I came across a great article this morning by Steve Gladen (Small Group Pastor at Saddleback). This will be my blog for today.

As we talk about character, there are four basic questions we need to ask. Answering these questions honestly will help you build the kind of character that lasts in the long haul.

1. The identity question: Who am I?
Hebrews 11:24 says, “By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.” Moses knew who he was and who he was not. Moses was honest about his heritage and who God had created him to be, and he exchanged luxury and power for a life of rejection and humility – and God honored him.

When you are dialed in to who you are and who you aren’t – and you understand how God created you – you’ll be much happier in ministry. When you’re comfortable in your identity, you’ll do whatever it takes. You know God made you for a purpose.

The other thing we learn from this identity question is to discern the truth of who God created you to be from the lies that Satan and the world sell you. Every one of us has 168 hours in a week. God wants you to use your 168 hours to influence people for kingdom endeavors. Satan also wants to be an influencer in your life, so you have to decide. Are you going to be influenced, or are you going to be the one influencing? You cannot serve two masters.

In John 15:5, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” The branch exists for the sake of the vine. It has no other purpose. We need to know our identity and trust Jesus.

2. The priority question: What is most important?
In John 15:8, Jesus says, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” Jesus identifies our top priority: God’s glory! The way you glorify God is by bearing fruit. And the key to bearing fruit (and thus giving God glory) is knowing who you are (branch) and remaining in Christ (the vine).

We need to base our values and priorities on what we know to be true for eternity. Once you decide to follow Christ and surrender your life to him, you’re in for the long haul. People may disappoint you. They may misunderstand you and criticize you. But regardless of hard circumstances and hard people, if you submit yourself to loving Christ, loving his people, and looking ahead to your promised reward – you have answered the priority question.

3. The responsibility question: What will I do with my life?
Let’s look at Moses again. Hebrew 11:25 says he “chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.” If you’re going through a struggle, God is not surprised at what’s going on in your life. But he is using it to help shape and mold you. Moses refused the comfortable life because it was not God’s plan. He welcomed trials and tribulations.

The choices you make will determine your character and the state of your heart – and that will determine how much God is able to use you. God is always more concerned about your character than your comfort. And he’ll do whatever it takes to help you out. Every day you have a choice: your plans or God’s plans.

John 15:4 says that when we remain in Christ, he remains in us. It says we can’t bear fruit by ourselves. Jesus clarifies that our first responsibility is to remain in him. What we do with our lives will be determined by continually remembering who we are: a branch of the vine. And then understanding who we are will shape our inner thoughts, intentions, values, desires, affections, and motives.

When you answer this third question, focus on remaining in Christ to shape your being and to drive your doing. Remember it’s God’s church, not yours. He is entrusting it to you as a part of his plan. Our responsibility is to continually ask him, “God what do you want to happen in this church? What can I do to better serve you and the people you have entrusted to me?”

4. The perseverance question: How far am I willing to go?
Moses left Egypt in faith. Hebrews 11:27 says, “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” We learn from Moses that faith is a prerequisite for spiritual leadership. Faith asks, how far will you go? Perseverance is a function of perspective. You will persevere if you keep in mind Christ for who he is (the vine), and keep perspective of who you are (a branch).

Peter was another one who learned to persevere. In John 21 it says Peter went out to fish with a couple disciples and they didn’t catch anything. The next morning Jesus asked them to persevere and throw out the net again. They caught so many fish they couldn’t haul in the net! And isn’t it sweet that Jesus gave Peter three opportunities to say he loved him after he had denied Jesus three times? God never gives up on us. We need to persevere in faith.

When the disciples saw Jesus crucified, their faith got rocked. When it comes to character issues, we deal with a lot of the same doubts they had. To last in ministry, we have to understand who we are, what’s important, what to do with what God has given us, and how far we’ll go for our faith.

Last night as I mentioned we had our second “Last Tuesday Night” prayer and worship event at the Theatre. While we were worshiping and praying I heard the Lord saying the following to me…

“I’m raising up a people who pray. Who seek my face and cry out for more. It won’t come easy- much, much cost! Foolish it will look, but know I will answer. I will hear your prayers. I will meet with you- even if it is only just a few of you. A few praying people will avail more than a thousand people staying busy and doing a lot of good stuff. Remember that you are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Delight yourself in me and I will give you the delights of your heart- because it is my heart to do so!”

I am desperate for more. I want to be raised up as a man of prayer. How about you?

Listening,

Ryan

So many people around me are hurting and broken. So many people are lonely and lost. Many others are deeply wounded and in need of healing. Broken hearts, deep emotional scars from past abuse and wrong choices. What will it take to see them set free? What will it take to see them released from the prison of darkness and despair? Is there a key? Is there someone who can open the door and release the captives? What will it take to see them redeemed, restored and renewed?

PRAYER!

Prayer is what it will take. Prayer will release the power of God and unleash the love of God in the people who bear the name of Jesus. Fasting, contending on our knees, knocking on the door of heaven until breakthrough happens- prayer is what it will take to see our community transformed!

Do you have what it takes? Sure you do- time.
Are you willing to part with it? I can’t answer that one for you.

I do know that God promises to heal the land, hear our prayer, and forgive our sin when WE pray and seek His face. Personal prayer builds faith and avails much- corporate prayer transforms communities and changes everything.

Join me in prayer,

Ryan

James was a straight to the point kind of guy.

11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. James 4:11

When we get frustrated with one another it becomes really easy to start spewing it to and with others. We talk ABOUT one another rather than talking TO one another. James hits us right between the eyes and says “don’t do it!” We are to be family. Family guards and protects one another. Family encourages and builds one another up.

If you find yourself frustrated and ready to turn on a family member take a moment and remember what James teaches us.

Have a great day!

Ryan

Don’t know if anyone is reading these or not, but it has been fantastic for me to have to sit down each day and think about how I’m building community and being community. My world so quickly becomes the dominant world in my life and forcing my mind into the realm of “others” needs to happen!

I woke up this morning to a wonderful email from an NLC friend sharing with me what our friendship means to him. Hebrews 3:13 says that we are to…”13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

Encouragement accomplishes a great many things in our lives doesn’t it! It does me. It pumps me up, provides me perseverance, lets me know that I’m not alone, creates a desire to build on my strengths, and challenges me to pass my encouragement on to others.

How can you encourage someone today? Is there someone that the Holy Spirit continues to bring to mind that may just need to be called or emailed? Is there a card that needs to be written and sent?

It doesn’t take much to change the direction of someone’s day! Hebrews 3:13 says that encouragement also breaks the power of sin and temptation. That in itself should be reason enough to excel in ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER!

See you tomorrow,

Ryan

Wouldn’t you know it- not five minutes after I posted yesterday’s blog the devil tried to mess with me. I had just finished hitting the publish button when Maureen came downstairs. The dog had been up a couple times in the early morning because she had been sick. To make a long story short- Maureen was dealing with the clean up but needed my help. Instead of loving and serving I made a comment about using her common sense.

Immediately I realized that the common sense that I wrote about yesterday didn’t come out of my own mouth not 5 minutes after writing about it. As I stood there acting like a moron the Holy Spirit convicted me and I was able to humbly apologize and ask for forgiveness. What seems like it should be so easy- just isn’t!

Apart from a relationship with Jesus and the continuing work of the Holy Spirit we will always mess community up. We can have the most gentle nature, be the sweetest person on planet earth, but on our own we WILL fail the people around us. Digging deeper into our relationship with God through prayer, scripture reading, and accountability relationships is the only way we will be able to stand in the midst of temptation and challenge.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 says…12May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

Is your love increasing for the people in your life? What about your co-workers, neighbors, family members and let’s not forget your enemies?

Before I go let me point out the key here (trying harder won’t cut it)- the LORD makes our love increase. Love God more and from the overflow of your relationship with him will come love for others. Together we can do it!

Until tomorrow,

Ryan

Common sense… when we read through the many “one another” verses of scripture it seems like they are just plain common sense activities. Why then are they so difficult to practice and remember? The sinful nature! Even though I want to care for you, serve you, accept you, love you as Christ loved, be devoted to you and not judge you; my sinful nature so often gets the best of me and I don’t do what I want to do. Instead I make sure that my needs are met, my desires have priority and put building and establishing community as an extra rather than a priority.

I need to be reminded of my NEED for authentic community.

Ephesians 5:19-20 provide some key guidance in how to establish a lifestyle of “one anothers” and how to challenge our natural tendency to forget one another…

“19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:19-20 (NIV)

As we share scripture, declare what God is doing in our lives, pray for one another, worship together… we are reminded of what is important. The deeper we fall in love with God- the deeper in love we fall with one another!

Ramblings for today,

Ryan

Whether we want to hear it or not scripture commands us to… Love one another (John 13:34-35 NIV)… Be devoted to one another (Romans 12:10 NIV)… Honor one another (Romans 12:10 NIV)… The story of scripture is based on COMMUNITY. Community with God and… you guessed it ONE ANOTHER! Before you think that I am sitting back preaching a bunch of scripture without having to wrestle with it myself- let me be honest… I wrestle with it every day. Living in COMMUNITY is absolutely difficult. It takes time, intentionality, perseverance, patience, trust, thick skin, and supernatural strength and help. We can’t do it on our own- we need God and one another. Let me give you a number of verses to start chewing on as you dig into what it means to LIVE IN COMMUNITY- to move from a tendency toward isolation to devotion to your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Romans 12:10 Be devoted to..
Romans 13:8 Love one another
Romans 14:13 Let us not judge…
Romans 14:19 For the building up of…
Romans 15:5 Be of the same mind with…
Romans 15:7 Accept…
Romans 15:14 Admonish…
1 Corinthians 12:25 Care for…
Galatians 5:13 Serve…
Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens
Ephesians 4:1-2 Show forbearance to…
Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to…

I’ll keep em coming this week as I reflect on these and the Holy Spirit brings others to the surface. Let’s together really work on developing a deeper COMMUNITY commitment as we walk side by side.

For today,

Ryan