Sure we (the church) are supposed to be in the world but not of it, but i wonder…

are we of the world but not in it?

“Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”  Colossians 4:5-6

“If you make disciples, you always get the church. But if you make a church, you rarely get disciples.”

This is from Mike Breen’s book, Building A Discipling Culture.

The goal isn’t to get a bunch of people together on the weekends or into small groups throughout the week. The goal is to develop people who think, live, and love like Jesus in the real world everyday.

Which comes first, the church or the disciple?

Why were you given your particular name?
How many brothers and sisters do you have?
Is there one thing you still won’t tell your parents you have done?
If you were a vegetable, which one would you be?
If you were a fruit, which one would you be?
If your spouse described you as an animal, which animal would it be?
What is your favorite thing to do?
What is your favorite food?
What is your favorite book?
What is your favorite candy bar?
What is your favorite cookie?
What is your favorite sport?
What is your favorite kind of music?
What is your favorite song?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Do you consider yourself grown up? Why or why not?
How many kids do you want when you get married?
What place you would like to know about?
What place would you like to visit?
What is your favorite thing about your mom?
What is your favorite thing about your dad?
What is your favorite thing about yourself?
What makes you laugh?
Do you play a musical instrument? Which ones?
What is your favorite type of art?
Have you ever seen a broadway musical? Do you like theater?
Do you like building things?
What would you like to teach others about?
What are three adjectives which describe you?
How would your friend describe you to someone who has never seen you?
In five years, what kind of person will you be?
In ten years, what kind of person will you be?
What do you want to be doing in five years?
What do you want to be doing in ten years?
What are your favorite subjects in school?
When you have an hour of free time, what do you like to do?
What is your favorite movie?
What is the strangest thing you ever did?
What is the strangest food you ever ate?
Who is your favorite historical figure?
If you could each lunch with anyone living, who would it be?
If you could spend a day with someone who has passed on,
who would it be?
Do you like to sing?
Do you like to dance?
What was your most embarassing moment?
What is the stupiest thing you have ever done?
If you could be dictator for a week, what would you change?
What three items would you take if you knew you were going to stranded on a tropical island for a year?
What do you fear the most?
What is the most recent dream you can remember?
A genie in a bottle grants you one wish. Other than world peace,
what is your wish?
What is your favorite season and why?
What is your best physical feature?
You have one day left to live, how do you spend it?
What is the funniest movie you’ve seen?
Who is your favorite movie star?
What is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
What do you say when you talk in your sleep?
If you were invisible for a month, what would you do?
What is one thing about you that no one here knows?
Who is your favorite Disney princess and why?
If you could only watch on TV show for the next year, which would it be?
What dessert do you order most often?
Who do you admire?
If you couldn’t live in this town, where would you move?
Which would you prefer as a second home: Mountain cabin, beach house or big city condo?
What would you do on your dream date?

I recently read Property Law as Viewed by a Toddler by Michael V Hernandez…

1. If I like it, it is mine.

2. If it’s in my hand, it’s mine.

3. If I can take it from you, it’s mine.

4. If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.

5. If it’s mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.

6. If I’m doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.

7. If it looks like it’s mine, it’s mine.

8. If I saw it first, it’s mine.

9. If I can see it, it’s mine.

10. If I think it’s mine, it’s mine.

11. If I want it, it’s mine.

12. If I need it, it’s mine (yes I know the difference between “want” and “need!”)

13. If I say it’s mine, it’s mine.

14. If you don’t stop me from playing with it, it’s mine.

15. If you tell me I can play with it, it’s mine.

16. If it will upset me too much when you take it away from me, it’s mine.

17. If I (think I) can play with it better than you can, it’s mine.

18. If I play with it long enough, it’s mine.

19. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it’s mine.

20. If it’s broken, it’s yours (no wait, all the pieces are mine).

Sound familiar? Who or what does your world revolve around.

I read this in the book Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John Maxwell

We will ask for alignment and accountability in terms of group leadership, group DNA – a balance of UP,IN,OUT, group dynamics – Read, Pray, Serve, Play together, unity for all church journeys,etc…

“Let us encourage one another to explosions of love an good deeds.”  Hebrews 10:24

In his book, Missional Renaissance, Reggie McNeal says,

“Going missional will require that you make three shifts, both in your thinking and in your behavior

From internal to external in terms of ministry focus

From program development to people development in terms of core activity

From church-based to kingdom-based in terms of leadership agenda”

Speaking of being missional, McNeal says, “It is not a mission that is pursued as something added to daily life, something outside the normal range of activity, a quest to do something beyond your life’s assignments. It is a way of seeing oneself as partnering with God in daily life, executing the mundane as well as pursuing the sublime, with an intentionality of blessing people and sharing the life of God with them.”

Are you ready to be missional? Are we ready to be a missional church?

Am I thinking, living, and loving like Jesus in the real world everyday?

And as I reflected on my own life another question popped into my head…

What if Jesus thought, lived and loved like me in the real world everyday?

Wow! Would God ever accomplish His mission of bringing those who are far from Him back to Him by thinking, living, and loving the way I do everyday? Kinda scary.

So, let your missional imagination run wild!

How can you join God in what He is doing in your community?

How can you bless people in your neighborhood? at your school? at your work? on your team? where you shop?

Who do you know that needs some encouragement? needs some support? needs someone who will listen? needs some food? needs help with a task? needs a break?

Don’t wait for your church to plan an event or a program. Ask God what He wants you to do, then do it. Better yet, do it together with your small group!

Begin by praying for them.

Listen to them.

Eat with them.

Serve them.

Share your faith story with them.

So, who can you BLESS this week?

UP – IN – OUT

Up is having an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus, as we keep in step with the Holy Spirit. Jesus called it loving God with all our heart, should, mind and strength!

In is loving each other by caring for one anthers needs. Jesus said the world will know we are his followers by the way we love each other!

Out is serving God’s purposes in the real world by living among people who don’t know Jesus yet and blessing them with His love. Jesus called this loving your neighbor!

So, how would you say you and your group are doing in each of these areas?

Small Groups are notorious for having a strong emphasis on the UP and the IN. Not so much when it comes to the OUT. How can we change that? What can you do today to bless someone who doesn’t know Jesus yet? How can we make this a natural part of who we are  and not a personal project?

This concept of UP – IN – OUT is in almost every current book on Community and missional living.