Community at Watermark » Next Faith Steps

Nice Biceps!

rbarry — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:46:49 +0000

Train yourself to be godly. ⁸ For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:7-8)

These verses of 1 Timothy 4 are a good plumb line in my life: Where does my time go outside of work? Where am I putting the majority of my discresionary time? I love to run and workout with others, and as I get older less and less by myself. This verse is proving more and more true in my life as I watch the speed that the body de-trains. As a runner, your system will De-train 2x the speed that it will train. So, as far as your cardio system is concerned, if you run for 2 weeks and take off 1 week, you are back at the point you were before you started 3 weeks ago. Make sense? If my research is outdated, let me know. Here’s two things I see: 1. we are called to take care of our temple (1 Cor 6) 2. training for godliness will always pay dividends, trust me.

Have you ever asked people in your community about what this verse looks like in their lives? The goal is not condemnation with these questions, but to find out how we can encourage each other to invest in the greater of the two. What did physical training look like in your life last week? How many hours/minutes? What did training for godliness look like last week in your life? How many hours/minutes? How can I encourage you to train for godliness this week? Peace, rb

Work Accountability Questions: Part 2

rbarry — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:32:56 +0000

Here the 2nd group of questions that are from J.P.’s sermon series: LED

-Do I provide an excellent service or product, one I would be proud to attach to the Gospel?

-Do I actively share my faith in our work environment?

-Furthermore, where could I improve at evangelism in the work place?

-Does everyone I work with know that I am a Christ-follower?

-Furthermore, how can I communicate this to those that may not be aware?

-Would those around me be more attracted to my God or less attracted to my God based on how I work?

-How are my priorities defined in my work?

-Has work caused me to compromise spiritual disciplines?

-Has work caused me to compromise the quality of husband that I am?

-Has work caused me to compromise the quality of father that I am?

A Community that “Sets it’s Mind on Things Above”

rbarry — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:54:49 +0000

If you haven’t read any of Randy Alcorn’s books and feel like having some paradigms blown up, go pick one up. I’m having a Alcorn summer and plan on finishing three of his books, the first one of those dominoes just got knocked over Heaven. It contains one of my favorite quotes in all of the books I’ve read, “Every person reading this book is dying” (p. 446). How great is that! Morbid, but great! The scriptures call us to the following:

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. – Colossians 3:1-2

Communities should always be pushing each other to be living for Heaven, the imperishable, where moth and rust will not decay. Living in this way will always be worshipful, Christlike, and be the most loving way that we can live with others. I think everything I just said is a “given”, so I’ll just get to the great questions that Randy Alcorn lists in his book that we should ask ourselves and one another (p. 454-455). Thanks Randy.

Do I daily reflect on my own mortality?
Do I daily realize there are only two destinations-Heaven or Hell- and that I and every person I know will go to one or the other?
Do I daily remind myself that this world is not my home and that everything in it will burn, leaving only what’s eternal?
Do I daily recognize that my choices and actions have a direct influence on the world to come?
Do I daily realize that my life is being examined by God, the Audience of One, and that the only appraisal of my life that will ultimately matter is his?
Do I daily reflect on the fact that my ultimate home will be the New Earth, where I will see God and serve him as a resurrected being in a resurrected human society, where I will overflow with joy and delight in drawing nearer to God by studying him and his creation, and where I will exercise, to God’s glory, dominion over his creation.

The Other Communal Invitation of Proverbs 15

rbarry — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:55:06 +0000

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. – Pr. 15:22

Solomon, who was at one point in his life the wisest man (1 kings 4:29-31), which meant that he offered something to people that is more valuable that any other resource on earth (Pr. 20:15). Unfortunately, neither he, nor his son Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:8), put into practice the two communal invitations of proverbs 15. As a result, the decline started for both men, families, and a nation. The first communal invitation is being seeking correction (see earlier blog post). The second invitation of people of people who demonstrate wisdom is seeking counsel.

Dictionary.com defines counsel as:

1. advice; opinion or instruction given in directing the judgment or conduct of another.

2. interchange of opinions as to future procedure; consultation; deliberation.

As followers of Christ, we should seek counsel for 2 big reasons: 1) We don’t trust ourselves. Said another way, we believe that we have a corrupt nature which means that we will make decisions that may not be right, but make us comfortable and protect us. We can convince ourselves that anything is good. 2) It is a way to model humility, that other people God has put around me may know best. They may know my tendencies better than i do. They may know scripture better than i do. They may love Jesus more than i do. They may see my marriage better than i do. They are God’s provision for me. etc…

Application:

What was the last decision that you sought counsel on from your community?

What was the last financial decision that your group processed with you?

Who seeks out counsel more than you in you group? Why?

What was something that you should have sought counsel on in hindsight? Have you told them that?

The Test of Humility and Community

rbarry — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:55:37 +0000

I’ve often thought the ultimate test of being in community is whether or not you are looking for correction from others around you. Are you inviting it? It’s the ultimate trust that communicates that you know that at the end of the day, we can’t trust our own hearts and that others can see us better than we can see ourselves. Sit in Proverbs 15 for a while:

⁵ A fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

¹⁰ Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path; he who hates correction will die.

¹² A mocker resents correction; he will not consult the wise.

If people are God’s provision for us and a means of grace to conform us into his image (see 1 Cor 12; 1 Pet 4:10), how often are we inviting others to speak into our lives, with no defense on our part of our actions?

Ask someone this week, “what is something that you see in my life that is inconsistent with Scripture, that you have not told me about”? Or, said in another way, “what have you seen in my life that dishonors Christ, but never had the courage to tell me?”

That’s community! More to come on Pr. 15. Happy Communing. rb

Starting Line

rbarry — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:26:45 +0000

It’s been said around Watermark and within the scriptures that there are 3 ways to learn. 1. Through God’s Word (the least painful), 2. Through watching others make hurtful mistakes, 3. Personal Experience (the most painful). This week was another week where I had to learn through option #3, which caused myself and others pain and frustration.

If you’ve been in community or real friendship for any amount of time, you have had conflict, disagreement, or division. The problem is always where we start, the problem/sin with the other person which is not Christ-like. Here’s first rule of the playbook, that we can memorize but is one if not The Most Difficult verse to practice as a discipline.

You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. – Matt. 7:5

Here’s the shift I needed this week and the shift we all need, which is the starting line. Start with the assumption that you are at fault.

Here’s the excercize: think of your last/current conflict and write down the answers to these questions:

How many examples did I come up with on how I could how I could have handled the process better?
When did I not walk in the Spirit overflowing with gentleness, kindness, patience, peacefully?
Where along the way did I not put their needs first and wanted comfort for myself?
How many people did I bring in specifically to help me see “my part” or correct my actions in the conflict (without gossiping of course)?

Thanks to Jon Marshall for sharing the above image on Flickr.

Respectable Sins

rbarry — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 19:03:22 +0000

Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

I just finished a great read that you may have knocked out before I did, but this is a great community resource. Over the last 3 years I have noticed a few aspects of how sin is dealt with within a community. The “gross sins” of our society like adultry, pornography, addiction to drugs/alcohol get a ton of attention, while all of the other “sins” fly under the radar. We are called in scripture as believers to radically deal with sin in our lives like to “gouge it out” and “train ourselves for godliness”, and “to love the Lord our God with all of our heart” (meaning all of our essence). This book goes after all of the sins that fly “under the radar”.

Here’s a few named in the book: worldiliness, pride, selfishness, ungodliness, pride, control, etc.

Here’s a great example: how many pastors have you ever known that got fired for pride or control? Does God want us to radically deal with these two issues in our life…yes.

So here’s why this is a great read, It helps us focus on areas of our lives that WE (not someone else) need to take ground in and ask for the Lord to transform us in. I say that because it’s alot easier in communal life to see other people’s sins as a bigger deal than your own and with greater clarity. In communal life think: your community group, your marriage, your family, your roommate, and coworkers.

So, If you have a problem identifying an area of your life that is ungodly, this is a book that levels the playing field and exposes the root of the specific sin and doesn’t just deal with the symptoms. I wrote down several areas in my life that I need to confess, ask for forgiveness, and train myself for godliness in these areas, while asking the Lord to change my heart. It’s a great book to read during the first year of community, so that you can invite others into your life to help you see blind spots. Hope you enjoy the book, and that the scripture in it produces conformation into the character of Christ. Have a great week of growing with others. rb

The good kings that didn’t…

rbarry — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 21:52:25 +0000

What do the Kings, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoash, Amaziah, Azariah, and Jotham all have in common?

They were all men that were described as “good kings” who were committed to the Lord that didn’t…Remove the high places.

So, what are high places and why is it important for communal life? Let me take a stab at it.

High places show up in the book of Samuel twice and the represent legitimate worship of the Lord, a place approved by Samuel, and a place where 30 men shared and fellowship meal. In 1 Kings 9, the temple is finished and dedicated by Solomon and all corporate worship is now centralized at the temple. The high places are taken over and worship of idols takes place. You could be a Jew, living in the land worshiping the Living God at the temple and going to the high places to worship idols.

“Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem.”

Back to the community implications… It’s not that these kings mentioned above worshiped at the high places, but the Israelites worshiped there that the Lord gave the kings to steward and serve . The kings took no action and never went after the false areas of worship.

Are you committed to the Lord, but ignoring people’s high places in your own community? Maybe because it’s too difficult to go there? It may not be worth the relational risk to address with that person? When you think about high places, think about a person’s drive for wealth, sex, power, or identity as “someone who made it”.

Hezekiah and Josiah smashed, removed, cut down, broke down, desecrated, and ground the high places into powder (2 Kings 18 & 23).

All that to say in light of how we are supposed to address sin and idols in the new testament,

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted (Gal. 6:1)

Do you know the high places in your own life?

Does your community?

Do you need to go address someone’s “high places”? Be strong and Courageous.

FORCE MULTIPLIER

rbarry — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:06:55 +0000

I had a phone call with a long time friend 2 weeks ago who is a Green Beret. We talked for over an hour because there is always much to catch up on because he is typically embedded in enemy territory developing relationships with locals in order to train local military. The role of the Green Berets are FORCE MULTIPLIERS. They gain trust with locals in order to train, teach, model, medically help, and lead locals to develop a local military army who will suppress local or nationalized evil. They are evaluated based on their ability to multiply themselves, so others long term can do the work. I hope that definition does justice. My friend is an all-star: boyscout, west point grad, Army Ranger, husband, father, and follower of Christ. He is wise and has always modeled integrity, not to miss he is “skinny as a rail” and could crush me with his little finger. Anyway back to the community implications.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Community groups should produce a similar outcome: multiplying disciples so that the kingdom of God can advance increasingly through our lives and those in our groups. My wife and I were just talking that the result of our 3 year group experience so far has been life change. We have grown a ton, and as we look at the couples that we have locked arms with, they have grown just as much. We are way more able to lead and teach men and women as individulals.

and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. – 2 Tim. 2:2

Has your community been a force multiplier? A discipleship multiplier?

If not what’s the missing ingredient?

Commitment, modeling, pushing yourself and others to work towards “everything I have commanded you” (conforming/obedience to God’s word, gaining trust, time, clear mission, goals?

It just takes 20 seconds…

rbarry — Fri, 28 May 2010 14:47:59 +0000

Quick post: Our group went through Watermark’s Moneywise material about 1 year ago and it was an amazing time of growing together, being transparent and communication between spouses around money. We have been working through Hole in the Gospel by Richard Sterns which creates an awareness about the need to be about the things Jesus was about, namely, the poor, marginalized, and the down-and-out.

We typically think of other people as being rich, but not ourselves. I personally don’t even know where the “American Line” is officially drawn for the American Rich, 5 million net worth? I thought this would be a fun website to look at to help me understand that we are the rich. Check it out it only takes 20 seconds. http://www.globalrichlist.com/