Inmates, Convicts, and Christians: The Christian Code of Conduct

Jim Whitworth is one of our older men in Origins. He is a constant source of encouragement, help, and perspective to me and to others in our faith family because he's been down the roads that many of us younger guys are currently traveling. By profession and calling, Jim also serves as a pastor and chaplain at Perry Correctional Institute here in the Upstate. The other day, he and I were talking about life behind the wires and walls of prison. Specifically we were talking about the differences between the terms "inmate" and "convict." He was making a greater point, though it took me a moment to connect the dots. So I've asked him to put his words down for me to pass them along:

My call to serve in the prison system of South Carolina began 40 years ago as a Correctional Officer at the state's oldest and largest prison for adult males, the Central Correctional Institution (CCI). I have spent most of my adult life in prison, at least as a career path.  When I worked “down the tunnel” at CCI ("tunnel" was a term used inside to refer to the long hallway connecting the cafeteria, hospital, school, wards and buildings with cells), many of the men made a clear distinction between being an inmate or a convict.   The term "inmate" was a new term at the time (coming out of the prison reform of the 1960s) and was seen as something being imposed by administration and security.  As such, the prevalent attitude and/or sentiment of incarcerated individuals was that if you identified yourself as an inmate then you were perceived as someone who had more allegiance to the people in charge than you did to those with whom you lived.  A "con" (short for convict), on the other hand, was someone who would not snitch to the authorities.  That meant that there was a “code of conduct” that a man followed to be considered one or the other.  Generally, an inmate may be more concerned with South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) rules, but a convict could be trusted by other cons.

How do you see yourself, and how do you define who and/or what you are?  We all have certain ways of looking at ourselves and at others.  We usually make decisions about others based on how they act, what they do, what they say and so on, but we judge ourselves based on our intentions rather than our actions.

What about the Christian Code of Conduct?

When the Apostle Paul wrote to Titus, a Gentile follower of Christ who was leading the church in Crete, some of the members of the church were struggling with proper Christian behavior.  As we read Titus 2:11-15, we can see that Paul challenged the believers not to give in to ungodly behavior and worldly standards.  Ungodliness can describe any behavior that is disobedient to God's ways and Jesus' teachings. Lust means giving in to any kind of sinful desire -- not just sexual sins.  Paul instructs Titus and all Christians not to give in but to pursue sober living, righteousness and godliness in everything! In this passage in Titus, "sober" was used to mean self-control, seriousness, and sound moral judgment. These are qualities that God desires in those who follow Him and are to be part of our Christian Code of Conduct. The difficult and tricky part is that we have to do all this in the broken and sin-filled world in which we live.

Who or what are you? Would you consider yourself to be an inmate, convict, or Christian?

Pray that we all strive to have a right relationship with our Heavenly Father each and every day, acting accordingly so that others see Jesus in us.

Where are your loyalties? For those followers of Jesus at Perry, they can be loyal to other residents, to the powers-that-be, or to Jesus. If they are loyal first and foremost to Jesus, much of the other stuff will work itself out. For you and I, we make a decision every day to pledge allegiance to a kingdom -- maybe the kingdom of self, of being happy, of pleasing others, of gaining more stuff, of being religious, or hopefully we pledge our allegiance to Jesus. Whichever kingdom we serve comes with expectations. Every other "king" is ultimately a horrible ruler; Jesus alone is a gracious, self-sacrificing King. He always has our best interests at heart. So when we commit our lives to him, abide in his Kingdom, pledge allegiance to him, and trust his "code of conduct," we can know we are in a safe place. 

"Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; 

surely I have a delightful inheritance." Psalm 16:5-6

"For freedom Christ has set us free; 

stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1 

As We Grow Together, Origins...

The last few weeks have been pretty unparalleled as we've gathered together, Origins family. An electricity is filling the room -- the presence and power of the Holy Spirit are obvious. New people are showing up week after week; people who have been coming and "flirting with" Origins are now calling Origins their faith family as they put down roots. New songs are being written and sung. We've seen God's provision and your generosity like we never have before. I've only experienced something like this once or twice ever in ministry.

I pray you're experiencing it. When God moves like this, its often contagious. In the midst of it, let me quickly share a few things you can do that would be really helpful.

1. Keep personally walking with Jesus. Keep SOAPing in the Bible, spending time in prayer, living in the power and joy of the Holy Spirit. Don't let what God is doing among us corporately ever be an excuse for not allowing God to do something in you personally.
2. Commit to a Community Group. Starting the week of September 7, CGs will relaunch and we want everyone in a group and committed to the idea that we are better together than we are individually. Be there weekly, encourage each other, pray for the people in the group, invite new folks, bring dessert, make the group a success. And to be clear, "success" is found in groups where everyone is following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and committed to the mission of Jesus. 
3. Go after the ONE. Jesus tells the story in Luke 15 of a shepherd leaving 99 sheep in a safe place to go after the wandering, endangered lost sheep. If you know of a lost sheep -- a person who is struggling, wandering, disconnected, alone -- go get them and bring them back to the family. Pray for them and go find them. Let's continue to refuse to celebrate how many sheep we gather but to pursue those Jesus is pursuing in love. 
4. Serve on Sundays. We need weekly help with set-up, tech, kids, greeting folks at the door, making sure people get children to the correct areas, parking, and tear-down. If you're interested in helping, let us know. Don't be a consumer constantly; serve Jesus by serving others.
5. Give up a seat. You may need to relocate yourself some Sunday so that people can have a seat, especially if you sit on the wing near the sound board on in the middle section. Guests don't want to sit on the front row, and latecomers don't want to walk in front of everyone to go to the seats near the window. Make life easier and move to those seats...and if need be someday, stand and let others sit.
6. Ask someone new to sit with you. For most people, nothing is more uncomfortable and nerve-wracking than going into a room full of new people, especially in a church. If you see someone you don't know, take that as God's prompting to get to know them. I noticed Sunday a couple of visitors came early but no one spoke to them before worship. After worship was over, though, I noticed a couple of people speaking with them. I thanked them for coming, and they told me they'd be back because it was a great experience. I believe that personal connection afterwards made all the difference. This isn't marketing the church; this is compassion and kindness that are the fruit of the Spirit.
7. Ask someone new to lunch or coffee. Don't just be friendly; rather, be a friend. This next step is a big deal. When you have coffee or a meal, ask questions about the other person's story. Get to know them and encourage them. 
8. Sing. As Frances shared so powerfully yesterday, David danced with all his might before the Lord. Worship with all your might when we gather on Sundays. How you worship is a great witness to a watching world. It tells that Jesus is alive, that our sin is forgiven, that we have hope and joy in this life and in the life to come. Be unafraid to be "undignified," as David said in 2 Samuel 6. Sing, pray, clap, listen, give, greet with all your might. Then when you leave our gathering, live, work, love, rest, and celebrate with all your might. Live worshiping.
9. Listen and Obey. Whatever God says, be willing. Eric and Anissa, our missionary partners in Sweden said it so well. They told God that whatever he asked of them, the answer would be yes. Whatever God asks you to do, settle the issue ahead of time that you will boldly trust and obey. 

I wish there were 10 but I only have 9. There you go. Historically certain signs have marked any revival or awakening among God's people. Can I share some of them with you?

• Overwhelming sense corporately of God's presence, holiness, and majesty
• Conviction of sin and turning from it to walk by faith in holiness in the power of the Holy Spirit
• Increase in numbers attending, giving their life to Jesus, being baptized, and taking steps of faith to grow in relationship with God
• Powerful preaching and powerful worship with people responding powerfully
• New songs and new expressions of creativity to glorify God
• Generosity of heart and stewardship of all aspects of life under the understanding that God owns it all
• Relentless reliance on the Lord to maintain the revival spirit and provide the next steps

I pray God is doing something that I have never seen him do in my lifetime. I pray we get to be part of it. I see several of these marks present in Origins today. I can't control how everyone else responds; neither can you. I can lean into Jesus, allowing his Spirit to have full control of my life, trusting him and obeying, and praying and expecting God to do great things in Greenville in us and through us. 

Eddie's Testimony: Watching Your Kid Go to Kindergarten

Its easy to believe that community -- Christian community -- occurs because we meet in a living room for dessert or at a cookout and talk about the Bible in some academic way that is divorced from reality. That is not community, however. Really, Christian community is coming together (sometimes over different mediums) and talking about Jesus and how the Gospel is playing out in the ways we love God, one another, and our city. 

Our Community Group leader for the past year was Eddie Holland. He and his wife Misty have two girls, Alera and Ralen. The following is an email he sent to everyone in the group about the challenge of sending Alera off to kindergarten next week, the challenges of loving and raising children in a way that honors the Lord, and how parenting is a metaphor for the love that our Father God has for us. Natalie and I read his email and were profoundly moved -- both at the content (as parents who also are about to send our oldest, Noah, to kindergarten) and at the vulnerability and community that vulnerability created. So below are Eddie's words.

Hey Friends,

 

Yesterday I sent an email out with an update about our community group. And in the email, I made the statement, “As the summer draws to an end that usually means one thing: the school year is upon us.  And this year is no different.”  Well, I actually lied. 

 

This year is completely and totally different.  The reason this year is different is because my baby girl (Alera) starts Kindergarten.  Now, I know that millions of parents just like me have sent their oldest child to Kindergarten and lived to tell about it.  I know that the child survived the first day and eventually even enjoyed school.  I know that this is just another “first” in my child’s life and I should embrace it. 

 

I know all those things.  But I can’t help but “feel” like I’m losing a small part of my child.  Our innocent, naïve, sheltered, timid, shy, dependent little girl will venture into a world all by herself (well, not exactly “ALL by herself."  There will be teachers, administrators, and staff there but you know what I mean).  She’ll begin to establish her independence, to understand life without “Mommy and Daddy,” to understand that there’s life outside the little bubble that I’ve (we’ve) created for her.  She’ll make new friends, play new games, and learn new things.  She’ll come home after being around other 5-year olds and realize that playing with her two-year old sister is “different.”  She’ll soon learn that her little sister is incapable of carrying on a conversation or playing games like her classmates.  And all that is good.  I deeply and sincerely want that for my daughter.  She deserves it.

 

So why is this so hard on me?  I’m not exactly sure.  Part of it is that I’m scared of releasing my daughter to the world.  I’m scared that I haven’t done enough these past 5 years to prepare her for a cruel and sometimes unfair world.  I’m scared that her sweet innocence will be taken advantage of by some “mean girl” or “bully.”  I’ve been reminding myself that Alera is simply a gift from God; a precious creature that was created by God and is ultimately on loan to us from God.  The fears that I have are probably natural but certainly unnecessary.  After all, if I claim to believe in God, I must acknowledge that He loves my child more than I do.  Alera’s middle name is Lael, which is Hebrew for “belonging to God.”  The irony is that my current lack of faith causes me to question something I readily acknowledged over 5 years ago when my daughter was born.

 

Part of the reason Alera starting Kindergarten is so hard on me is that I realize how much Ralen will miss “Sissy.”  Those two are practically inseparable right now and it is so cute to watch.  Seeing your two children play well together and enjoy each other’s company (most of the time) is a sweet, gratifying, and soul-pleasing gift that only a parent of multiple children can understand. 

 

Part of it is that I realize she will no longer be under the care of Misty all day.  I’ve said (mostly in jest) that since the day Alera was born, I took a back seat on my wife’s priority train.  Misty has devoted her entire heart and soul into raising our children, and I’m eternally grateful for that.  Words cannot describe the peace, comfort, and joy I derive each morning as I drive to work knowing that my two kids are in the care, custody, and control of the only person on this planet that loves them as much as I do.

 

Part of it is that I can’t believe how fast these past 5 years have flown by.  I look back and realize that there were seasons of my life where I allowed other things to take precedence over my responsibilities as a father.  These things, which include my career, my extracurricular activities, our finances, or just my selfish desires, seemed much more important during that season of my life than they do now.  A prayer that I’ve been constantly praying the last few months and asking God to remind me persistently comes from Psalm 90:12.  It says “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”  My prayer is that each of us, whether we have younger children, older children, or no children, will learn to number our days, cherish the things that matter most, and rid ourselves of the things that rob our time, energy, and attention.  I fail at this more than I like to admit, but I’m thankful for God’s grace and pray for His strength in this area of my life.

 

But the thing that is most difficult for me to handle is the reality that my little girl is growing up.  I can’t help but look back over the past 5 years and think, “Where has it gone?”  Where has the newborn gone that literally took my breath away the first moment I laid eyes on her?  Where has the infant gone that used to stare up at me with amazement and wonder in her eyes as I sang/talked/whispered to her while changing her diaper?  Where has the “crawler” gone that loved to explore by opening every cabinet drawer in our house?  Where has the “walker” gone that used to give me a heart attack every time she fell?  Where has the toddler gone that learned the word “No” and insisted on using it incessantly?  Where has the child gone that had to learn at the ripe old age of 3, when she became a big sister, that the world no longer revolved solely around her?  The reality is that she hasn’t “gone” anywhere.  She’s simply grown into a beautiful and sweet little girl. 

 

And I thank God for that. I thank God for allowing me to be her “Daddy,” for giving me the responsibility to raise her in a Christian home, to teach her about love and forgiveness and charity and compassion, to show her discipline and the difference between right and wrong.  But most of all, I thank God for revealing Himself to me through my oldest daughter.

 

I have often said that the entire length of Misty’s first pregnancy was a sort of 9 ½ month spiritual pilgrimage for me.  The whole concept of pregnancy, the idea that Misty and I were able to create something so much bigger than either of us, was impossible for me to understand.  It deepened and strengthened my faith and belief in God, knowing that only He could create such a marvelous way of introducing life into this world.  Watching our “baby” grow in my wife’s stomach for 9 ½ months was one of the greatest joys of my life.  Misty’s labor was/is a blur to me (I’m sure it was/is for her as well).  But the moment my daughter was born is not a blur.  It is crystal clear.  That image is seared into my mind forever.  Seeing my daughter enter this world, take her first breath, and open her eyes for the first time absolutely took my breath away.  At that moment, I truly understood love at first sight.  I understood what it meant to love something/someone so unconditionally that it literally hurt my heart.  I understood what sacrifice and commitment and joy meant.  I understood what the love of a parent felt like.  For the first time in my life, I loved something more than myself.  For the first time in my life, I understood (in a small way) the love that God has for me (and you).  And as crazy as it may sound to you, I felt God’s love and presence in that delivery room in a thick, tangible, and ethereal way.

 

After Alera was born, I remember trying to compose myself long enough to go tell our families that mommy and baby were both doing well.  But I literally couldn’t do it.  It took me what seemed like hours to finally stop crying long enough to walk into the waiting room and tell our families the good news (and her name since we were one of those mean couples that withheld the name until birth).  I walked through the doors to the waiting room, announced the name, hugged my father, and literally sobbed in his arms.  I was so overwhelmed by that moment, the culmination of 9 ½ months (from conception to birth).  It was my way of connecting with my father; my way of showing him my understanding of the love he had for me.  At that moment, I finally understood a father’s love. 

 

I said that the whole 9 ½ month pregnancy was a spiritual pilgrimage for me.  Before Misty became pregnant, I had begun to slowly drift from my faith.  I had more questions than answers, more concerns than beliefs, more confusion than clarity.  But Alera’s birth really brought everything home for me.  I felt that her birth was the culmination of a sort of spiritual awakening in me.  At that moment, I truly understood my Heavenly Father’s love for me.  But at that same moment, I was in awe of God’s sacrificial love.  The sacrificial love that God showed me (each of us, really) by sending his Son to die for our sins, to become the sacrificial lamb, the propitiation for our sins was unbelievable to me.  That God would send his only Son to die a cruel death at the hands of an angry mob for me.  That God would listen to his Son cry out for Him as He’s hanging on a tree dying and yet disregard those cries so that the mission could be accomplished.  That God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.  That was a love I just couldn’t understand.  That was a love I just couldn’t wrap my head around.  That is truly a Father’s Love.

 

So, as my family embarks on this new journey, I ask for your prayers.  I am genuinely, sincerely, and thoroughly struggling with this milestone (case in point--it has taken me two hours to write this stupid email because I can’t stop crying.  My boss has lost two hours of productivity from me today).

 

However, I also ask for your faith.  Faith in a God that loves us in ways we can’t imagine or understand.  I pray that each of us will grow in our faith as we continue our individual spiritual pilgrimage. 

 

And lastly, I ask for your gratitude.  Gratitude in a God that meets us where we are, knows the hurts and joys of our hearts, and loves us too much to leave us unchanged. 

 

Thanks for letting me share.  This email has been a catharsis for me.  I would have preferred to share this in person but I wouldn’t have been able to without crying.

I'm thankful for Eddie's wisdom, honesty, and perspective and confess that I don't have much more to add to it on this subject. For those who struggle with watching your little ones grow up and with wanting to take advantage of every precious moment, I hope Eddie's words are an encouragement and challenge to you as they have been to me.

The Kingdom, the Neighborhood, and the Kitchen: Update on Summer Cooking Class

For me as a pastor, very little brings me more joy than seeing people connect their love for Jesus, love for people, and love for some aspect of life. When these three collide, meaningful mission takes place in our cities. And that happens best when pastors and leaders aren't brainstorming ways to serve and "do" church but are training and releasing people to do what they love because of Who they love.

A great example of this collision has taken place this summer as Jodi Sulger and Alison Knight have taught a cooking class locally in Downtown. Jodi loves Jesus, children, and cooking. Alison also loves Jesus, children, and healthy eating. Jodi told us she wanted a way to teach kids to cook simple, affordable, and healthy meals, particularly kids whose dads may be out of the picture and whose moms may work in the evenings. She came up with the idea to approach a local organization that runs a summer day camp for older elementary and middle school students and ask them if she could come up with and teach such a class. She secured the funding and all of the required food and materials -- some coming from Origins and some coming from friends and people who loved her idea. 

Each Tuesday, she and Alison have met at the Kroc Center in Greenville and have taught around 125 kids to make butter, cook bread, make quesadillas and salads and other foods, understand ingredients and the food pyramid, and better grasp the difference between eating and eating healthy. These two ladies did this not primarily so that all of these children and their families would come to Origins but because they love Jesus and people. I want to share Jodi's latest update and some photos. 

Good evening, I'm sorry I didn't send out an update last week. We had a nice time last week with salads. More kids than I expected had a salad with a lot of veggies on it. We had the kids tearing meat, peeling eggs, filling bowls, washing lettuce, etc. to prep for the salad. Then they all got to walk through the line and take what they wanted. 

Today we made pasta. Alison is a pro at making homemade sauce. She showed them all how to do it, and most of the kids picked sauce (odd for me since mine only want butter and cheese). We had them use spaghetti noodles to accent "thank you" notes for the members of Origins. I'm not sure how I should proceed with the notes. They are pretty fragile being made from construction paper, glue and noodles. However, some of the pictures are very well done. Is there a way to make a digital copy and shrink them to fit all or most of the cards onto a poster that we could then duplicate for the individuals who have donated items and maybe anyone else who wants a copy? 

Again, I had several kids tell me they or siblings that have been in the class are making omelets or quesadillas at home. A couple of the adults have come to me for directions on making butter. My boss, Kim, told me her daughter (in the 7th grade class) had made dinner for their family last week and made them each a ham and cheese omelet.

I was able to introduce and give credit to the good people of Origins today while telling them why they were making the cards. It's hard to believe we have 2 weeks remaining. Next week we want to have them make recipe books. The Kroc Center is letting us have folders, and we will print up 4 pages for each recipe book. Next week the kids will get to put their books together and decorate them. The parents will have a nice keepsake, and the kids will be able to show them the recipes.

The week after that, they are having an end-of-summer banquet and at this point the kids will make desserts for it. That may change since the kids will make the treats 2 days before the banquet. I will have more information in a couple days. That will be our last week there.

I want to thank you again for your support in this endeavor. It has been so rewarding to see them use the information we have brought to them, and even more so to tell them today that the people of Origins love them without having ever even met them. If we make a difference in a handful of lives it's worth all the time and money and effort.

Love Jesus? Love people? What are you passionate about? What if those three loves and passions collided? Many more people would have a chance to hear and see the good news of Jesus through our intentional going than would otherwise. God has folks he wants to love and news he wants to share and lives he wants to change, and you may be the most equipped to do so. You certainly have knowledge, skill, passion, experiences, gifts that your pastor doesn't; you have been shaped and prepared, in fact, to do something in Jesus' name that no one else could do as well as you because you are uniquely shaped to go for it. 

Thanks to Jodi and Alison for embodying that. The Kingdom of Jesus is not for people who sit idly on the sidelines; its for people who get in the game. In their case, love for the Kingdom, love for the neighborhood, and love for the kitchen collided, and Jesus has received great glory. 

Chad Prashad's Take on Sunday with Open Heart

Sunday was an incredible day, as Origins worshiped with Open Heart Baptist Church. Several have shared with me their moments where they felt the presence of the Holy Spirit or were encouraged in meeting, worshiping, and eating with the sweet people of this church. 

Chad Prashad, one of our Origins Community Group leaders, emailed me, especially moved by the gathering itself, the music, and the message from John 10:9-11 with references to a boy who was born blind but healed by Jesus. I asked him if I could share his email, and he agreed. So powerful:

I told you this would be long – I took lots of notes because things were striking me in ways I hadn’t considered before.

The prayer: Asking God to introduce Himself to any lost sheep. For those who have left the flock, asking God to bring them back. This is in contrast to 99% of prayers I hear – asking people to repent and come back. It’s interesting that Pastor Donald asked God while most other white churches ask people to do something.

The song ("Break Every Chain"): There’s an army rising, to break every chain… that’s great imagery in Origins and incredibly powerful in an African-American church. To think about how much their history has shaped their faith. My grandparents were the first to be freed (Chad is of Asian Indian descent via Guyana), but their freedom resulted from a slave uprising – they sought, fought, and took their freedom. Most of the old masters left Guyana and went back to England, leaving the Indians and Africans to build their own society. Here, they fought against tyranny for years and were emancipated, meaning they couldn’t taste true freedom for more than 100 years from those who continually said “I know what you really are” – which is a theme used later about the blind boy and with new believers.

The guests: The folks from Byrnes High class of ’57. Growing up in the south, I know that schools were not integrated here until 1970. So, this group of folks grew up in a society of complete segregation, their kids went to segregated schools and work places too. Their grandkids finally were “free” enough to go to an integrated school – which may or may not have been good situation. Those folks lived the lives that we consider history – so did their kids. And their kids raised kids who finally got to go to an integrated school, see a movie, eat, and shop where they want. The ingrained perception of who you are is so dominated by your friends, family, and society - Talk about the difference between free and “free indeed” importance of confidence of self-identity.

Just interesting, enlightening, and blessed things from the sermon:

·         Thief/Robber

o  Robber -- The robber holds you up and takes something from you. We hold on to things and, Bam, suddenly something happens and you’re powerless. The goal of evil is to steal, kill, and destroy – all to make you hopeless. Robbery makes hope disappear immediately.

o  Thief -- I like this one. He comes in the night and takes something. Before you know it, you’ve woken and it’s gone. You may think you’re in a relationship, but sometimes over time we replace that with religion. Then you wake up realize your relationship is gone – you’re wandering off somewhere.

·         Blind boy

o   He can’t express his new identity. Everyone knows that he’s blind, so of course that’s who he still is. I’ve always seen this as a miracle story and never considered that point, but it opens a whole new door for me. His friends and family don’t let him be new again. He was blind. If he timidly uses his new sight, then he’s not living abundantly. If his friends/family still see him as blind, then he’s not living abundantly. The caged person being free but not free indeed is a great analogy (and plays well historically too). Average isn’t good anymore, once you see greatness. Think about the boy, now that he sees, going back to being blind would be terrible. But, don’t we do that to our brothers/sisters? They glimpse God and get excited, but we know who they really are and keep them down.

o   Without a solid identity – we can be pushed around and manipulated, and we’ll manipulate others too. So true. Think about the new believer. So excited, but one of 3 things happens here: “Bob” glimpses God, and his friends and family know the real Bob. He’s a screwup and always will be. They think his religion thing is a waste because Bob isn’t good enough. Now he’s being manipulated into believing he’s still blind and can’t see and what he sees is worthless. Might as well be the blind Bob he’s always been. His society pushed Bob into remaining blind. Christian Fail.

·  Bob glimpses God and he has support from everyone. It’s great and he can see. He’s freed and his past is behind him and he’s going forward. His supporters help him do the “right things” and things fall into place – gets cleaned up, goes to services, says the right things, etc. Others think he’s crazy, but his supporters put him at ease. He initially sees a relationship, but then finds it easier to be like his supporters – following the right rules and doing the right things. Everything he does is centered around him doing things, not letting God do things through him. He lives an average life – not great. He’s more free, but certainly not “free indeed”. His supporters pushed Bob into bettering his own life by his own standards. Is this still a failed Christian? If so, do we have more of these than the next type?

·  Bob glimpses God and he has support from everyone. It’s great and he can see. He’s freed and his past is behind him and he’s going forward. He focuses on God and how God wants him to use his freedom. Others think he’s crazy, but God puts him at ease. He doesn’t care what others think about him, his relationship, and what he’s called to do. He lives abundantly and He allows Bob to accomplish great things – some of which are seen as insignificant or meaningless by others. He does it purely for God and not for the support of his friends, family, and church. Imagine a church with 5 or 10 of these people. Whoaa boy – watch out! Bob is free indeed and focused not on himself but on Christ.

o   Free vs Free Indeed

§  Things that entrap us, before we’re free: Money, ego, how we want to be perceived, our status amongst friends, being likable, being different, our family, our hobbies, etc

§  Things that entrap us when we’re free (as Christians) and prevent being free indeed: Dressing or acting a certain way, focusing on being different than we were before, following the rules, Anything that is us copying others instead of us being the clay for God to mold us and make us different.

§  Things that show we’re free indeed: Focus on Him and letting His will become our will – with joy and contentment. Focusing on who I belong to, now what I do or try to do for Him.

·         "Ghetto Rich." Finally, this is my favorite thing. I may be fishing too deep here, but I loved it.

o   Thinking you’re rich when you have a couple hundred bucks, you blow it, and you’re back to where you started or you’re worse off.

o   No sense of purpose or direction – you’re not spending it with His goal in mind or investing it for a greater cause.

o   Think about the 3 Bobs above:

§  This tax refund is like when you’re glimpsing God. Some folks get little refunds and some get big ones.

§  Some folks blow all of their “Jesus high” and in 3 months they’re out of steam. Like the first Bob, they may end up worse off than before – further from Christ and with a bad taste about “religion”.

§  Some folks invest their Jesus High on themselves. Everything is about what “Bob does” himself and the church supports it. These are the middle Bobs – welcome to average religion.

§  Some folks see the Jesus High for what it is – a glimpse. They use it to seek more and become the third Bob. They see things differently – not as they are, but how they could be. And not how they could make it, but how He could make it. They think big and step on faith and confidence – not courage. We, as a church, can help people invest to become the third Bob.

That’s what I got. I loved it. We should do it often. I want to make friends with folks there and have my kids really know their kids. Even if we just eat and hang out in the park – play some games, or whatever – we should do life with Open Heart.

Frozen and Rotten: Bananas and Stuck Christians

Natalie freezes bananas. If the boys don't eat them, she either uses them for banana bread or freezes them for the boys to have as a frozen treat. In their frozen state, they look ripe and ready to eat. Leave these old, frozen bananas at room temperature for a little while, however, and they start oozing their juices and turning brown quickly. After Owen walked away from his marshmallows and bananas to play trains today, I walked by his bowl and saw a mess. The bananas' frozen condition caused them to look ripe and ready to eat, but just a bit of time of thawing out proved these bananas were far from ripe.

Many followers of Jesus have a similar story. If we're honest, for many of us in many seasons of our journey, our spiritual life acts a lot like these bananas. We had a spiritual experience in the past: our moment of conversion, a youth camp, a mission trip, a significant life event where God "showed up" (as if he isn't present in every moment and every detail of our lives). Sadly, rather than go forward in faith and growing, we get frozen. We don't mean to "freeze" but instead settle for the high of the past over the highs and lows of the daily journey of faith with God.

If we are honest and step away from that experience, refusing to stop letting our best days being a day or season in the past, we see that our faith has become a bit rotten and unappealing. When we "unfreeze" the past, we see that what looked ripe really isn't fresh at all. I've found myself there and been humbled and embarrassed. No new news of what God has been doing. No new experiences with God, no leaps of faith. No new words from God's Spirit about how I ought to love him or other people -- just a reminder of that time in the past when God revealed himself as loving and powerful and involved. 

God doesn't want our faith to be frozen, locked into a moment in the past, appearing ripe and healthy but in reality just a few moments from melting down and turning brown. Nor does he want our faith to be rotten and worthless and unappealing. God wants to give us a fresh word, a fresh experience, a fresh encounter, a fresh leap of faith, a fresh filling of his Spirit. 

When was the last time you felt filled and fresh (or refreshed)? If its been too long, tell God you're sorry you got frozen and ask him to reveal himself in a new way and to give you a new adventure. Then take a step. Take a leap. Like Jesus' disciple Peter, jump out on the water from the safety and comfort of the boat. 

Disclaimer: It may not be as life giving as salvation, as emotional as camp, or as transformational as a mission trip. Then again, it might be. Either way, it will be fresh, authentic, and personal -- and it will be new. God wants to do something today in our lives that he has never done before. 

"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:18-19.

...and yes, we give our kid marshmallows and frozen bananas for breakfast.