Prayers for New Ground

The Devotional Studies will resume on Sunday, Aug. 1.
Between now and then I would ask that you pray for New Ground's first gathering this coming Sunday. We will be meeting in Club House of North Pointe Woods at 10:30 a.m.

Please pray:

• For the leading of the Holy Spirit in bringing everyone together.
• For the faithful growth of the people who choose to become a part of New Ground.
• For the positive impact New Ground might have upon the North East area of Indiana.

Please be Patient

Because of inconsistent internet connections in Moab, UT the Blog will not be available for the next several days. Hopefully it will be up again by Wed.

July 24

Read 2 Peter 1

¹⁶We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." ¹⁸We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. (NIV)

Being an eyewitness is something that should not be taken for granted. The early believers thought that those who saw Jesus had a special power to their testimony. But just because someone says they have seen something or were physically in the place to see and then tell others about the experience doesn't mean that they should be trusted with their accounts. I've heard some people talk about an event that I was involved in and walked away wondering if it was the same event because it didn't sound anything like what I had experienced. So why should we believe the testimony of the early disciples let alone those who more recently have experienced the power and presence of Jesus?
Here are a couple of things I consider when I ask if a person's testimony is trustworthy. Some of the questions I ask when considering someones's testimony include:
What do they have to gain by telling this story?
Who is the "hero" of the story? Themselves or someone else?
Is God glorified more than they are glorified by the events recounted?
Does the story bring encouragement or discouragement?
I believe that the early disciples would have passed all of these questions and many more when it comes to their testimony. The harder questions is would you or I.

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• Who is the most trustworthy person you know? What makes them that way?
• Have you ever been called to be an eye witness to something? If so what did it take for you to be a good witness?
• What would make people believe you if you told them about your experiences with Jesus?
• What would you need to change about the way you interact with others so that you might be more trustworthy?

Player focus for today:

• Pray for wisdom that God might lead you into the place of ministry that will make your heart sing.
• Pray for the plans for the first worship / gathering of New Ground Community Church on August 1 at 10:30.

July 23

Read 2 Peter 1

 ³His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (NIV)

Following yesterdays theme and post I have to say that this passage is one of those scriptures that lives in my heart and brings me encouragement. In fact when I read it I hear it as song and my heart is immediately encouraged. I'm not sure where I first heard the song or how it tied into my life circumstances at that moment but I know that it has been quite a few years. But even today as I listen again to the whole song my heart is calmed and centered into the loving hands of a gracious God. I am reminded that my needs are not my wants and that God is in the process of providing everything that I need. I'm reminded that when I begin to think that my wants are what I actually need I get myself into trouble. I'm reminded that there is actually very little that I have that I could not live without. I'm reminded that the experience of God's glory is worth more than all of my wants rolled up and multiplied by ten. I'm reminded that Jesus is who I need and that is and will be enough.

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• Do you ever hear scripture as song? What are some of those passages for you that come to mind?
• Have you ever heard a section of scripture in a song or in passing that seemed to be just what you needed that day? Do you remember what it was and what difference it made to you that day?
• Take a few moments and make a list of two things present in your life today. Put your needs in one row and your wants in another. Which one is longer?
• What need is God providing for you today that you can give thanks for in your life?

Prayer focus for today:

• Pray for a church that you live or work near that their ministry might be honoring unto God.
• Pray for those who are reading the daily devotional at http://newgroundcc.blogspot.com/ that they will be strengthened in their faith.

July 22

Read 1 Peter 5

^6-7So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. (The Message)

One of the great difficulties of reading the Bible these days is when you read phrases like the one above. Out of context it begins to sound like just more of the same self-help stuff, that is so easy to say but so empty in reality, that seems to pervade our society. It begins to sound like the things that well meaning people say to others when they don't know what else to say and only end up driving people away from God rather than closer to God. So there are times that we might be tempted to simply hold on to these nuggets of truth rather than share them with someone else. When we do this not only do other people lose out but God loses out as well.
I believe that there is a right way and a wrong way to share scripture. The wrong way includes things like writing it on the bathroom wall of a public place, sharing an "inspirational track" as a tip for a server, or throwing it an acquaintance so as to avoid the hard work of listening and standing with them in times of suffering. At a conference several years ago I heard Wayne Cordeiro as he was talking about the preaching experience for pastors say something along the lines of "first you must take the scripture into your heart before you let it come out of your mouth." I think these are wise words for all those who believe in Jesus to keep in front of us.

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• Have you ever had scripture "thrown at you?" How did it make you feel? How did  you respond?
• When you consider the scripture that you find encouraging why do you think you keep coming back to it? What scripture is it?
• If you read the above scripture from different Bible editions would it have a different meaning to you?
• What might you do to incorporate scripture more into your heart? Can you do this best by yourself or with others?

Prayer Focus:

• Pray for a friend, neighbor, or family member that does not have a church home that you might invite to join you at New Ground.
• Pray for the people who God might lead to New ground who have a passion for leading God's people in worship.

July 21

Read 1 Peter 4

^12-13Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner. (The Message)

Yesterday as we were leaving Denver, CO we began to see signs that said the Interstate was closed ahead and a phone number to call for more information. After calling the 511 number we found out that there had been a major accident just before the Eisenhower Tunnel and cars were being turned around. The kicker at then end of the message was that there were no alternate routes.

Well my wife and children know that I've never known there to be no alternate rout and sure enough we found one. One that was filled with switchbacks, slow traffic, and extra miles. Sure we could have sat there by the Interstate and waited for the accident to be cleared (which it actually was about 1 1/2 hours after we would have gotten to the turn around point). But if we had waited we would never have experienced the amazement of cresting highway 131 and seeing the Rockie Mountains laid out before us with the setting sun bursting upon them and the moment of worship that reminded us both that God was and is a creating God.

I in no way am comparing the pain of life to the inconvenience of a detour. But I do believe that it is important to keep our eyes open where ever we are to experience the presence of God. The moment we stop looking for God and begin focusing upon the pain we begin to lose out on what God might have in store for us in spite of the circumstances around us. It doesn't mean that the pain will go away, but rather that in the midst of the pain God is and will be there to support us, encourage us, and to remind us that we are not alone.

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• What has been the biggest detour that you have ever taken in life? Were you "forced" to take the detour or did you "choose" to take it? 
• When you are traveling do you prefer to take the safe and known roads or would you rather explore? Why do you think this is your tendency?
• Who do you know today that is in the midst of great difficulties? Is there something that God might want you to do today to encourage and help them in the midst of this time?
• How might you give the difficulty you face today to God for a chance to be surprised by God's grace?

Prayer Focus:

• Pray for the children of families that are choosing to become a part of New Ground that they might find a loving extended family that will do everything to help them and nothing to hurt them.
• Pray for doors to open for New Ground that could only happen because God wants them to open

July 20

Read 1 Peter 4

^1-2Since Jesus went through everything you're going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you'll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want. (The Message)

When ever a child is two or three you expect to have to deal with the "MINE!s" It just seems that every child goes through the phase of possessiveness. In a preschool setting it isn't uncommon to see a child sitting alone with toys stacked around them not playing with them but making sure that no one else does. We tell a child in that setting that they need to learn to share, to play nice, and to get along with others. The behavior changes over time with almost every child but does the attitude ever go away?

As we grow up we learn the social habits of interaction and what it takes to get along with others. But one of the hardest things to get past is that expectation that we should get our own way. Even if we get past the need to hoard and keep others from getting near our stuff there is a basic desire for the world to revolve around us; our needs and wants. Peter says that the way to get over that is to focus upon Jesus and what he went through. So when we suffer, when things don't go like we think they should, and life gets tough we should know that we are not unique or alone. If we can let the world revolve around God rather than us it becomes possible to pursue what God desires rather than just what we want. If we can do that we might have a chance of becoming mature in Christ.

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• When you were a child did you have a toy that no one else could play with?
• How did you learn to share as a child?
• When things aren't going your way do you see it as the world being out to get you or as just the way it goes? Why do you think you see life in this way?
• What can you do today that would be pursuing God's will rather than your will?

Prayer focus for today: 

• Pray for those who will embrace a God centered life through New Ground Community Church.
• Pray for the financial resources that will enable New Ground to establish a place from which to impact the community.

July 19

Read 1 Peter 3

^13-18If with heart and soul you're doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you're still better off. Don't give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They'll end up realizing that they're the ones who need a bath. It's better to suffer for doing good, if that's what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That's what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others' sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God. (The Message)

If you have been reading along sense the first of July through James and 1 Peter to this point you might be wondering if we aren't falling into "works righteousness" (that is doing all the right things so that God will love us and accept us). Have we been focusing upon what one does over and above what one believes? It is a legitimate question. In fact it could be why these smaller letters not written by Paul in the back of the New Testament are not regularly read or studied these days. So let's remember the context which these two books are writing within. James and Peter are both writing to people who are believers. They are not writing to convince or to convert rather they are writing to encourage. The encouragement they are bringing is along the lines of "now what?" Once you believe and start down the road of life with Jesus your life should be different. This isn't just James and Peter it is a thread found all the way through New Testament. So as we go along the road of life and faith we too should be willing to ask the now what question. Are we different today than we were yesterday? Is my walk with Jesus leading me to become more Jesus like in my thoughts and behavior?

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• Which is easier for you to think the right thoughts or do the right things?
• When someone criticizes you unjustly do you find yourself obsessing about it or letting it role off of you? Why do you think that is the case?
• Who do you see becoming more like Jesus around you? What is it about them that makes you see this?
• What might you do today that would draw you closer to Jesus in both thoughts and action?

Prayer Focus:

• Pray that New Ground might make a life changing impact upon people in our community
• Pray that God might make clear where New Ground should be located.

July 18

Read 1 Peter 3

^8-12Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing. (The Message)

As I have been reading through 1 Peter I keep coming back to these few versus and think that I need to find some way of incorporating them into every wedding that I do from now on. Relationships are difficult, there is no other way about it. Even in a marriage (maybe especially in a marriage) there are all kinds of needs and wants that are not even spoken if they are even understood. But Peter provides the basis for a marriage relationship to work. In fact not just to work but to flourish!
Faith is demonstrated by the way we interact with those around us, especially those closest to us. When our spouse, children, and parents experience us a mean spirited, sarcastic, selfish, belligerent, or anything other than Christlike we miss out on an opportunity that only we can control. That is the opportunity to bring Christ to life in the most personal of settings. The great thing about living out the words of 1 Peter is that it is completely up to you. It really doesn't matter how the other person responds or what they do. You are the one who gets to decide each moment if you are going to be a blessing or a curse to those God has brought into your life. Not because they have earned or deserve your blessing but because you are going to choose to live that way.

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• What does it feel like to be around people who are mean spirited, sarcastic, selfish, belligerent, and more? Why do you think they choose to live this way?
• If they were being completely honest how do you think your family would classify you in relation to Peter's encouragement?
• How do you thing Jesus would want you to relate to your family?
• What one thing can you do today to be a blessing to someone close to you?

Prayer Focus:

• Pray that those who are looking for a community of faith that they might come to New Ground and find it here.
• Pray for wisdom that the Leadership Board might make wise decisions about the place New Ground should be located.

July 17

Read 1 Peter 2

^13-17Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government. (The Message)

This is a passage that doesn't seem to come up in the church on a regular basis these days. It seems in my eyes and ears that churches have decided that they will either become completely political and identify with one party or another or they will refrain from any and all discussion about how faith influences the political discussion. The problem is that politics are a part of life and if faith doesn't have an impact upon all of one's life then it is incomplete.
The place where I see personally the need for believers to speak into the political realities of life today is in the area of respect and dignity. Within the context of talking about politics Peter says that we should treat everyone with dignity. If everyone who professed a faith and belief in Jesus took that passage to heart it would radically change the way we deal with the realities of our social and political life.

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• What do you think is the appropriate role for a believer to play in politics?
• At a family or social gathering do you find it appropriate to talk about politics? Why or why not?
• When you consider how you talk about or treat others who might have a different opinion than you would they say you treat them with respect?
• How might you encourage others to be more respectful toward people of various opinions?

July 16

Read 1 Peter 2

^9-10But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. (The Message)

Within religious circles the words "the priesthood of all believers" is often mentioned but is rarely truly understood let alone embraced. In our western / American culture we like the idea that I have as many rights as you do, but we shy away from the possibilities that I also have equal responsibilities. If you read the Exodus story the people didn't want to risk encountering the living God that Moses told them about. So rather than venturing out themselves they asked Moses and Aaron to do it for them. They would listen to what God said through those who were set apart for that very purpose.
Jesus came along and turned all that upside down. He said that each person could come to God and that you didn't need an intermediary to experience God's presence. In various places in the New Testament we are then told that all believers now have become priests. The problem lies not with our abilities to go to God personally but that we have given up the role of living as priests. The priest's role was not just to officiate at religious ceremonies. Rather the priest's role was to live out their whole lives as a sacrifice to God. Everything they did was to reflect to the people around them the presence of a living God.
When Israel got into trouble it was often because the priests got comfortable in just doing their role and not actually living it out. It is the same trouble we get ourselves into when we take on all the rights but none of the responsibilities of a faithful life.

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• Would you rather experience the thrill of a great adventure or hear someone else tell about their adventures? Why?
• Do you think there is anything that only an official priest / minister can or should do? What is that?
• What responsibilities of the Christian faith would you rather not accept?
• If you walked around with a name tag that said: "Hi, my name is ______ and I'm a representative of the living God" how might your life look different?

July 15

Read 1 Peter 2

^1-3So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You've had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God's pure kindness. Then you'll grow up mature and whole in God. (The Message)

Maturity is something we usually see in ourselves and want others to grow into. We look at the actions, attitudes, and intent of others and we think to ourselves, "I wish they would grow up." It happens for all of us whether we are 12 looking upon an 8 year old sibling or 40 considering the actions of a 25 year old co-worker. We pass judgement on the maturity of others and sometimes in moments of self-awareness even upon our own past actions. The usual problem with maturity is that we aren't sure how to actually achieve it. We know what it looks like but outside of time and experience how does one come to that point?
Peter gives us a hint at what should be gone from our lives as we become more mature. He suggests that we get rid of malice, pretense, envy, and hurtful talk. You and I both know however that as much as we might want these things to be gone from our lives wanting it does not make it happen. The suggestion of drinking deeply of God's kindness then might be a clue for us to consider. By focusing upon God's kindness in the forgiveness of our sins, patience with our shortcomings, love for us when we aren't very love able, etc. we can begin recognizing the need we have to give others the same kindness. Maybe becoming mature is as simple as "We love, because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• Have you ever had a moment where you suddenly asked yourself, "Why am I acting so immature?" What made you aware of your actions?
• Would you consider yourself to be a mature follower of Jesus? Why or why not?
• What part of God's kindness to you have you been ignoring?
• What one thing might you do today to grow closer to maturity in Jesus eyes?

July 14

Read 1 Peter 1

^"22Now that you've cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it." (The Message)

"I'll do that when I get my life together."
It is a common thought among many of us in todays world. There are things that we know we need to do or want to do but there are just some things that need to be taken care of first. We have a tendency to see our present circumstances as a distraction and inconvenience keeping us from what we are actually supposed to be doing. So we tell ourselves things such as:

• when I get out of school I will ...
• when I get a job I will ...
• when I get a better job I will ...
• when I retire I will ....
• when I ....

The problem with all these whens is that they keep changing. So we put off doing what we believe God has created us to do or we use it as an excuse to avoid doing what we afraid will be to difficult.
Peter, in this passage, seems to be saying that we should love others now that we have our lives together. But we all know that none of us really have our lives together yet so that whole loving others thing must be for a later time. This would be the farthest thing from Peter's mind however. What is actually being said is that the moment you place yourself on the path with Jesus you begin putting your life, mind, and soul on the right path. Because of that you should be all about loving those around you. When you are following Jesus loving others is not an option it is the only thing that will keep your faith going. You might think that you will love others when you get your relationship with Jesus worked out, but the reality is that you will never get your relationship with Jesus worked out unless you are actively and radically loving those around you.

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• What have you put off doing until you get _____ done?
• Is it easier to love Jesus or to love other people? Why?
• Who needs you to love them so that they might know that Jesus loves them?
• What can you do today that would be a demonstration of radical Jesus love for someone else?

July 13

Read 1 Peter 1

"^13-16So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, "I am holy; you be holy."" (The Message)

One of the questions that author and church consultant Lyle Schaller is fond of asking is, "What year is it in your church today?" He uses that phrase to force church communities to ask about their expectations and actions. Some church's are stuck in the 50's (either 1850 or 1950 depending upon the church) and others might even be stuck in the 90's. You can tell where a church gets stuck because they continue to do things that worked during that time and expect the culture and community around them to respond in the same ways even when the culture and community have changed.
The same question can be asked about an individuals life as well. "What year is it for you today?" Maybe you are living as if you are 16 instead of 56. You might still be trying to work out the insecurities of life and relationships that you felt then even though you are no longer in that situation. Maybe you are 45 and still trying to accumulate things like you did when you were 8 or 28 so that you can have a sense of security about the future. Where ever we are in our life and faith Peter seems to be saying that we should be growing toward holiness. Not a holiness that is better than everyone else but rather a holiness that reflects God in everything that we do.

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• How old are you: physically, emotionally, in your faith? How old do you act?
• What do you keep doing that no longer is working? Why do you think you keep doing it?
• What support, either people or resources, do you need to grown in your faith?
• What can you beginning doing today that will help you grow into holiness?

July 12

Read 1 Peter 1

^"3-5What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all—life healed and whole." (The Message)

Every once in a while I find that I need to simply stop and consider the greatness of God!
It becomes to easy for me to go about my daily life getting caught up in the stuff that keeps all of our days interesting. During the average day I think about God and Jesus on a regular basis. My faith is not far from my thoughts at any one time. But the awe seems to fade, the passion seems to wane, and the reality that I'm living in the midst of the Kingdom of God breaking in around me becomes simply words.
There are a number of things that I find energizing for my faith at these times. Getting up early or staying out late with my camera to capture a sunrise or sunset in a secluded yet beautiful place gives me the time and space to reflect upon God's majesty. Surrounding myself with the music of worship, both old and new reminds me the faithful lives of others and brings me close to the circle of praise of the saints that have gone before me. There are other ways depending upon me surroundings and mindset but the key is that I have to make a conscious decision to engage them. Without these I fall into the trap of taking God for granted far to easily.

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• When was the last time you were consciously aware of the greatness of God? Where were you and how did you experience it?
• Do you know anyone who seems to live with the greatness of God as a reality on a regular basis? What makes them different? Is this good or bad? Why?
• Is there anything that you can do that would help someone else focus upon the greatness of God?
• What might you do this week that would help you experience God's greatness and not just remember it?

July 11

Read James 5

^"13-15Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing. Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master. Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you've sinned, you'll be forgiven—healed inside and out." (The Message)

Believers have practiced anointing down through the ages. But what used to be a common practice has now become the exception rather than the rule. The gathering of believers shared life together from birth and joy through sadness and death. So when there was someone who was ill people would gather around them and pray. The person anointed would be asked if there was any sin in their lives that might keep God's power from bringing a healing miracle. It was never assumed that if the person didn't get well that it was because of sin but rather the awareness that when we carry sin that we refuse to turn away from it could limit the work that God might do within us and through us.
There are many things that I do not pretend to understand. One of them is the power of God's praying people. I have been in too many situations where people have asked to be anointed and following worship and prayer they have found that the illness that they faced has been lessened or even removed. Not every time, or even most of the time, but enough of the time to believe that there is power that we often do not call upon.

Could it be that we have left this passage in favor of the certainty of science and in the process lost the power that God would like us to share in?

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• What would you consider a miracle of healing today?
• Would you find it easier to pray for someone else or have them pray for you? Why?
• Are there unconfessed sins in your life that might be keeping God from doing work in you or through you?
• Who could you pray for today that needs the healing power of God to be present in their lives?

July 10

Read James 5

^"10-11Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You've heard, of course, of Job's staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That's because God cares, cares right down to the last detail." (The Message)

Over the years I've had the privilege of having some older mentors in my life. There was Dr. Tice who as a child I looked up to with great respect and awe. More recently I have had people like Ernest Jensen and Phillis Carter whose lives have touched mine in some very special ways. Each of these people, plus many more, have helped to shape me and the way I live my life. I've seen in these mentors the ability to love God and other people when times are good as well as when they are not. I count it as one of the great honors to have been there the night Erny finally beat the cancer that had taken control of his body and we walked joyously into God's waiting arms.
I wish I could tell you that I was wise enough to know that i needed these mentors in my life and I searched them out or that they saw something special within me and wanted to to help me become the best person I could be for God. But neither of those is true. The reality is that they were simply people God brought into my life that I learned from. I'm fairly sure that in the midst of those times I was not even aware of what I was learning. But if I would not have paid attention to these old prophets I would not be the person I am today.

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• Have you had a mentor in your life that has truly made a difference in who you are? What made/makes them special to you?
• Given your current circumstances in life is there someone older/wiser than you who could help you gain a new perspective on life? Who is it and why would you want to seek them out?
• What life experiences do you have that might bring encouragement to someone else? 
• Who can you talk to today that might gain encouragement because of something that you have already experienced?

July 9

Read James 4

^"13-15And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, "Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we're off to such and such a city for the year. We're going to start a business and make a lot of money." You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that."

 ^16-17As it is, you are full of your grandiose selves. All such vaunting self-importance is evil. In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don't do it, that, for you, is evil." (The Message)

It seems like I am well acquainted these days with plans that don't flow in just the way I had anticipated. Actually the more I learn that I don't control tomorrow the easier life is getting. (or at least I would like to think it does) Much of the stress and worries of life come from the anticipation and fear of what might be around the corner tomorrow. We can become consumed by the possibilities and we find ourselves praying for patience. The problem with praying for patience is two fold. First, God seems to have a sense of humor and gives us a lot of time to practice the patience. Second, the patience we usually want to have is to be able to wait until God makes things work out the way WE want them to.
Patience is something we can force ourselves to live with when we know we are going to get chocolate chip cookies at the end of the waiting. But what happens when at the end of our waiting we get steamed okra or cold fish or even Chicken Kiev? I am beginning to believe that in praying for patience I've been praying the wrong prayer for much of my life. I am now beginning to see that I should have been praying for a deeper level of trust in God. Because trust is different than patience. Patience says to me that I will get what I deserve/want/need in the long run. Trust allows me to believe that what I receive from God today and tomorrow will be enough.
So today I will do everything that I can to honor God and love my neighbor because that is all that I have and just maybe it is enough.

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• When you were a child what was waiting for Christmas like? 
• Remember a time when events didn't turn out the way you had planned. What was your immediate reaction? How do you look at those events now? How might your life have been different today if things had turned out the way you thought they should? 
• What plans do you have that you would be better off giving to God to work out the details instead of you worrying about them?
• What can you do today that is the right thing to do that you have been putting off lately?

July 8

Read James 4

^"11-12Don't bad-mouth each other, friends. It's God's Word, his Message, his Royal Rule, that takes a beating in that kind of talk. You're supposed to be honoring the Message, not writing graffiti all over it. God is in charge of deciding human destiny. Who do you think you are to meddle in the destiny of others?" (The Message)

James spends a lot of time talking about the words that we use and the destructive power they carry. While it would be nice to think that it is only others who do these things we should all know that we are guilty ourselves. I know that I would rather not replay the many moments in my life when the words that I have spoken to and about others have brought pain and disappointed rather than encouragement and hope.
There are several "rules" that we are told to consider when it comes to our words to and about others, such as:

If you don't have anything nice to say don't say it at all.

If you wouldn't say it to the persons face you shouldn't say it behind their back.

While these are helpful to a point they leave us wanting for more because they just don't work. We know people who are always "nice" but come across as fake. We know others who are so honest that they leave a wake of destroyed egos in their wake because of their bluntness. Neither of these is God-honoring.
There has to be another way to approach our communication that starts first with a heart that sees others as important in God's eyes just as we ourselves are. We have to look for ways to build others up while at the same time speaking in loving honesty about the realities of life and the sometimes destructive choices we make. It isn't easy but we have to hold one another accountable to the words that we speak and each of us must find a way to say, "I'm sorry that I've hurt you, help me to not do that again."

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• What comment from another person to you has stayed with you and caused you the most pain?
• Which is harder for you, to speak words of encouragement or words of correction?
• Who do you need to go to and ask for forgiveness and understanding because of the words that you have spoken to them or about them?
• What can you begin doing today that will help your words be God-honoring on a regular basis?

July 7

Read James 3

"Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats." vs 16 (The Message)

In Proverbs 16:18 we are told, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." It seems to be rather straight forward and we would agree that the wisdom contained there is true. Recognizing it is one thing but learning to not be controlled by our pride is something completely different. One of the problems we have is coming to grips with the difference between God given confidence and self centered pride.
Pride is a problem when it moves beyond self worth and becomes arrogance. The mindset that I am better than others, that my way is the only right way, and that I deserve more because I'm better is what gets us into trouble. This is what leads us to ignore other peoples needs as well as their gifts. When we allow pride to drive us we leave the wreckage of damaged relationships behind us without a thought to what might have been.
God given confidence on the other hand is an acceptance of who we are in God's sight and a willingness to own the gifts, talents, and experience that God has given us. It doesn't make us better than other people only different. It also includes an awareness that God has also given others what we do not have ourselves. God given confidence includes a level of humility that allows us to continue to learn from life those lessons that God uses to make us even more into his image.


Some thoughts to ponder and discuss with others:

• Which bothers you more in other people; overt pride or false humility? Why?
• Have you found yourself in a situation where you were trying to make yourself look good at someone else's expense? What happened as a result of it? Why do you think you did this?
• Do you find it difficult to fully accept the confidence that God has given you more of something than has been given to others? Why might you feel this way?
• What one relationship in your life right now might be improved if you had a healthy sense of God given confidence and less pride? How might you ask God to bring the changes necessary into that relationship?

July 6

Read James 3

 ^3-5A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!" (NIV)

The childhood rhyme:
"Sticks and stones may break my bones,
but words can never hurt me!"
Is a lie! We all know it and have suffered the consequences of words that have cut deep into our hearts. Some of us might have developed a thicker skin and find ourselves hurt less often by words than others but we still know the power of words spoken to wound and destroy.
The problem is that we often know the words others have spoken that hurt us but we are oblivious to the words we have spoken that wound those closest to us. Maybe we make light of someone else in order to garner a laugh in the midst of a crowd and miss the look of pain that crosses their face because we have touched a deep hurt in their lives. Or in an effort to encourage or motivate we belittle someone's effort and what they hear is "you don't think I can do anything of value."
James knows the power of words. Do you?

Some thoughts to ponder and discuss with others:

• Are you quick to speak and slow to listen or quick to listen and slow to speak?
• Who has spoken the most encouraging words to you? What did they say?
• Who is a person that you will see today that could benefit from an encouraging word from you?

July 5

Read James 2

^"18I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department."

   Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove." (The Message)

Over the last several weeks you can't drive down a road without seeing the signs for Firecrackers for sale. Everyone has their best deals enticing you to come in and get the most bang for your buck. From the sounds of the city over the last two nights there have been a lot of people who have taken them up on the offers. But the fireworks have not gone off on their own. Neither have people been able to will the fireworks into exploding to elicit the moments of joy and wonder that have been intended. All of the fireworks need something to trigger their intended use. Most of the fireworks require a flame to light the fuse or they simply sit there without fulfilling their intended purpose.
As incomplete of an analogy as this might be we could say the same things about our faith and our deeds. Faith without action is unrealized potential. However the action that comes from faith is not action based upon our own doing it is an outside spark that has traditionally been called the Holy Spirit. When we allow the Holy Spirit to take a hold of our faith things happen at a level far beyond anything that would be assumed from just looking at us.

Some thoughts to ponder and discuss with others:

• When you are around fireworks are you the type that wants to light them or stand far back and watch?
• If other people knew you were a follower of Jesus would they say your faith has been ignited and your works are obvious or would they say you have unfulfilled potential? Why do you think they would respond this way?
• How might your life change if you asked the Holy Spirit each day to light up the sky with God's power through your faith being lived out for the glory of God?

July 4

Read James 2

^"8 This royal law is found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." If you obey this law, you are doing right.⁹ But if you treat one person as being more important than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God's law." (New Century Version)

One of the problems that has been present both inside and outside of the church forever is that of preferential treatment based upon perceived status. James suggests that it must have been a problem in the early church that people were giving more attention to those whom they saw as more powerful and socially superior. The example that is shared is one that seems to be completely out of place in a faith community that says everyone receives the same grace and forgiveness from God through Jesus Christ. So we are reminded to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
In facing our own perceptions and behaviors when it comes to how we react to and treat others we at times try to will ourselves to love those that we don't find very lovable. While we can put on a good show it often comes across as fake and condescending to those we are "loving". Could it be that the real issue is not how we are loving others but our inability to love ourselves? When we don't love something about ourselves we try to distract ourselves from it in a variety of ways. One of the ways we do that is to put ourselves on the social scale and see how many others are "below us". The more we move up the scale the more we must be lovable we assume and the less others will notice those things about us. We try to fool ourselves into believing that we are better than we know we actually are. We forget that God loves us as we are and not as we think we should be.

Some thoughts to ponder and talk about with others:

• Have you ever been on the receiving end of actions that placed someone else ahead of you in an obvious way? How did it make you feel? 
• What is it about yourself (an action, attitude, attribute, etc.) that you find the hardest to love? 
• What do you think keeps you from accepting that God loves you as you are?
• What one thing could you do today to remind yourself that God loves you?

July 3

Read James 1


"²⁶ Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (Today's New International Version)


Pollution is something that we take for granted these days. We have become immune to it's impact and just see it as a part of the landscape of the world. As long as it doesn't inconvenience me then I simply go along with my life and figure someone else will pick it up/clean it up. The oil polluting the Gulf of Mexico is a prime example of that for people living in Indiana. We seem to think that it doesn't impact us because we can't see it. The reality though is that the oil polluting the gulf does impact us and will impact us for years to come.
Often times we take the same approach to those who are least able to care for themselves; the young and old, the sick, and those broken by the realities of this world. We think it is someone else's job to love them and care for them. We find it much easier to go about our lives with blinders on to the distress in the world. 
Could it be that the pollution of this world is anything that hides the needs of those who are most vulnerable? Have we allowed a focus upon "cleaned up religion" to take our eyes and hearts away from those God wants us to be most concerned with? Have we traded in compassion and mercy for the nice warm feeling that Jesus loves me?


Some thoughts to ponder and talk about with others:

• What is the most pristine, unspoiled, beautiful place you have ever seen? What is the most polluted site that you have been to personally?
• What makes you "blind" to seeing the needs of others? Why do you think that is?
• Who is the most vulnerable person that God has placed in your life today? How have you treated them? How might you treat them tomorrow that would encourage them to know they are loved by God?

July 2

Read James 1

^"19-21Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God's righteousness doesn't grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life." (The Message)

I have to say up front that I'm not a gardener. I work in the yard because it needs care not because I get great satisfaction out of creating a landscape that others will admire. Now I truly enjoy a beautiful garden and would love my yard to be one of those places that has beautiful flowers and well groomed shrubs with maybe a water feature gently running through it bringing calm to the soul. But what I really want is a yard that is free from poison ivy! It seems every year that my wife gets into the poison ivy and it makes her miserable. We have had to change plans more than once because she was covered with the poison ivy. I hate what the little weed does to my wife and wish it would be gone.

There are things in each of our lives that are similar to poison ivy. They are the stuff that we allow to hang around that gets on other people and hurts them. Things like: unresolved anger issues; pride that steps on other people because you are more important than they are; greed that makes you do things because you think you deserve to have more; gossip you want others to see how important you are because of what you know; and the list goes on.

James says that we need to get rid of those things within us that poison peoples lives. Not just other peoples lives but our own as well. We seem to know that we need to change and some of us even want to change but the reality is that we can't do it on our own. We have to have God's help in the midst of it and that is truly what will change us.

Some thoughts to ponder and talk about with others:

• What kind of a garden or landscape do you enjoy? What is it that you enjoy about it?
• If your life, both words and actions, were a garden what would it look like?
• What might God do in your life to "clean up" the garden that you are?
• What one thing can you begin doing today that will help you grow closer to God so that you might become the person God has created you to be?

July 1

Read James 1

" ^2-4Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." (The Message)

Everyone goes through times of tests and challenges!

The fact is most of the time I find myself either coming out of the challenge, in the midst of it, or seeing the next one coming. I don't like it and there have been plenty of times that I have prayed to God that I might live a boring life. I don't know if tests and challenges just follow me around or if I search them out but I seem to be living anything but a boring life. When I read this passage the last think I usually think of is joy.

When we are encouraged to seek joy in the midst of trials it sounds empty and vague. In fact it is a great turn off to many people who in the midst of great pain are told that "God has a plan for all this!" In fact I would like to ban those words from the mouths of believers because they just aren't helpful when all you can see is pain, misery, and disappointed. I would even go so far as to say that blaming God for the trials of life turns more people away from God than it brings encouragement.

So what might James be saying here in this passage? Could it be that we are to live our lives trusting God in all things both the good and the bad? Are we to live in such ways that others can see God present when both good and bad things happen?

Some thoughts to ponder and talk about with others:

• Who do you know that seems to have a great trust in God no matter what is happening around them? How have you seen this lived out?
• When you are faced with challenges is your usual response pessimism and defeat or anticipation in what God might be doing in the midst of it all?
• When you find yourself in the midst of life's challenges what words or actions from others give you hope?
• What challenge are you facing right now that might build a deeper trust in God's faithfulness within you? What might you do to encourage that trust in God to grow even stronger?