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A huge component of the Christian experience is community.

Unfortunately, we live in a generation that claims to be spiritual, but highly values independance. We love statements like:

• I’m not religious, but I am spiritual.
• I love God, I just don’t like the church.
• My beliefs are personal.
• I’m closest to God when I’m by myself out on the lake.

There’s just one problem with phrases like these, and that problem is called the Bible. You can’t believe the above statements and the Bible at the same time.

Here’s what I mean:

I’m not religious, but I’m spiritual – anytime we try and distance ourselves from religion because some professor/teacher/friend told us religion and religious people were wrong/stupid/idiots, we deny what the Bible says: Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” 

I love God I just don’t like the church – to say you love God, but don’t love the church is an insult to the God you say you love. In Revelation 21:9 there is a descriptive/allegorical reference to Christ and His church: “Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.”” Throughout Scripture, the church is known as the Bride of Christ. To say you love God but don’t love the church is just like  looking at someone and saying, “I like you but I can’t stand your wife.” That’s bad form, my friend.

My beliefs are personal –  in a politically correct universe we are all allowed to have opinions, so long as we never let anyone know what they are. This has led us to the place of seeing our faith as a private matter that should never be spoken. Unfortunately, for the believer in God’s word, this is not possible. We see it clearly in Romans 10:9, “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Obviously, a mandated component of faith is going public. In fact, it’s very difficult to find a biblical reference that tells you to keep anything quiet.

I’m closest to God when I’m by myself out on the lake – I think it’s possible to have moments of closeness to God in solitude, but most people use this line of thinking as an excuse to get out of being a part of the church. Colossians 3:16, “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another…” First Corinthians 12:27, “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” Romans 12:5, “so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Believe me, I could go on and on.

Truth is, if you’re going to be biblical about your Christianity you need to be part of the Body of Christ, a.k.a. church. Now, there are many churches and many people involved, but there is one additional element that takes that experience to a whole ‘nutha level!

In the contemporary church expereince you drop the babies off in the nursery, the kids in the children’s wing, shuttle the teenagers off to the youth service and the adults gather together for Sunday school or “big church.”

But time after time in Scripture we see that separating our churches by age, and keeping the older’s away from the youngers because they don’t like each other’s music or pop culture references, leads to one thing: an unhealthy church.

Titus 2 instructs the church to have the older man teach the younger man in the older women teach the younger women, to live life together. We call this, intergenerational ministry.

Intergenerational ministry is a two-way street; the older folks have to love the younger folks and be willing to put up with their shenanigans. And the younger folks must be taught to respect and cherish their elders. In this environment, real ministry takes place. Instead of communicating information in isolated age graded classes, intergenerational churches see real revelation in their teaching that erupts in transformation of real lives.

Our church has been struggling with this for years. We’ve instituted an annual Rite of Passage to elevate our children to adult status when they are ready. We’ve open the doors of service to a multiplicity of ages so that teenagers and seniors can serve side-by-side. We have broken down barriers of age grading allowing those in the church to be influenced, motivated and trained by people they differ from by decades.

Last Sunday evening, my Grow Group (life group, small group, cell group, pick your flavor, etc.) decided to integrate intergenerational life at that level.

We have just under a dozen kids between the ages of three and 11 that hang out in the basement during our Grow Group time.

It usually requires at least one or two parental visits downstairs to keep it in check. Practicing a stern face, the gritted teeth, and the quiet yelling as you descend the stairs, “I told you kids to keep it down!”, we had kind of fallen into this as a rut of normalcy.

So, we decided to eat together, study together and pray together like we always do, but this time with a little change up!

We ate first and made sure the kids didn’t run off to the basement, but kept them with us. Then, we moved prayer time from the end to the middle.

We kept the children with us and told them we wanted them to see what we did while they were playing. We explained that we were going to pray for each other, and that we often prayed for them.

Finally, we shared some Scripture about how important it was to live for the Lord and asked them if they had prayer concerns. Believe it or not, they did. Apparently grade school can be pretty stressful!

Then we all prayed together and dismissed them to go play while we finished with study.

Here’s the take away:

1. It was hard to get into that night’s Bible study since all the adults were talking about how awesome that was having their kids hear Scripture from other adults and be encouraged in prayer. There really were some giddy daddies in that Bible study.

2. Parents talked to their kids on the way home, and the consensus was those kids thought it was amazing, too. They were looking forward to doing it again.

No theologians… No trained children’s professionals… Just a room full of moms, dads, singles and grandparents who love Jesus and lived it out in front of other generations.

Let me encourage you to make sure that you are living the Christian life in community. And then go the extra mile, make sure that you are learning from those who’ve walked many more miles than you, and then make sure you are sharing with those who are trying to follow your footsteps.

Psalm 71:18 So even to old age and gray hairs, 

O God, do not forsake me, 

until I proclaim your might to another generation, 

your power to all those to come. 

 

catalyst |ˈkatl-ist| noun

1. a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.

2. a person or thing that precipitates an event: the governor’s speech acted as a catalyst for debate.

Everyone has a position of leadership and influence. Some influence a few lives, maybe from the home, and some influence the masses from whatever God-given role in which they have been placed. But, one thing is for sure… everyone leads someone.

For the Christian leader, that is not enough. To lead, even with character and integrity, falls short of the standard and potential that God asks of everyone who leads in His name.

I have heard a multiplicity of times over the years that God doesn’t care about results, just faithfulness.

That’s never settled quite right with me.

Faithfulness, for sure, is a part of the Christian leaders expectation, in fact, it is the foundation from which all other parts of leadership flow.

But too often I think we use faithfulness in lieu of effectiveness as an excuse. True, there have been some who are called to ineffective faithfulness, called to futile acts of service. For example, the prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah’s Commission from the Lord

6:8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty miserable calling to me. It must’ve sounded miserable to that prophet as well, since even though he was in the of visually impressive presence of God Himself, with angels roaring overhead, and the sound of worship so loud it shook the building, that his first response to this calling was, “ How long, O Lord?”

I have to think that an Isaiah calling is the exception to the rule. Not just because that seems like a gruesome way to live, but because Jesus seemed to set up another normative standard:

Matthew 12:33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.

It appears that the standard for believers, leaders and anyone who calls themselves a follower of Christ is to bear fruit.

This is all background to let you know my personal philosophy which I carried with me into the reading of Joshua chapter 1. Many of you will remember this chapter as the “Be strong and courageous” passage.

I love the threefold call on Joshua, formerly second-in-command, to be strong and courageous and lead God’s people after their earthly leader Moses had passed away.  Three times he is told to be strong and courageous, is reminded that God would be with him as he was with Moses, and is promised that God will never leave nor forsake him.

In essence, this is the promise for all believers. If we are really “followers” of Jesus then it means he is going in front of us. He is the one pushing down the barricades, stepping into the shadows, doing the hard stuff… we are… following.

So, if He is doing all the heavy lifting up front, we should be strong and courageous bringing up the rear.

But, let’s get back to the issue of bearing fruit. One of these be strong statements is followed by an incredible phrase:

Joshua 1:6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.

The above quotation is in the English Standard Version. I love it because it’s different than most translations which say Joshua will “lead this people” versus what it says in this version, that Joshua will “cause this people.”

A good biblical leader will cause his people:

•  God is already doing something
•  God has made promises He will keep
•  God is leading, we are following
•  God can use you as a cause agent, or catalyst to see His will done in this world and in many live

Whether you’re leading in your home, at work or school, in your community, or church, the role of the Christian leader is to be a cause agent for what God has promised and is already doing.

Joshua was given the task of seeing God’s promises fulfilled in the lives of many, simply because HE would believe God.

He could lead those people because He was following God… even if they struggled.

What is the missing element in your home, your church, your anywhere? Why are good people wandering in the desert, instead of taking the promise land?

Maybe you are the X factor… God is looking for that catalyst, that cause agent that will start a chain reaction manifesting the promises of God to become reality in many lives because YOU believed.

Be strong. Be courageous. Follow Him.

I freely admit it… I am a nerd.

I am often more comfortable around books than I am around people. I love digging into academic things, even when I am not being graded. And, I’d rather write an article than have a conversation (for example, this blog).

I’m not anti-social, I’m just pro-alone. Fair enough?

Out of this nerdom will sometimes come a thought or comment that cracks me up and I wonder if anyone else would think the same. However, because I know I’m a nerd, I often keep it to myself for fear of getting a cyber-wedgie, or an e-wet-willie from one of you online cool kids.

But, this time, I’m going to take the risk… here goes.

This past Christmas season I preached on the wise men of Matthew chapter 2:

2:2“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

You know the story, these unknown wise guys see a star and somehow know the Child born under it is beyond significant and one of them yells, “ROADTRIP!”

They gas up the camels, shout out “Eat my dust,” and start the search. Cool story, but here’s where the nerd part kicks in…

In doing the original language study, to see if there was anything below the surface I should know or teach, I looked at the word “star.”

No big surprises really, the Greek for star means star. It could mean planet or constellation, but star really does the trick. Good job English translators.

The actual Greek is prononced astera (insert nerd transition engine ignition here). Here’s my stream of consciousness…

“Hmmm… didn’t I learn the Kansas state motto in grade school? Wasn’t it ‘Ad astra per aspera’?

But, that’s Latin, not Greek.

‘Ad astra per aspera’ means ‘to the stars through difficulties.’

Wait, Latin ‘astra’ and Greek ‘astera’ both mean star. Cool! The Latin must have stole it directly from the Greek.

I wonder if ‘astera’ made it to English? I mean if you put an ending on it like ‘ed, ‘ing, or…wait, no way…

(quick check of www.etymonline.com)

YES! Too cool, the modern English word asterisk is straight up Greek and/or Latin. It means little star, duh.

Yep, that little mark, symbol, or star that tells you to look at the bottom of the page for more information or check a footnote is the same root word from the Bible.

That’s when it hit me… (are you ready for it?)

I wonder if when the wise men saw the aster(isk), if they heard God saying, ” * See Jesus below “

I told you I was a nerd.

Still, the next time you see or use an asterisk, or for that matter, the next time you see a star… why don’t you look for Jesus?

Many blessings and thanks for letting me share some nerd humor.

I’m very excited about a recent project I’ve been involved with regarding Bible study and our church. Let me introduce you to a new website called www.readingitright.com

This is a Bible study teaching format, and resource center that I wanted to share with you. Kind of cross pollinating between CrossEyedLife and this new website along with our church. Thanks for listening, and enjoy!

Reading It Right from Andy Addis on Vimeo.

 

YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE CARD HERE: CLICK!

READING IT RIGHT…

Reading it Right is a Bible Study method based on the Bible’s own instruction of how it should be read as seen in 2 Timothy 3:16-17…

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

 

FINDING THE KEY…

God’s Word is the most valuable gift that we can put into our hands. But, for many over the years, reading, understanding and applying it has been somewhat of a mystery.

However, if you will let the Bible itself teach you how it is to be read it’s like finding the legend on a map. Once you know the way you’re supposed to be reading, the content you should be finding, the application you should be making… the Bible will come alive!

Second Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that the Bible is “useful” for 4 significant things: teaching, reproofing, correcting, and training in righteousness. With this in mind, it becomes simple: God wants you to read his word for these four uses.

Give it a try and see what you can learn from God’s word when you READ IT RIGHT!

 

FIRST, THE BIBLE STUDY METHOD…

Did you know that the Bible gives us instruction on how to read it? 

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

This means every word of the Bible is designed to provide us 4 things: teaching, rebuking, correcting and training. So, reading the Bible becomes a conversation with God in which we discover what each passage means in line with these purposes.

Summarize– (teach) First, discover the basic teaching in the passage. It’s not about deep insight, or personal application. Simply, What is the headline, or the main thought in a nutshell.

Expose– (reproof) Next, get honest about how this passage evaluates our lives.  The Bible challenges thoughts and actions. When it happens you may feel vulnerable and exposed. Don’t be defensive, be real!

Change– (correct) The next step is to make adjustments. In light of God’s Word we discover some things we need to stop and some we need to start. Making these changes will be an uphill climb, but worth every step.

Prepare– (train) The end result of this process is being one step further in spiritual maturity. God has a plan for your life and the Bible is preparing you for something. Discover/dream/pray what it might be.

 

SECOND, BIBLE STUDY APPLIED…

Let’s Get Started…
1.Find a quiet place without distraction. Bring a Bible, notebook, something to write with, and expectation!

2.Pray and ask God to speak to you from the Bible.

3.Read a short passage slowly and silently. Read it again out loud. Don’t rush the reading.

4.Use your journal to write down responses to the 4 purposes of the Bible.

5.Pray again:
• tell Him what changes you need to make after reading this passage
•worship Him by describing His greatness
•confess your sins
•thank Him for all He has already given/done
•make any requests for yourself and/or others

 

www.readingitright.com

 

 

Isaiah 43:19

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.

Happy New Year!

The video about can also be seen at:

VIMEO

Keep this in perspective… He calls Himself your Father…

Following our Christmas Eve service, in which we focused on Jesus as the Light of the world during the season of lights, I was approached by a friend and fellow CrossPointer.

He, coming from the medical profession, always has such a unique take on the human body and its relation to spiritual components that I asked him to put his thoughts on paper so I could share them.

Take a minute and think a little more deeply on Jesus being the Light of the world, and how our own bodies can teach us more of what that means.

Thanks Tom for a great piece to think on!

___________________________

 

Drawn to the Light

As we come into the world, we develop in utter darkness within the womb. This is life in the most innocent state, our spirit protected by God; just as in the Holy of Holies there is no need for light or fear of darkness.

 

God knows the darkness, he created it and was present before he divided it from light; God’s sovereignty is absolute, he rules over darkness.  He rules over all and has used darkness for his own purposes to hide himself before man.  The purpose of God’s delineation of light and darkness was to divide. The Hebrew verb “baw-dal’” is the term for dividing or partitioning. God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. Gen. 1:3-4

 

The physical sense of sight correlates to the spiritual search for light. The eye captures an image like a camera. Light enters through a small hole called the pupil and is focused on the retina, which is like the film in a camera. The optical lens, much like a lens on a camera, focuses the image onto the retina. The colored ring of the eye, the iris, controls the amount of light entering the eye. The iris constricts when light is bright and dilates when light is dim.  Blindness occurs due to darkness; when no light passes thru the lens to focus on the retina total blindness occurs. When we have full functioning of the eye the iris dilates completely when in darkness in an attempt to allow any possible light in.

 

From the time we are born our spirit, much like our eyes, seeks to acquire light.  Having been separated from the purity of God, in darkness we try to comprehend the surroundings. Without light we are without direction, we do not know what darkness contains except what our senses communicate to us. Being born into sin, our only alternative is following the pathway identifying with things known.

 

Jesus is “The Light of the World” (John 5:12), the gift God gave as an example of how to live. When coming out of darkness into the presence of the light of Christ we are like the physical eye adapting to light. We have no conscious control over the eye adapting to the presence of light. We will adapt just as the iris does, restricting the amount of light on the retina. If the light is too brilliant for the physical eye, it can injure the nerve impulse transmission leading to temporary or permanent blindness, likewise God will give us no more than we can handle. We will follow Christ as the eye follows the light, and we will continually adjust to the brightness of His presence just as, with time, our physical eyes adjust. The vividness and radiance of Christ will escort and direct revealing a truthful image of our circumstances without confusion. God has given us a luminous path providing a return to our inheritance, the divine state to commune in the presence of God. No longer do we have to wander blindly in darkness but are able to see by the gift of His light.

By Tom Miller

An Open Letter…

This is an open letter to everyone who has stopped being a part of the Church. Whether your exit was public and loud, or a quiet and undetected escape. Whether you ran as far and fast as you could, or you slowly walked away, or maybe someone by word or deed pushed you out… this letter is to you. We love you, we need you and we want you to come home.

I am not trying, in anyway, to be the voice of God to you. But, I am trying desperately to be “a” voice for the Church… the body of broken, bruised, sinful and mistake ridden people who really only have one thing in common… Jesus forgave us. We’re asking that you would do the same… would you consider forgiving us for any hurt thats been done, or mistake that was made and attempt to reconnect with fellow strugglers?

I know we all come from different backgrounds, and our stories are as unique as our fingerprints, but please let me speak for “THE” Church for a moment… whatever happened that caused our separation… it’s not worth it and we need to heal.

If you’ve been hurt or offended by someone in the Church, I am sorry. The Church should be a place of love and support, but sometimes we let the letter of the law get in the way of the spirit of the law. We don’t act as loving as we should, and all I can ask is that you forgive us as Christ forgave you. I can promise you this, as long as there are breathing human beings in the Church, there will be problems, but don’t let that rob you of the joy of Christian community. Please forgive and come home.

If you’ve been overlooked or neglected by your Church. Please forgive us. Everyone is important, everyone matters and everyone needs a place at the table. Imperfect people are perfectly good at dropping the ball. I promise you that no one ever wanted you to feel left out, or on the outside. Sometimes we need you to let us know if you’re hurting, lonely, or just feeling disconnected. I know it’s hard to let others know when you’re feeling that way, but believe it or not there are people in Church who would love to meet you right where you are if they just knew. So, if you have “slipped through the cracks”… I am so sorry. No one ever wanted you to feel anything other than valued, included and important. Please, create an opportunity for a second chance and come home.

If you left the Church because you were bored… well, that’s probably legitimate… I believe it’s a sin to take the most exciting story in the world that has the opportunity to bring life into the world, and bore people to death with it. But, if boredom is what derailed you then let me set a couple of questions in front of you: First, isn’t truth still truth, even if it’s boring? You can’t give up on the Message, just because the messengers are an all natural cure for insomnia. Second, if the Church is boring, please take that as your excuse to fix it! Get in the children’s program and make learning the Word fun for the next generation, find a spot in the leadership to positively make some changes from within, ask some of the old school gatekeepers, “What do we have to do to reach your grandchildren?’ and just see that rock and a hard place start to slide like tectonic plates and then feel the earthquake as Church becomes… dare we say it… fun! If you walked away because Church was just bad, we need you to make it better, please come home.

If your life changed drastically, and the Church just didn’t seem to care, I want you to know, the truth is we’re desperate to meet you where you are. A divorce can make you feel like you’ve lost everything, but don’t believe the lie! God says, “Never will I leave, never will I forsake you.” Neither should your Church. Moving to a new city often makes you feel completely unstable, and finding a Church like your old one is almost impossible. Well, that’s actually true, but there’s good news… the people are different, the music’s not even close, and you really loved your old preacher, but despite all that… Jesus is still the same! Sometimes we feel like we’ve just outgrown the Church… we went when we were kids, or we used to be in the youth group, or I liked my old Sunday School class. So, you just kind of drifted away and leaving Church… “just happened”… Those were good days, but they aren’t gone… they just prepared you for what’s next. You have grown, but you haven’t outgrown God. Whatever has changed, remember He is the same yesterday, today and forever… we love you, please come home.

Maybe you left Church because you have struggled with your faith. Doubts, questions and fears have just made it easier to move on, and faith to you is now just a “personal” issue, if it’s anything at all. C’mon, let’s get real for a moment. The reason it’s called faith, is because it can’t be proved. Part of the reality of faith is the struggle… I mean, what did God name His people: Israel, right? You know what that word means don’t you…? Israel means “wrestles with God.” Questions, doubts and the struggle should be embraced in the Church… they are what make us strong enough to survive. In fact, you might have a specific theological issue. Something that you heard taught you don’t like, a teaching that runs counter to culture that’s difficult to embrace, or a legitimate question that you can’t seem to get an answer to… please, stay in the game and wrestle with God and his people until you find peace. Walking away will never answer the question. Imagine that your faith is a boat on the water that’s sinking… diving overboard is not going to fix anything. The only thing that makes sense is to stay in the boat and bail water. So, if you and the Church aren’t on speaking terms anymore because of “the struggle”… please, climb back up in the boat and start bailing water. We need you, come home.

Maybe your out of the Church because “You’ve had it up to here.” Organized religion, hypocrits, the hyper-religious, or the inward-focused, naval gazing culture of the modern Church just turn you off. Well, here we go…

• the only thing worse than organized religion is disorganized religion
• hypocrits go to WalMart, but we’ve learned to deal with them
• sure there are hyper-religious people in the Church, and when you leave they win… we can’t have that now can we
• and it’s true that the Church has gotten a reputation for big buildings, big personalities and big budgets… so, why don’t you jump into Church and help start a grass roots movement where we make Jesus the Rock Star of the Church and remember that the Church isn’t a building, or an organization… it’s the people… we are the Church, and we need you… please come home

Obviously, I can’t speak to every hurt and every concern felt by everyone, but I can say this: We love you… we want you… we need you… please consider forgiving, trying again, just letting it go and coming home.

We’re the Church, and we’re not the same without you.

I’ve had a project in the back of my mind for a while.

I have written a short children’s story about a boy named Blotch who lives among a people stained by their own lives. It’s an allegory for the Gospel and is intended to create discussion between you and a kiddo about God’s goodness, our sinfulness and the blessing of Jesus.

It’s five chapters of young Blotch’s journey and includes a family discussion guide for each chapter.

I’m including the first chapter and discussion guide for the CrossEyedLife community to read, pray about and help me process. In later chapters, Blotch runs into the secret keepers of Hiderville, the frustration of those in Pretendville and the scary tempers of Blameville. This is all before he finally meets… the King.

Anyway, here is a taste. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Be blessed.

 

__________________________________________

Chapter 1- The Journey Begins

Blotch was the smallest of three brothers, in the smallest family, in the smallest village in the whole kingdom. As the bright orange sun began to set, little Blotch sat in the same place that he ended almost every day.

He was perched on the edge of a very small cliff on the edge of a very small pond looking into the clear and perfectly still water. It was so calm the surface of the water was like a mirror, and Blotch would stare at his reflection for hours.

It’s not that he liked the way he looked; in fact it was just the opposite. He would spend every evening trying to race the vanishing light of the sun as he counted all the spots and stains upon his face and body. But, like every other day as the light faded, his mother called him to dinner and he would run home.

He could never get to the end of his counting, there were just too many stains.

Blotch was not born with all his stains, none of his people were. Each person began their life with only one small mark, but the number of stains grew and grew all the days of their lives.

The stains were no mystery. Everyone knew where they came from.

If you told a lie, a stain appeared.

When you said something mean, there was another spot.

Disobeying parents? Oops, here comes another.

Whenever anyone was bad, mean, or just did something wrong another stain would appear. Even the best people Blotch knew had their own stains!

No one could tell what caused a specific stain on someone else, but everyone knew that whatever caused it wasn’t good. No one liked them, but no one knew what to do about them.

Tonight Blotch would not solve the problem of the stains, because off in the distance he heard his mother calling him home. It was time for dinner.

 

Around the table with his father, mother and two older brothers, Blotch sat quietly while everyone talked about their day. They shared stories of bullies at school, mean conversations at work and rude people at the store. These were the kinds of things stained people talked about.

Blotch didn’t say a word. That is, until his mother turned to him and said, “Well, my little Blotch, why so quiet tonight?”

With a shaky voice and some tears in his eyes, Blotch changed the conversation and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, “How do we get rid of the stains?” 
Every voice around the table went silent, and every eye in the family focused on little Blotch.

“I’m tired of the spots, the marks and the stains, I want them to go away,” said Blotch. The look in his eye and the tone of his voice showed that he didn’t know whether to cry or be mad.

His oldest brother was the first to speak and in an angry tone he said, “Oh be quiet Blotch, everyone’s got them.”

As he spoke those words, a faint little spot appeared just under his left eye, probably because he spoke so rudely. Blotch’s middle brother didn’t say a word, but Blotch wondered what the look on his face meant. 
When a stain appeared on the end of this brother’s nose, Blotch knew he must be thinking hateful things about him.

Just then, Blotch’s father took control of the conversation saying, “Now, now Blotch. You’re brother is right, stains are just a part of life and you need to learn to live with them like everybody else.”

Blotch didn’t want to live with the stains, and even though he didn’t know why, deep down inside he believed they were not meant to have them.

He was a little embarrassed by the conversation and thought he might be a little angry at his brother. When he saw the new spot on his left wrist, he knew he was not thinking nice thoughts.

Blotch pushed away from the table only to walk over to his father and crawl up on his lap. He thought their conversation might be a little more private this way. “Daddy, what if there was a way we could get rid of the spots?” Blotch asked.

“Well, that would be just wonderful my little Blotch, but how in the world could that ever be?” said his father.

Blotch could feel his stomach tighten up, because of what he wanted to ask his father. He thought about his plan almost every night while sitting by the pond counting stains.
 “Daddy, what if someone knows how to get rid of the stains? What if someone in one of the other villages knows what to do? What if the King of the kingdom could make them go away?” Blotch asked, sitting up and wiping the tears from his own eyes. He looked right at his father, and bigger than he had ever been, asked one more question.

“Daddy, would you let me go on an adventure to see if someone knows how to get rid of the stains?”

Blotch’s heart pounded like thunder as he sat in silence waiting for his father’s answer. Even though it was just a few seconds, it seemed like an hour.

Finally, to Blotch’s joy and surprise, his father quietly said, “Yes.”

This time, the tears were in his father’s eyes. Even though Blotch was too little for such a journey, his father new he had to try and find the answer.

 

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Family Discussion Guide for Chapter 1

Start the Journey

 

 

Little Help: Sin is a word that means to miss the mark. The best way to illustrate it is to think of archery. If you shoot an arrow at a target and hit anything other than deadcenter, you missed the mark, or you sinned. When we sin, it’s simply missing the mark God has for us and that is why everyone has sinned.

 

1. How did Blotch and the others get their stains?
2. You and I don’t have spots appearing on our bodies, but in what way do we have the same problems that Blotch does?
3. Read Romans 3:23 – “Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
4. Explain what a sin is? (Affirm them and explain sin using the illustration above)
5. How does this verse show that EVERYBODY has sinned?
6. Why do you think Blotch wanted to get rid of his stains so badly?
7. Do you think we should try and get rid of our sins, and how should we do it?
8. Blotch is looking for the King to get rid of his stains, who should we go to for our stains?

 

I’ve heard it said that genius is being able to see patterns that exist and insanity is seeing patterns that don’t. So, this is your opportunity to give me a label.

I think there is a spiritual cycle in life that is evidenced in a repeatable pattern in the Psalms. The pattern is displayed differently, in whole or in part, in a wide variety of the 150 Psalms, but I see it most clearly in Psalm 73.

This was the text for one of the very first sermons I preached more than 2 decades ago and has been an echoing theme in my heart and life for as many years.

Here’s a snapshot of the pattern I think most of us experience regularly:

1. God is good/Life is good
2. Things change and life gets hard
3. Faith weakens/we struggle
4. God shows up (either to bless or discipline)
5. God is good/Life is good

The key benefit to recognizing this pattern in our lives is two fold.

First, when we are in the middle of the struggle, it reminds us that God was good, is good and will always be good. Things will change.

Second, it reminds us that when things are good and we have no struggles… things will change. Get ready.

Let’s detail the process.

1. God is good/Life is good

 The starting point of the process is what we might refer to as normal. Things are good, we are at peace and we’d like things to stay right where they are.

Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart. (Psalm 73)