DECEMBER 29 – CONFLICTS ARE CERTAIN

(Martha) had a sister, Mary, who sat by Jesus’ feet, listening as He taught. Martha, who was scrambling to prepare for the gathering said to Him, “Doesn’t it bother you that Mary isn’t doing her job; helping me. Tell her she’s wrong!” (Matthew 10:39-40)

                   Where there are two people, there are usually at least two opinions - maybe more. Often one of those opinions or a person’s actions may be wrong. Do you care enough about your people and their development to tell them the truth? Will you risk the negative aspects of conflict and help them to grow?

                   Jesus knows that ignorance is costly. He loved both Mary and Martha. To see conflict erupt in this public way was probably discouraging to Him. How long had they been friends? Why did Martha not understand? Jesus also knows people become side-tracked. That is why staying “at Jesus’ feet,” or focusing on Him and His word is so important. In your group, there will be conflict. You will be engaged in conflict. The question is, will you create conflict where it is necessary and profitable to your people?

                   In a world of choices, where men and women have freedom to choose, there will be poor decisions. Care enough for your people to confront them when they make poor choices.

DECEMBER 21– YOUR PROMISES TEACH VALUES

Jesus saw the crowds, and He went up on the mountain. As they drew near to Him, He began to share God’s promises; “The poor are blessed that they are rich in the kingdom of God. The mourners, that they will find comfort. The gentle and humble, that they are the heirs to the land. Those who want more of God’s way as if thirsty or starving for it are blessed that God will fill them up…” (Matthew 5:1-6)

                   The values you hold dear; what matters to you, can be communicated and defined for your people by the promises you make to them, and by the promises you require from them. The character of relationships is composed of these promises when they are clearly stated, and even if they are simply learned by watching you.

                   Jesus communicated His promises. These were the promises of God. He did it clearly in words, and with everyday examples people could understand. Here he mentions the feelings of rejection, humiliation, and loss that are so common to the human experience. Then He counters all the negative with God’s promises. God’s best is theirs not only despite their sad state and great needs, but these gifts are the antidotes for these human problems.

                   Your people are looking for someone to promise that they can be valued, loved, and included. Will you make those promises to them today?

DECEMBER 20–OTHERS TRUST BECAUSE OF YOU

Like it was said, “I believed; so, I have told it.” We have that same great confidence, so we speak. We know that the God who raised Jesus will bring us through too, and you as well. All this – for and through you – growing more and more to a great celebration that brings glory and honor to God. (2 Corinthians 4:13-15)

                   Your people will be encouraged, and their fears will be calmed, when they can see your steady, consistent confidence in Jesus. Will you keep the assurance of God’s faithfulness in your mind and in front of your people all the time?

                   Paul recalls a verse from Psalms (116:10). In this Psalm, the circumstance was that, “in His great affliction” the writer continued to believe, and therefore continued to speak of God’s glory. The psalm writer says he was changed from the day when adversity had made him despair. Paul begins with reference to this change, saying he too has had this experience. This encourages his friends in Corinth to become new – to see God’s glory and persevere when they are challenged. Ultimately then, through their faith, many other people will come to faith, celebrating and worshipping God. All of this because of one person’s simple, confident belief.

                   Recognize that your actions, because you believe, will be the basis for others to believe in an ever-increasing, geometric progression. The trust of others begins with you.

DECEMBER 19 – COMMUNITY COMES FROM YOU

At all times, we carry around in our bodies the same, intentional putting to death of us that Jesus suffered, so that His life will show through our lives. We who are alive are constantly surrendering these earthly bodies to a daily death for Jesus – so that others can see His life in these bodies. In other words, we die so you can live. (2 Corinthians 4:10-12)

                   Have you ever seriously considered the practical implications of this explanation? If you had no hesitation to tell the truth about cost and sacrifice before considering this, you may re-think your approach, huh? What a warm invitation this is to life in Christ.

                   Paul explains, the success that you see; the changed lives around you, will come at your own expense. Denying yourself in this daily death of what you want is the way that your people will come to see, experience, and to embrace Jesus themselves. If you want to see God build a community of faith from the people whom God sends your way, the mortar that holds you and those folks together will be the cost you pay to be obedient to the Holy Spirit; to use your life the way God wants rather than to hold onto it for selfish purposes. As you give your life to Christ, and He lives in you, others will be able to see only Him. That is when change happens.

                   Be the source of change for your community of people. Show them from the beginning how to live in faith.

DECEMBER 17 – YOU MUST BE TRANSPARENT

Rather (instead of giving up when you are rejected), we won’t resort to desperate tactics, dishonesty, or try to spin the word of God. No, we transparently present God’s Truth. The, it is up to them. Even if this Truth is hidden, it is only hidden to those who have been blinded by Satan. Choosing the road to certain death, some can’t see God’s light and truth and glory the truth about Jesus. (2 Corinthians 4:2-4)

                   Do you sometimes choose to talk more (or only) about God’s love and care and gifts, and the peace and joy of following? Do you hesitate to give the full picture of what life lived on God’s terms will require of others? Have you ever been surprised to see someone turn away from God angrily when things go wrong, or when times are hard?

                   People deserve the truth. God did not create men and women with the freedom to choose so they could be tricked into choosing relationship with Him. The work with each person God sends you, as Paul explains, is to share the unvarnished truth with them. That is the only way that you can be obedient, and God can be glorified. There is no end that justifies anything less than transparency. Your end is always to obey God’s call.

                   Be transparent. Present the truth about Jesus and His work in your life authentically and honestly.

DECEMBER 10 – RULES CAN’T DO IT

But the results that give evidence of God’s Holy Spirit working in a life are evident in what you see. They are a love for other people, cheerful happiness, an inner calm and peace, a willingness to wait. These people are kind and gentle, consistently good, and are unruffled by challenges. You can’t make these traits appear by force. Rules don’t bring these results. (Galatians 5:22-23)

                   People who lead are often fond of rules. Rules are simple. If you could only list the important dos and don’ts in one place, and then threaten consequences for those who don’t follow that list, it would be so easy…. Well, not really. Remember the Ten Commandments? Like it happens today, the short list didn’t work, so people in power created many more rules that no one followed, not even the leaders. Why not? Why don’t rules work?

                   Paul observes, the important values of God can’t be created with rules. Jesus explained, “It’s from your very core; your heart, that you desire evil ways and hate others. (Matthew 15:19)” Jesus restored your ability to relate to God through the Holy Spirit living in you. With your heart focused on Christ in you, you can live the life that Paul describes.

                   Understand that living God’s values is an issue of the heart. Frame these values as promises from Him and from you - because of His love – not as rules.

NOVEMBER 24 – A COMMUNITY OF LEADERS

(Those who rejected Jesus failed yet again) But you – believers – followers – God picked you! You are Priests. As His own, favorite people, you can be Holy – part of His royal family. Show other people the way to this Jesus; the Christ who rescued you from a meaningless existence to give you His magnificent purposes. (1 Peter 2:9)

                   Is your group a community full of leaders? Are you working toward that end? Would you like to have more of your people growing to love and care about others?

                   Peter was serious about rocks. Maybe it was because Rock (Cephas) was the name Jesus gave to him as a replacement for Simon (God has heard) when Simon first identified Jesus as the Christ (Matthew 16:16). In a way, this was Jesus explaining to His followers the truth that Peter tells others here. Jesus is that rock on which prosperous lives must be based. When you are adopted into His Holy family, you begin to follow Him. As you grow in that relationship, you inherit His purpose of providing others help in restoring their relationship with God and with each other.

                   Help your people find their identity as a co-rock; a partner in God’s purposes. It will provide meaning in your life and in the lives of those whom you are called to lead.

NOVEMBER 11 – GOD’S SIGNS TRANSFORM

After living through this amazing experience, they began to tell others about God’s great message concerning the child. Each person who heard was astonished. They all wondered about what all this meant to them. (Luke 2: 17-18)

                   God’s work is to communicate through signs and to provide for His people. Paul says you are what God makes; His work (Ephesians 2:10). So then, you are a sign, and a provision for God’s people. As you are affected, it is to affect others. As the anointed one, Jesus was created and gave His life for you. As God makes you with His transforming power, you – being transformed – will become an agent of His transforming work. As He has given you signs and experiences leading to that change, you will be made to be a sign for others. Your life will communicate God’s truth to your people.

                   Scripture tells that the shepherds went away from Bethlehem changed; prepared to work with, and to be the work of, God. And you see that, as a result, other people were changed too. They were astonished. They wondered. They understood this was not just a fabulous story told by deranged shepherds. Armed with God’s truth, their passionate communication led to transformation.

                   That is God’s plan for you as well. Your action, upon God’s call to you, prepares you to be a part of His work in others through your continued obedience to Him. You are His sign. You are His mission.

NOVEMBER 3 – JESUS KNEW THE KEY - SIGNS

Say to those who cower in fear, “Don’t be afraid! Your God is coming! He is just, and He is coming to save you. Then, you’ll see the signs – blind will see, deaf will hear, those who can’t walk will leap, and the mute will speak God’s praises. Living water is coming to your wilderness; life to the desert!” (Isaiah 35:4)

                   God’s presence in this world, and His work of restoration and healing are signs He uses to communicate. He has chosen to use prophets to explain how people can see God in His actions. Those who look for God will have these signs that serve to encourage them and to affirm their hope in His love and provision. Through Isaiah, the Lord, God, gave Israel the meaning that makes the signs related to Jesus communicate clearly. God’s desire is for them to see Him present and working as Jesus healed and brought new life.

                   Do you know God’s signs? Do you look for them, so they can be affirmation for the work you pursue each day? Do these signs provide the map that guides your work? and your evaluation of its progress? Are the people with whom you work really the most important part of that work? If you are genuinely pursuing a God-given vision, people must be your focus. God’s signs; your work, have one purpose – to be living water to people in a desert.

                   Work for transformation today. Find what God is doing to change peoples lives around you, and then take your part in that work.

OCTOBER 26 – RULE PROBLEM - MANIPULATION

Don’t act in any way to advance your own, selfish ends, nor to build your ego. Rather, humbly think of other people as more important than you. Work for what they need, not what you want. (Philippians 2:3-4)

                   What part of you still desires success or significance? Which of the material, social, or psychological goals still capture your imagination? Unless you can put these personal wants aside, your actions will be impacted by them. Your rules for your people will serve those selfish interests. Unless you focus carefully on others, and what they need, your guidance and standards may become tyranny. Some rules are merely a convenient disguise for efforts to manipulate outcomes.

                   Paul drills down to the essence of what it means to follow Christ. Your entire life; every part of your attention and focus will be directed toward God’s answer for you and for other people. You see, people need relationship with the Lord, God. No other purpose, nor any other pursuit that you create will answer that need. Any desire that you imagine will ultimately serve your wish rather than the need of the person before you.

                   Focus on other people – all the time – and listen for God’s word to you for how you may serve their needs.

OCTOBER 21 – BECOMING WHAT YOU LOVE

Even though people knew God, they turned inward, foolishly claiming to know best for themselves instead of worshipping and glorifying the Lord, God. They gave up aspiring to God and His glory, choosing instead the common things He created. (Romans1:21)

                   Men and women are very good at achieving what they really want most in life. You are always living toward a future, a goal, an end. What is yours? You must be careful to choose this end with serious intent. Recognizing the truth of this passage; that your efforts are animated by your habits that in turn come from what you really want, you should focus intently on God’s vision for your life. You should also be careful to consistently focus your people on God and the work God has given you all to do together.

                  As Paul was describing the choices these folks made, he must have scratched his head. “They know better,” is his real observation here. As he wondered why others (and he, himself at times) would do such a foolish thing, he must have remembered Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinks in his heart, so he is.” Against their own interests, these people chose to cling tightly to all the lesser things provided by the world; the latest shiny object, rather than pursuing God and His true worth and glory.

                   Be careful. Lead your people to a carefully considered decision to pursue God, so they will become the image bearers He wants them to be.

OCTOBER 20 – BETTER WORK

…to rule… (Genesis 1:26)

We beg you – Christ wants us to do this for Him – please be reconciled to Him, so that (as God intended) we will all participate in His rule again! (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)

                   Is your work supposed to be hard? Is it supposed to leave you mentally and spiritually exhausted, discouraged, and stressed out? God’s word is clear about when you will find work to be a burden all these ways, and when it will not be so. It is a choice you make each moment. Will you do the work of the world that is filled with stress and exhaustion? Or, will you do the work of God that brings peace and joy?

                   Both in God’s original creative intent, and in the work of reconciliation Paul describes, God has a plan for you to enjoy better work than this world can ever offer you. Participating in His rule, while in unity with God’s Holy Spirit is that better work. Because of the penalty for man’s rebellion (Genesis 3:17), this world’s work is hard, toilsome, and causes much pain. But, Paul (here), and Jesus (Matthew 11:29-30) invite you and your people to come to Jesus to be re-created, and once again to participate in God’s ruling work – which is the work of renewal and recreation.

                   Don’t spend your time, effort, energy, and focus trying to tame the world’s work. It won’t change. You and your people can change your choices though. Lead your people to join you as you pursue the better work God offers.

OCTOBER 16 – SENDING IS PART OF TEACHING

(It is my role to send you) so, go, replicate yourselves as followers of me among all people, then baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to do all I’ve taught you, and I’ll be with you until the work is completed. (Matthew 28:19-20)

                   Do you understand that part of your role; and part of the reason you have been given the authority God has given you, is to send your people out? Part of the work is to teach them to live in community, and to embrace the vision and values that the Lord has given you. But completing replication – their transformation – will mean that they too must relate to God directly. Each of them must find and pursue the unique vision Jesus has for them.

                   Jesus explained that He had been given the authority to send them. He says directly, “You are to go.” There was a three-fold, consistent message here. First – replicate – go and make them like you in that they will follow Me. Then, walk with them so you can teach them all I taught you. Finally, stay with them; be there for them to mentor them in how to trust in Me, knowing I will also always be there.

                   Sending is an important part of teaching. Kind of like a mid-term exam, sending causes you as a student-follower and leader to put all of what you are learning into action.