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Wireless: FaceTime - Friday

Posted on Fri, May 24, 2013

Matthew 6:7-8

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
 
When most people think about prayer, they think about talking to God. But prayer is so much deeper than that! In The Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster says, “Listening to the Lord is the first thing, the second thing, and the third thing necessary for successful intercession.” Listening is a vital skill we must develop in our prayer lives. Think about your marriage or a really deep friendship. If all your spouse or friend did was talk about themselves, their needs, and their desires, you would most likely feel un-valued and un-loved. Why should we think of prayer as something different? Our God isn’t a genie in a bottle; He is our Father who loves us and desires an interactive relationship with us. He is a God who can empathize with our emotions because Jesus experienced the same emotions as fully-man, fully-God on earth. As you develop your “wireless” connection with Jesus, consider taking designated time to merely listen. He will use these times to put impressions and thoughts on your heart to pray for certain people, or He may just use these times to affirm His unconditional and everlasting grace and love for you.
  • What are the main obstacles that keep you from just listening to God? How can you take steps to remove those obstacles?
  • Consider keeping a prayer journal. Don’t be legalistic about it - simply write down your thoughts, or even use bullet points to record impressions and thoughts God gives you as you connect with Him in prayer.
Memorize Psalm 27:8 this week. 
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.

David Hausknecht
Middle School Director

Wireless: FaceTime - Thursday

Posted on Thu, May 23, 2013

John 10:4

When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
 
My dog, Wrigley, is a very active animal. He never stops playing. We can take him on a run for two hours, and when we get back he grabs a toy to start playing tug-o-war. He frequently uses his mouth to toss his red rubber ball on to my Bible when I do my quiet time in the morning. He can be very distracted by his toys and other dogs, but one thing I don’t ever doubt: he knows when I’m calling him. If I call him to be at my side, it doesn’t matter what’s happening. He will be there in a second because he knows my voice and wants to please me. While our relationship with God is clearly deeper than a dog and his owner, the principle remains the same. After we spend time in God's presence, we should be so in tune with His voice that we can hear Him and connect with Him at any point during the day. But the only way to learn someone’s voice is to put in a significant amount of time listening. In his book Hearing God, Dallas Willard writes, “Hearing God cannot be a reliable and intelligible fact of life except when we see His speaking as one aspect of His presence with us, of His life in us. Only our communion with God provides the appropriate context for communications between us and Him.” Many people clamor to hear God’s will for their life and His plans for their future, but fail to do so because they don’t recognize His voice. He is a means to an end instead of the end itself. Only when we see communion with Jesus as the greatest gift will we be able to appreciate His communication with us!
  • Think about a time you valued communication with God over communion with God. How did you end up with misplaced values?
  • What are some sinful habits or patterns in your life that are keeping you from hearing the Shepherd’s voice?
Memorize Psalm 27:8 this week. 
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.

David Hausknecht
Middle School Director

Wireless: FaceTime - Wednesday

Posted on Wed, May 22, 2013

Luke 11:1

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."
 
I remember the day it clicked for me. I was in middle school, and our very small youth group was being visited by the senior pastor to teach us about prayer. At that time, I had my normal go-to prayers in case my parents made me pray before dinner (e.g. “Rub-a-dub-dub, thank God for the grub...”), but that’s really where it ended. My pastor spoke about prayer in a way that made me think he actually felt a personal connection to Jesus while he prayed. He then proceeded to teach us a timeless acrostic for prayer: A-C-T-S (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication). The last three letters of the acrostic made sense to me, but the thought of “adoring” God during prayer was a new idea. He went on to explain that the process of adoration in prayer is simply telling God who He is so you can remember what He has done in your life. Savior, Father, Healer, Friend, Redeemer, Messiah... all these words are titles for our God. By declaring them to Jesus during prayer, we build an intimate connection with Him and remember all He has done to express His undying love for us. It’s a personal experience much like when a little girl gets excited and yells, "Daddy!" when her father returns home from work. She is declaring to him who he is in her life, and the emotional connection between the two continues to grow. Simply put, prayer is our love language with God. Every good relationship flows from good communication!
  • When thinking about who God is in your life, what names or titles would you ascribe to Him?
  • Take a minute right now to pray and tell Jesus what He means to you. See how long you can simply adore Him in prayer with no other agenda.

Memorize Psalm 27:8 this week. 

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.

David Hausknecht
Middle School Director

Wireless: FaceTime - Tuesday

Posted on Tue, May 21, 2013

John 15:15

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
 
Just about two weeks ago, a well-known author and professor named Dallas Willard died. I was struck by the news because I am not sure if I would be in vocational ministry today had it not been for his writings. He is one of those Christ-followers who did not write simply because he had studied the topic of following Jesus; rather, he wrote from a place of full experience of God’s presence in his life. His books are full of challenges to pursue the spiritual disciplines such as fasting, solitude, silence, Scripture memorization, and prayer - not for legalistic expectations, but, instead, for personal communion and intimate relationship with the Father. Willard taught me that prayer is not a mechanism for producing results from my requests. Prayer is our avenue for abiding in God’s love and joy. In The Great Omission, Willard writes, “Our joy is complete when there is no room for more. Abiding in God’s love provides the unshakeable source of joy, which is in turn the source of peace.” I believe this is why Jesus made it known to the disciples in the verse above that He calls us friends. Sometimes our requests and demands of God become a roadblock to fully experiencing His friendship, love, and joy. When true friends get together, there is hardly any agenda except to be in each other’s presence. How much more should that ring true when we pray and connect with our Father in Heaven! 
  • What is the end result that you expect when you pray?
  • Do you view God as a friend, an acquaintance, or a 911 operator? Instead of going to God only in times of need, spend your day basking in His presence without expectation!
Memorize Psalm 27:8 this week. 
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.

David Hausknecht
Middle School Director

Wireless: FaceTime - Monday

Posted on Mon, May 20, 2013

Psalm 27:8

My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek.
 
I distinctly remember the first time I ever heard of FaceTime, the capability of the iPhone to connect with another iPhone for a video call. My friend Jordan had just recently purchased an iPhone and had a job interview with an Apple Store. Jordan, being the creative genius he is, decided to be clever and ask the manager at the Apple Store if they’d like to FaceTime with him for the job interview as opposed to coming in person. They enthusiastically agreed and set a time and date for the FaceTime interview. Well, when the time came, Jordan tried and tried to connect with the manager via FaceTime, but the call kept failing. He tried everything to make it work, but nothing happened. Eventually both sides gave up. I think it goes without saying that my friend did not get the job. My friend’s enthusiasm for this technological breakthrough quickly waned after that day. Isn’t that how a lot of people treat prayer? They toss a prayer out there hoping to hear a voice break through the clouds and see Jesus face to face. And when they don’t get that immediate answer, they stop trying. They stop calling. They assume God is either having technical difficulties or just doesn’t care about them. The issue here is that these people are seeking the wrong thing. Just like my friend was seeking a job, not trying to build a relationship with the manager, many people seek answers instead of building a relationship with the Answerer. If we placed more value into the “Big Guy” on the other side of that call, we’d come to understand that we shouldn’t pray to find answers; rather, we should pray to seek His face. And in the face of Jesus we will find He is the only answer we really need.
  • When is the last time you prayed for the sole purpose of connecting with God and not to ask Him for anything?
  • Spend 10 minutes today praying without making any requests. Just tell God who He is in your life and worship Him with your words!
Memorize Psalm 27:8 this week. 
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.

David Hausknecht
Middle School Director

Central Park: Picnic Blanket - Friday

Posted on Fri, May 17, 2013

Psalm 23:6b 

...and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.
 
I once met a gal who’d lived in the same town her entire life, in two different houses. She had been out of that town once. On her honeymoon. After their wedding, they went to a town about 40 minutes down the road. And then they came back and proceeded to enjoy their life in that same small town where she’d grown up. Something struck me as I compared my life with hers. Hers was simpler. She was content with whatever she had. She didn’t pine for a faraway place to visit someday. She went against the grain of our culture that says, Grow up, move out of the state for work, take care of your own obligations, and become independent. She seemed to resonate more with what God says, Stay! Don’t move out of the house! You’re welcome here with Me. Be content. Let Me provide for you. David clearly understood God’s welcome. He heard and responded to God’s invitation. In Psalm 24 he goes on to say he desires nothing more than to live his entire life in the house of the Lord, delighting in God. How do we do this in the midst of our rush and tumble, grow-up, and move-along world? We settle our hearts within our relationship with God. We rest in the fact that He welcomes us. We steer away from thinking God is like us - that He’s pushing us out the door as soon as possible. We stop and rest in the peace of our relationship with Him. Even as we’re on-the-move, we take every step depending on our intimacy and closeness with Him.
  • God challenges us at times to “leave and go”, but when He does, He always goes with us. 
  • Write out your own Declaration of Dependence, a prayer thanking God for His welcome and committing to remain in Him your whole life-long.
Memorize Isaiah 26:3 this week. 
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Will Briggs
Care Pastor

Central Park: Picnic Blanket - Thursday

Posted on Thu, May 16, 2013

Psalm 23:6a 

Surely goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life...
 
How awesome would it be to know without a doubt that good pursues you? What if, try as you might, you couldn’t get away from this goodness chasing you down, tackling you with a hug, and giving you a sloppy kiss? It’s funny. This good is chasing us down. But instead of receiving it freely, there are times we deny it by trying to earn it. Think about it: If you could even begin to place a monetary value on it at all, how much would you pay to make sure you have a good day today? What would you give away? What sacrifice would you make? I think we all know this kind of hypothetical transaction is purely imaginary. And yet, I find myself and others looking for a way to make this purchase. We give money, we share our belongings, we pray faithfully, we read our Bibles from cover to cover. All the while, in the back of our minds, working out this transaction with God where our praying, giving, doing obligates Him to do what we want when we want. We equate goodness with getting our way. And if we are not master of all we survey after we worked through our spiritual to-do list? Now, that’s bad. Just awful. But goodness and unfailing love is not something we can buy and own. It is the God we can know. He is good. He loves us. He pursues us, turning all things to good in the end. Good in your life has been paid for. He’s ready to pour it out generously all over you.
  • Are you running from God’s goodness that’s pursuing you by trying to earn it through your own efforts? Stop and let Him wrap you up in His arms. 
Memorize Isaiah 26:3 this week.
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Will Briggs
Care Pastor

Central Park: Picnic Blanket - Wednesday

Posted on Wed, May 15, 2013

Psalm 23:5c

...my cup overflows with blessings. 
 
I was having dinner with three friends at one of those hoity-toity places with the olive oil salad dressing on the table. We ordered our meals and beverages, then waited for the food to arrive while we enjoyed our sodas. At one point, one of the guys went to the restroom and the friend to my left whispered, “Watch this...” He proceeded to pour olive oil from the flask into the unsupervised glass of Coke and then removed the straw. When our friend returned, he took a huge swig of his soda... then explosively spewed the mouthful of oil all over the floor. That day, my friend knew the bitter taste of drinking from a cup overflowing with something undesirable. But what about an overflow of blessings? We all want that, don’t we? We’d like to think we just want plenty for ourselves and a little extra for someone else, too. But maybe the day came when you discovered there was more than enough for today...  then you looked both ways to be sure no one was watching…  and then stashed away your “overflow” for tomorrow. Know what I’ve discovered through life with Jesus? When I truly have more than enough, I really need to give. It keeps my heart dependent. But guess what? On the flip side, when I don’t feel I have more than enough - I still need to give. It’s almost as though God is inviting us into a constant state of dependence on Himself – on His ability to provide everything we need, and often more. When we hoard what we have, we tend to forget God. When our refrigerator is full, our prayers for daily bread don’t have much oomph behind them. It’s true: We benefit from a high sense of dependence on God. And we reflect His character when our generosity with whatever we have overflows the cup of our life and fills someone else’s cup.
  • We all have received generously in different ways. With which of the following are you overflowing? Money. Relationships. Time. Clothing. Shoes. Talents. Knowledge. Other.
  • How can you give generously from your overflow?
Memorize Isaiah 26:3 this week. 
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Will Briggs
Care Pastor

Central Park: Picnic Blanket - Tuesday

Posted on Tue, May 14, 2013

Psalm 23:5b 

You honor me by anointing my head with oil...
 
How cool is it to be chosen? It feels good no matter how it comes about. When we’re chosen on the playground thanks to our amazing kickball skills, it feels pretty good. But, hey - they chose wisely ‘cause we’re awesome! Being chosen for our skill makes it natural that we get the reward. But when we’re chosen because of dumb luck, that’s another level of awesome. Especially if it’s for a grand prize like a million dollar lottery jackpot. Unlike the reasonability of being chosen for our talents and skills, being lucky has nothing to do with our own ability. It’s haphazard and accidental. But let’s set both of those examples aside. It’s something totally different when we are chosen because we’re loved. There’s a gratefulness that comes with being chosen just because of who we are. Because of the favor we have in the eyes of the one doing the choosing. It’s not about our awesome prowess or our accidental guesses. God chooses us because He loves us. And because He likes us. And because He’s a good Father who wants to love on His kids - to honor them. He made us and knows how to bless us. Sometimes we strive for lesser honors - the recognition of people, the higher salary, the important position. All those may be nice, but ask yourself: do I truly value the honor of being known as God’s child? Of being claimed as His own? Of receiving everything I need from His hands? 
  • Do you tend to rely more on your skills, your luck, or your friendship with God?
  • You are prized. You are loved. To what extent is there a sense of reward or value in that for you?
Memorize Isaiah 26:3 this week. 
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Will Briggs
Care Pastor

Central Park: Picnic Blanket - Monday

Posted on Mon, May 13, 2013

Psalm 23:5a 

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. 
 
Enemies. Antagonists. Those who would do us harm. Perhaps you know what it’s like to look across a battlefield... or a desk at work... or a classroom... and see someone staring back who would love nothing more than to do you harm - physically, emotionally, relationally. In life there’s this sense of a war being waged against us. Sometimes it’s a person. Or a chaotic set of circumstances. Psalm 23 reminds us we have a refuge in the midst of these struggles. A place of experiencing God’s provision in spite of everything swirling around us. Over the past year, for me, the swirling opposition came in the form of anxiety attacks. When I experienced the right trigger, dizziness and nausea would attack, ready to overwhelm and overcome me. But I’ve discovered something through the battle: Pressing closer to God, my protector and provider, has been the pathway through - not around or away from - these scarily disconcerting times. He has been faithful to hold me up and help me through. He has provided the sustenance of people who “get it”, who understand and encourage, pray and help me. It has been a time of dependence and relying on God’s grace. And, amazingly, it has also been a time of releasing control and experiencing God’s peace. I’m thankful for our God who, in spite of the odds against us, sticks close, sees us through, and even provides a place of peace in the midst of the storm.
  • Identify the enemies that are coming against you right now. How do you need God to come through for you? Ask Him to do it.
  • While you await God’s deliverance, ask God to provide for you and give you peace while things are still unresolved.
Memorize Isaiah 26:3 this week. 
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Will Briggs
Care Pastor

Central Park: Scenic Trail - Friday

Posted on Fri, May 10, 2013

Psalms 23:4b

...your rod and your staff they comfort me.
 
I once led a trip to Northern Ireland with high school students. Green hills stretch for as far as the eye can see in the rural parts of that country. Most of those hills are dotted with white sheep, milling about the pasture. While on a walk with several of the students, I overheard one American student confidently tell a Northern Irish student that we don’t have sheep in America. Besides being overwhelmed with laughter, I was also struck by the idea that something the Bible uses for so many illustrations of our relationship with God is something that is so foreign in our modern world. When the psalmist says that the rod and staff comfort him, it’s because he knows that the rod is used to ward off danger from the flock, to count sheep to make sure no one is lost, and to discipline those who wander off. And he knows that the staff gives a shepherd strength as he walks and allows the shepherd to draw the sheep closer to him. When he says that the rod and the staff comfort him, what he means is that he is comforted by the fact that God cares about him individually, even with millions of people in the world! He is comforted by the fact that God protects, that God listens, and that God desires intimacy with His people!
  • What aspects of the “rod and staff” are comforting to you? This week as you walk through difficult things, imagine God walking next to you, rod and staff in hand! 
Memorize Psalm 23:3b-4 this week. 
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. 

Stephanie Boxx
Discipleship Administrative Assistant

Central Park: Scenic Trail - Thursday

Posted on Thu, May 09, 2013

Psalm 23:4a

...I will fear no evil, for you are with me...
 
I have an app on my phone that has all the nightly news broadcasts from NBC. Whenever I have a few extra minutes before I go to sleep, I’ll thumb through the stories of the day and watch a few clips. Most days, I feel like I’ve just watched a slide show of the havoc that Satan is wreaking on our world. Whether it’s gruesome stories on abortion clinics or bombings at events or accidental explosions at a factory, every little video I watch screams the word evil. And sometimes my heart will beat a little faster and I’ll start thinking about how ready I am for Jesus to come back and how I’m never to going have kids and how I want to move to a rural village in the Amazon to avoid terrorists and corrupt government and mean people - except now the rainforest is getting torn down too! But what is at the heart of all of those thoughts is fear, specifically the fear of evil. But this psalm says “I will fear no evil.” None. Zip. Nada. Not the little evils of unkind words and not the big evils of bombs. Why? Because You, God, are with me. What’s interesting to me is that it doesn’t say, “I will fear no evil because You won’t let anything bad happen to me.” While we live in the world we’re not exempt from the evil that dwells here but we are promised to always have a God who dwells here also. 
  • Take some time to celebrate the times when God was with you in the midst of evil. Thank God that you don’t ever walk down the path of life alone! 
Memorize Psalm 23:3b-4 this week. 
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. 

Stephanie Boxx
Discipleship Administrative Assistant

Central Park: Scenic Trail - Wednesday

Posted on Wed, May 08, 2013

Psalm 23:4a 

Even though I walk through the darkest valley...
 
I’ve only had one moment in my life when I thought death was a real possibility. It was on my one and only trip to New York City - an accidental trip at that. My connecting flight at JFK airport was cancelled and the only empty flights left in the whole city were at Newark Airport in New Jersey. Luckily, I met a nice native New Yorker who offered to share a cab and help me navigate my way to Newark. It was late at night, pouring rain, and our cab driver had limited English skills - he was having a difficult time discerning where we needed to go. About 45 minutes into our ride, we’d left the gleaming lights of Times Square and began to wind through some very desolate back alleys. In the dark. In the pouring rain. And my co-passenger leans over and whispers, “This is not the way to New Jersey.” I saw what I was sure were the last remaining moments of my life flash before my eyes like a Dateline mystery special. Now, I know that the guy who wrote this psalm is talking about all kinds of dark valleys - not just physical death and not just terrifying moments in NYC cabs. He’s talking about the dark valleys of abuse, of cancer, of failed marriages, of sick kids, of unkind friends, of natural disasters and terror attacks and receding economies. Dark valleys are certain in our times - even this psalm about God’s care for us reminds us that dark valleys are a part of this life. But God doesn't leave us there alone.
  • Think through some of your own dark valleys or the dark valleys our nation and world are walking through. How do you release your fear to God?
Memorize Psalm 23:3b-4 this week.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. 

Stephanie Boxx
Discipleship Administrative Assistant

Central Park: Scenic Trail - Tuesday

Posted on Tue, May 07, 2013

Psalm 23:3b 

...for his name’s sake.
 
People-watching is one of my favorite ways to turn an otherwise boring wait at a doctor’s office or airport into a fascinating study of humanity. While there are plenty of great spots to observe your fellow human-beings, the park is always the happiest. In fact, if you’re having a bad day or generally feeling morose about the state of the world, head to the park. You’ll see carefree kids swinging from monkey bars, new parents pushing strollers, sidewalk chalk art, dogs happily padding along next to their human running partners, and geese begging for a bread crumb from an afternoon picnic. You can’t feel bad about the world when you’re in a place like that. My favorite thing about watching park people is that they are rarely alone. You’ll always find parents lifting children or runners matching stride or couples walking hand in hand. When I read in Psalm 23 that God leads us on right paths for His name’s sake, I think of these park people. See, the relationship Psalm 23:3b describes is one of mutual care. God cares for us in that He lays out a path which leads to the best possible life and the healthiest heart we could have. But He also says it’s important to Him that we follow these right paths because it glorifies Him. If our relationship with God is a path in a park, we’re the children on His shoulders, the runner matching stride, the couple hand in hand - walking on the righteous path is good for us and for God.
  • Think about something you chose to abstain from for the sake of God’s name. How has the mutual relationship of righteousness helped you love God more? 
Memorize Psalm 23:3b-4 this week.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.

Stephanie Boxx
Discipleship Administrative Assistant

Central Park: Scenic Trail - Monday

Posted on Mon, May 06, 2013

Psalm 23:3b

He guides me along right paths...
 
This past winter, I had a grave case of cabin fever. The tiny apartment that usually seemed like a warm, cozy refuge suddenly felt like a hot, stuffy prison. With the few remaining minutes of daylight left, I decided to lace up my running shoes and head down a path through a nearby park. At first, the path seemed mundane. It was just a long stretch of black asphalt flanked by tall, bare trees and expansive brick homes. The park was empty and I appeared to be the only person who braved the icy temperatures in exchange for fresh air. But after a few steady minutes of running, I started to notice things. Beautiful things. Birds picking the remaining dried berries off of bushes. Families sitting around dinner tables with roaring fireplaces in the background. Snowflakes landing on frozen ground, seemingly making the muddy park fresh and pure. When the writer of this psalm said that God guides him along right paths, I imagine that he must have had a park experience similar to mine. A righteous path can often start off feeling like a long stretch of rules, a bare and lifeless trip that, while not enjoyable, will at least get us the results we desire. But once you start down that path, you realize that God doesn’t just guide us down righteous paths because He wants us to be a certain way - He does it because it’s the best possible path and it’s full of beautiful things that you won’t know about until you start heading down it! 
  • Psalm 23 is all about God caring for us. How have you seen a personal choice to obey something that God has called righteous unfold as a demonstration of God’s care for you?
Memorize Psalm 23:3b-4 this week. 
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.

Stephanie Boxx
Discipleship Administrative Assistant

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