living Translation). He commended Mary’s act of devotion to himself.  As Oswald Chambers put it in My Utmost for His Highest, “Our Lord is filled with overflowing joy whenever He sees any of us doing what Mary did – not being bound by a particular set of rules, but being totally surrendered to Him.”

Do we pour out ourselves, loving our neighbors because of a deep love for God and His creation? I don’t always. Yet this is the only way because as we give more of ourselves, we are filled with more of Him. “If you believe in me…rivers of living water will flow out from within…” (John 7:38). I encourage you, be reckless in your love of Jesus. At times it will look like service to the poor and needy and others it will be anointing our Lord’s feet. But, as Chambers reminds us, always, we are to “break ‘the flask’ of our lives, to stop seeking our own satisfaction, and to pour out our lives before Him.”

The Solano Community Church leadership has been reflecting on how better to disciple people who fall into the category of “mature Christian.”  These are people who regularly worship, serve, reach out and participate in community but find the process of growth still needs a little “something.”  For many, we believe one aid will be deeper Christian friendships where there is rich theological contemplation, accountability and prayer.  To this end, we’ve developed a new resource called  “Emmaus Partners.”  The “Emmaus Partners” resource was developed from our study of how Jesus discipled others, what current studies reveal about mature Christians and our own “road tests.”  Wherever you consider yourself to be along the continuum of growth, please take a look and consider taking the walk to Emmaus with a couple of friends.  Here’s the link:

EmmausPartners.pdf

For those of you part of the Solano Community Church Home Group ministry, we’re about to embark on a journey that will be exciting, at times challenging, and, Lord willing, very fruitful.  We’re calling it Project Feed and the goal is provide all of us the opportunity both to grow in Christ and to learn more about how to grow in Christ.  Our method will be to feed on God’s word together.

The process starts with the Spiritual Growth Inventory, which will be taken during the Home Group meeting.  The Growth Inventory helps you determine your progress with respect to discipleship.  It doesn’t measure you against anyone else, only yourself, giving you some input as to where you are stronger and weaker.  You score it, you keep it, you share it only with the people you want to share it with.  Next, each person in the Home Group will choose one discipleship area (preferably one in which you scored to the lower end) to research and study up on.  (At the end of this blog, you’ll find a list of study tools.)  Over the next several weeks of meeting together, the various members of the group will have opportunity to share with one another what God is teaching them through their particular study.  It will be a living, breathing representation of Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…”  We’ll grow, we’ll get to know one another and we’ll celebrate God’s goodness over the whole process.

We understand that at times this will be a stretching experience.   But we also believe it is hard to promote serious spiritual growth without risking something.  And we know we have a God who will always meet us with our needs.  So, let’s take a risk together and see what God will do.

Note: If you are not in a Home Group, now is a great time to join one.  Exact start date for Project Feed will depend on individual Home Group.

Resources for Researching Individual Topics
Opiso Resources (includes topic summary, suggested Scriptures, exercises and book recommendations)
Scripture search tool (select “keyword” or “topic,” type in word(s) associated with topic and hit “search”)

One of the more challenging and enjoyable aspects of being a follower of Jesus is that this life is an adventure. If you’re doing it right, this life is never boring, and in fact brings some compelling surprises. Unfortunately, however, whether through timidity or simply because they’ve never been presented with the possibility, some followers of Jesus never explore this, they never put themselves in a position where they see the living God provide for them, they never experience supernatural intervention. I am writing to suggest that one very concrete area in which to allow yourself to explore this is with your finances.
Have you ever intentionally given significantly beyond what is comfortable? Have you ever put to the test the promises which God makes about this?
I remember starting at a new church (for me) about 15 years ago, and in one service a woman stood up and said that she and her husband had felt the Lord’s guidance, that He wanted her to leave her job and be at home with the kids as they were growing up. They felt some hesitation about this, because they felt that the extra income was essential for them. However, they did obey, and to their surprise they saw the Lord take care of them, that even though they were a bit poorer financially, they were still able to meet their financial obligations, and in addition their family life was considerably richer. They had taken a step of faith, and had seen God come through. Their story made a significant impression on me.
I know another family that, with four kids, felt that they were giving as much as they could afford to do. Yet they brought this to the Lord and, with His promises in view, began incrementally increasing their giving by 1% or so each year, year by year, to the point where they are now giving away somewhere around 20% of their income.
I know another man who, seeing the promises and statements from God about giving, determined to give more than he was comfortable with, partly because of the needs of which he was aware, partly because he too was intentional in bringing it before the Lord: “Lord, You know that this is a stretch for me, but You have said that You can multiply this, and I’m trusting You to take care of me.” In his case, there is no doubt there are things of which he is temporarily deprived, but on the other side God is blessing him with financial adequacy and fruitful ministry to quite a few people.
Would you like to read more stories of God’s faithfulness in these matters? In addition to Scripture, read missionary biographies; read Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, about the 19th-century missionary to China; read biographies of the 19th-century Christian George Mueller, who with absolutely no income, and never an appeal for funds, opened up one orphanage and then another and then another, eventually housing hundreds of children and even being enabled himself to donate money to other organizations, all with nothing more to depend upon than the promises of God that He would provide.
What are these promises? How about this one from Malachi 3, where God actually invites us to test Him, to see whether He will come through? (As far as I can tell, this is the only instance in Scripture where God invites such a test.) Hear the living God instructing His people in Mal. 3:8-10:
“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me.
“But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’
“In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse— the whole nation of you— because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test me in this,” says the Lord almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
Or this from Jesus in Luke 6:38:
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Or the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:19:
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
And here is an excerpt from those two challenging and promising chapters about the adventure of giving, in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 (this is 9:6-8):
“Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
Let me be quick to say that I am not writing this to make you feel guilty about how much you do or don’t give. My motivation is different: I would like as many of my brothers and my sisters as possible to explore this life of faith, to explore what it is like to put yourself on the line and see God come through, and I would like to see the Lord Jesus exalted in our lives as we entrust yourselves to Him more fully and more concretely.
In addition, I am not suggesting where you donate (that’s between you and the Lord), I’m not suggesting how much (that’s between you and the Lord), and I definitely am not suggesting any specific percentage. Rather, make this into one element of your relationship with God: as He brings to your attention a ministry or a church or a person that you think can benefit from having more resources, give this back to Him in prayer, something like: “Father, I want to donate to this ministry, and I want You to be actively involved in this. You know that this will be a significant burden for me, but I would like to give $30 per month. Please, as You have promised, multiply these funds in their ministry, please guide them in using the funds to the best ends, and please continue to take care of me as You have promised to do. I commit this gift to you in the name of Jesus.” Yes, this is stepping out in faith, and it is indeed a bit scary. But look again at the promises above. He is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
It is truly a remarkable adventure, and you get blessed in it, and everyone around you gets blessed, and God is glorified. Not a bad trade-off, huh?

I recently read an article from some twenty years ago, written by a university professor in the Humanities, in which he was describing changes he was observing in the attitudes and perspectives of his students.  Among the things he mentioned was that books did not have nearly the same significance among those students as they had had for the students’ predecessors.  Since this was twenty years ago, and with the ready availability now of the Internet, YouTube, Kindle, iPods, and Facebook, my guess is that books mean even less to students now than they did then.

I’ve been trying to square this with how we should value Scripture, the Bible, irrespective of our age and generation.  It’s my belief that when people lose that connection to the physical book, the Bible, a decline in how the Bible is viewed is almost inevitable.  Granted, of course it is not the book which matters, rather it is the content in the book— the Word of God!— just as it does not matter hugely what translation is used or even what language is used, so long as it communicates to the heart and the spirit of the reader.  And yet—

Perhaps it is just me, but there have been more than a few times when it is hugely comforting and encouraging for me to put my finger onto the very text, to remind myself, when I am troubled about something, that the Bible speaks about that matter right here.  And many is the time, during a church service, when I am stimulated by what I am hearing and experiencing, that I am compelled to open my Bible to refresh my thinking on a related matter:  “so, God says this— but then that is supported also by what it says over here in this passage.  Yup, there it is, right-hand page, a third of the way from the top.”  I know it’s there on the page because it’s my Bible, and I’ve come to know that it’s right there.

Is it possible to make that connection on Kindle, or on an iPod?  Does it have the same impact?  I’m not trying to deny that the Spirit of God can use any number of media by which to communicate His Word to His people, but I have to admit that I wonder.

One of the reasons that we can trust our Bible to be a faithful representation of the original writings is the extraordinary and exquisite care that the Jewish Scripture copyists took when they were copying and re-copying Holy Scripture from one scroll or book to another.  Nothing was permitted to distract them, there was such a reverence for this Word, and as a consequence the Hebrew Scripture texts which we have from the 8^th-century A.D. are fantastically faithful to those found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, dated some six to ten centuries earlier.  Yes, one can say that downloading it onto an iPod does indeed result in 100% fidelity, but is the significance the same?  Is the reverence the same?  Does it mean as much to someone when they view it on a screen?  And how can one write notes in the margin, to remind oneself of what God showed them from that particular text that day?

I am by no means advocating bibliolatry here, the worship or idolizing of the Bible.  But I will suggest that when you come to church, when you attend a Bible study, bring your Bible.  Perhaps it will not mean much for you to have your Bible there, but is that because it has not meant much to you in your home? You might even try getting in the habit, when a passage means a lot to you, of putting your finger onto the very page, to engage your sense of touch along with other parts of you, to remind yourself that my Bible says this right here.

Psalm 1 talks about the man who conducts himself rightly:

His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 119:11 talks about one salutary effect of Scripture:

Your Word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.

Or Psalm 119:98-99:

Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine.  I have more insight than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.

Jesus Himself says, quoting Deuteronomy:

Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

There are probably many hundreds of other verses which describe the results of cherishing this book (and each of them would be equally valid if seen on Kindle or heard through an iPod!).  Delight, meditation, treasure, mine— these are intense words, very personal and possessive words, words which show the power of making it to be your Bible.  Regardless of the form in which this Word comes to us, let us do what we can to cherish and treasure it, to make it mine.

Starting this Fall, we return to our series “Gospel Soaked” in the book of Romans.  We’ll be exploring Paul’s famous words, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  At the same time, we want to create an environment in our Home Groups that will encourage the process of transformation so we’ll soon be launching something called “Project Feed.”  We’ve done lots recently with helping and feeding the poor but this project is about feeding our souls with the vital truths of the gospel.  So keep an eye out for more details soon.  And if you are not in a Home Group, consider joining one!

Once in awhile it is good to remind ourselves that there is something we need even more than the next morning bun from La Farine (man, those are good!).  We need spiritual bread: Jesus Christ.  I’m not a faster by nature. I’m an eater.  It took a lot to get me to my first fast, but now I’m hooked.

One of my favorite fasts is the Good Friday fast.  I love being encouraged by every hunger pang to reflect on the sacrifice of Christ.  I love praying and opening my heart in a special way to what the living Christ is doing in my life.  I love sinking my teeth into the first bite of food afterward (helps me think about  resurrection!).

Below is an outline for Good Friday devotions.  These do not require a fast, but if you’d like to add the fast to your day, please see the “how-to” note below.  Either way, we’ll see you at 6:30pm at 1319 Solano Ave. (Church on the Corner) for corporate prayer.

GOOD FRIDAY DEVOTIONAL PLAN (printable version)

Morning: The Roots of Redemption

1. Pray a short prayer dedicating yourself and this day to Christ.  Invite him to lead, guide and speak to you today.
2. Read Hebrews 9
3. How was Christ’s sacrifice like the sacrifices offered by the priests?  How was it different?  What is the goal of the sacrificial system?  Who is it intended to benefit?
4. Pray for the people you will see today.

Noon:  The Promise of Redemption

1. Pray  a short prayer asking God to speak through his word.
2. Read Isaiah 52:13-53:12.  Underline or note any verses that stand out to you.
3. Reflect on why your noted verses are significant.
4. Pray for several people you know who have need.

Evening: The Fulfillment of Redemption

1. Mark 15
2. Join us for prayer

Notes on fasting.  I’ll be doing a fast from solid foods that begins when I wake up and ends after our prayer meeting on Friday night.  In place of breakfast and lunch I’ll read scripture and pray (using the above devotional).  If you choose to fast, make sure to drink lots of liquids.  Keep your head up, don’t complain (Matthew 6:16-18), replace each hunger pang with a prayer and pay attention to Christ’s movement and/or promptings.

I’ve recently had several discussions with SCCers about how we as Christians relate with the peoples and cultures here in the East Bay.  To stimulate even more discussion, I’m recommending Culture-Making by Andy Crouch.  Crouch is great at surveying the land, sizing up options and envisioning a way forward without sliding into some pre-fab, cookie cutter “methodology.”  He’s more interested in teaching people how to think as unique individuals in particular places dealing with their own specific circumstances.

There are basically four postures towards culture, according to Crouch.  We can ‘critique’ it, ‘condemn’ it, ‘consume’ it or ‘create’ it (he’s a man of ‘c’s).  Throughout history, the church has fallen into the trap of advocating one posture to the exclusion of the others.  Crouch argues that different circumstances call for different postures.  Then he helps us discern which postures we should assume and when.  All throughout there is an emphasis on embracing our God given calling to “create culture” with and through the gospel.

“Creating culture” is best done in community, argues Crouch.  Jesus modeled this and nearly every successful cultural good ever produced was incubated in community.  Crouch helpfully describes the various layers of community that commonly result in birthing of new and redemptive cultural goods, movements, trends, etc.

The last section of the book explores the limits of what we as humans can do through our (sometimes grandiose) dreams.   I found it to be almost devotional in tone and was deeply encouraged.  The section on “grace babies” was, by itself, worth the price of admission.

The energy in our community around becoming agents of grace is a beautiful thing.  Unharnessed, it will dissipate.   My hope is that Culture-Makers might help provide a framework for moving forward.

(There’s a free study guide to go along with the book here: Free study guide here.)