Author: Scott Chafee

Scott serves on staff at King’s Grant Baptist Church in Virginia Beach.

What’s Your Special Skill?

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The community of faith relies upon the giftedness and servanthood of its members and regular attendees of the church. I think everybody ought to officially join the church because we all know that “membership has its privileges” and it is a privilege to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I like what Moses writes in Exodus… God says:

“And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make:” (Exodus 31:6)

Did you catch that? First notice who gave the skill. God tells Moses, “I have given…”The skills and abilities that we possess are God-given and they need to be used for his glory. We also need to stay humble because GOD is the one who gave us any skills at all.

In this same phrase, notice the past tense, (or in Hebrew) the completed action of when God gave the skill. The phrase, HAVE GIVEN tells me that the skill is already there, we must simply exercise it and turn it loose. How will we know if we are good at something unless we attempt new things and develop the skills within us?

Next, notice that God had given a special skill to ALL the gifted craftsmen. How many times do we feel like God gives skills and abilities to only a few people. Search for the skill that he has given you, develop it and use it for his glory.

Then notice that God PERSONALLY appointed Oholiab, which tells me that God CALLS people to come out of their normal routine in order to join him in his work in the this world. You possess a skill that only you can use to further the Kingdom of God. God has a plan and he wants you to walk in obedience, and he personally calls all of us to join him. God help us to listen.

Additionally, notice that God is talking to MOSES about the skills of Oholiab. I have to wonder it God already spoke to Oholiab or is Moses the first to hear about this and will go to Oholiab to enlist him in God’s service. Perhaps God will open the eyes of some skilled people by using OTHERS to enlist them into service. Who is around you in whom YOU notice their skills and how those skills can be used for the Lord?

Also notice that God commanded MOSES to make the sacred things for worship, so the leader NEEDED skilled people to make it happen. Who around us has the skills we need to accomplish great things for God?

Finally, notice that he gives skills to people for a PURPOSE, “so they can make…” The skills he has given are to be used for the building up of HIS kingdom, because all else will fade away (Isaiah 40:8).

Do you ever get down on yourself and think you don’t have any skills to offer? It’s not true, God has given you many skills. Thinking you don’t have any skills is not humility, instead, you fail to correctly see the blessings given to you by God. We even devalue our skills when we compare ourselves to others and wish we had THEIR skills. Those thoughts are not complimentary towards God either. God has given skills to everyone and by embracing them we can truly use our skills to worship God. Take a moment to correctly identify your skills and embrace them to honor God.

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Dropouts and Essential Church

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I was reading through the Rainer/Geiger book called Essential Church. He writes about a study of 18 to 30 year-old adults in America where these young adults attended a Protestant church regularly for at least a year while they were in high school. Here is the incredible but sad finding of this study:

Dropouts

Why Did They Leave?

While he explores this topic in the first section of this book, he briefly let’s us hear from the dropouts. Look at the 10 most common reasons the dechurched said they left the church between the ages of 18 and 22.

Top 10 Reasons Church Dropouts Stopped Attending Church

  1. Simply wanted a break from church.
  2. Church members seemed judgmental or hypocritical.
  3. Moved to college and stopped attending church.
  4. Work responsibilities prevented me from attending.
  5. Moved too far away from the church to continue attending.
  6. Became too busy though still wanted to attend.
  7. Didn’t feel connected to the people in my church.
  8. Disagreed with the church’s stance on political or social issues.
  9. Chose to spend more time with friends outside the church.
  10. Was only going to church to please others.

This list helps us see a common theme among most of the dropouts: to put it simply, they just did not see that church was essential to their lives. For example, the first reason, cited by 27 percent of the church dropouts, clearly depicts the nonessential attitude of the dropouts toward church: “I simply wanted a break from church.”

But even reason number eight, a disagreement with the church on political or social issues, indicates a noncommittal posture. In this case the dropouts easily could have found another church that was a better fit with their social or political views. Instead, they decided to drop out from church totally.

Essentially This:

Churchgoing students drop out of the church because it is not essential to their lives.

Rainer, T., Geiger, E., & Rainer, S. S., III. (2010). Essential church. Nashville: B&H.

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Teaching That Changes Lives

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To you as a teacher (to stimulate your thinking, to stir your feelings, and to spur you on to action) I’ve posted these seven basic principles of the teacher, in the form of an acrostic:

T The Law of the Teacher: Stop growing today and you stop teaching tomorrow.

E The Law of Education: How people learn determines how you teach.

A The Law of Activity: Maximum learning is always the result of maximum involvement.

C The Law of Communication: To truly impart information requires the building of bridges.

H The Law of the Heart: Teaching that impacts others is not head to head, but heart to heart.

E The Law of Encouragement: Teaching tends to be most effective when the learner is properly motivated.

R The Law of Readiness: The teaching-learning process will be most effective when both student and teacher are adequately prepared.

This acrostic is from Howard Hendricks.

Everyone Needs Recovery

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I’ve been thinking about how our church might better reach into the neighborhood, what needs to we see? Marriages need to be strengthened, kids are involved in recreational drugs, pornography attacks half of the male population (according to the national average)… what is a church to do in order to impact our community with the gospel?

The Home Run movie came out on April 19 this year, and I sense THIS is the next wave of hands-on help that can make life transformation practical and possible for so many people.

Here is some introductory research into that which Celebrate Recovery is based:

The Eight Principles of Recovery:

1.   Realize I’m not God. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable. — Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor.  (Matthew 5:3)

2.   Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover. — Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)

3.   Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control. — Happy are the meek. (Matthew 5:5)

4.   Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust. — Happy are the pure in heart. (Matthew 5:8)

5.   Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. — Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires. (Matthew 5:6)

6.   Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others, except when to do so would harm them or others. — Happy are the merciful. Happy are the peacemakers. (Matthew 5:7, 9)

7.   Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.

8.   Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and by my words. — Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires. (Matthew 5:10)

The Twelve Steps with Biblical Comparison:

1.    We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable. — I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. (Romans 7:18)

2.    We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. — For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:13)

3.    We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God. — Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. (Romans 12:1)

4.    We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. —  Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD. (Lamentations 3:40)

5.    We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. — Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. (James 5:16)

6.    We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. — Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:10)

7.    We humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings. — If we confess our sins, he is faithful and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

8.    We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. — Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:3 1)

9. We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. — Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23-24)

10.   We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. — So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (1 Corinthians 10.12)

11.   We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and power to carry that out. — Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. (Colossians 3:16)

12.   Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we try to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs. — Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself or you also may be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)

Are We True Ministers?

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This is a devotion that comes from 2 Corinthians 6:3-13

The Priority – 3 We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry.

Evaluate your life and behavior and see if this is true for you. Do you live in such a way that people will not stumble because of what they see? While no one is perfect, we are expected to strive toward a lifestyle that is honoring to God.

The Pain –  4 In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. 5 We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food.

The point here is that Paul demonstrated that he was an authentic follower of Jesus, he was a true minister of God. He then gives a few examples of his behavior: enduring troubles, hardship and calamity (beatings, prison, angry mobs) and faithfully worked through all of the stresses of his radical obedience to Christ (exhaustion, insomnia, starvation).

The Patience –  6 We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. 7 We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense.

Paul again was simply a man of words, but he proved the kind of person and minister he was (purity, understanding, patience, kindness). He was not able to do it in his own strength, but by the presence of the Holy Spirit and the power of sincere love. He preached the truth in season and out of season, in good times and hard times. He was a faith soldier in God’s service: he could attack the forces of darkness on one side and defend against our common enemy on the other.

The Paradox –  8 We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 9 We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

Much of the Christian life is a paradox: to save your life, you must lose it; to be first, you must be last; to be great, you must serve others. Paul is listing several lesser known seemingly contradictory statements.

The Parent – 11 Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. 12 There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. 13 I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!

Paul speaks to the people as a loving parent: kindness, openness, in love even when love has been denied. This passage screams the desire of a parent over a wayward child.

Here’s My Take-Away: We know that hard times will come. The light that we shine to others reveals our faith in God. Our faith can persist even in the face of hardship. It is a demonstration of faith to trust that the Lord is good. When bad things happen, the last thing we want is to be patient. We want to hurry up and move past our troubles. This is the time that God has been preparing us for, and we have the opportunity to grow closer to God. If you are in trouble or in the middle of calamity, muster your patience one day at a time. Live a life of integrity no matter what comes your way!

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Properly Interpreting Scripture

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It is no secret that many people interpret Scripture in a way that is totally off base. We wonder how they come to that conclusion, especially when the come back is “What does the Bible say?” We are forced to admit that indeed the Bible may SAY that, but THAT is not what it means. No wonder Christianity is so confusing to those on the outside.

The Bible must be read, understood, interpreted and then it’s teachings applied. The first stop here is an understanding of the type and genre of the passage you are reading.

When interpreting HISTORICAL NARRATIVE, these are some principles to keep in mind:

  1. Context and intent are key.
  2. Characters are not always heroes; authors are not always intending to present moral lessons.
  3. God is the ultimate character of Scripture, and He is active in the lives of real people and in the events of history.
  4. Scripture interprets Scripture.
  5. Historical narrative describes, not prescribes.
  6. Example: Genesis 30:1-6

When interpreting WISDOM LITERATURE, these are some principles to keep in mind:

  1. Proverbs are general truths that are not to be interpreted as true all the time in every situation.
  2. Wisdom literature incorporates poetry and figurative language.
  3. Negative illustrations teach just as much as positive ones.
  4. The psalms should be interpreted within their categories and subheadings.
  5. God is involved even in the nitty-gritty of everyday life.
  6. Example: Proverbs 22:6, 26:4-5, 3:1-3 (balanced with Acts 7:54-60)

When interpreting PROPHECY, these are some principles to keep in mind:

  1. Seek to discover the original message of the prophet in his immediate context.
  2. Expect figurative language.
  3. Be aware of themes in prophecy, such as a call to the covenant, to social justice, and for faithfulness from the remnant of God’s people.
  4. Do not assume that all prophecy has been fulfilled.
  5. Test modern-day prophesies against the truthfulness and coherency of Scripture.
  6. Example: Joel 2:28-32, Deuteronomy 13:1-5, 18:21-22

When interpreting LETTERS, these are some principles to keep in mind:

  1. Seek to discover who wrote the letter.
  2. Seek to discover to whom it was written and why.
  3. Investigate the historical context of the audience of the letter.
  4. Consider the structure, sections, main points, and themes of the letter.
  5. Determine whether the passage is culturally mandated. If so, seek to understand the principles behind the passage, and apply them to your own circumstances.
  6. Example: Galatians 1:1-7, 1 Corinthians 11:6

The great thing is that Jesus does not leave us alone to interpret Scripture for and by ourselves, Luke 24:27 is quite an encouragement. He escorts us along the journey and shows us how to properly interpret the Bible.

Why We Avoid Small Groups

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Before you read this short list, know that it is not my goal to create internal tension or to be judgmental. Do know this… a believer who is unwilling to spend time with other believers in a small group will not…

  1. Experience a meaningful relationship with Christ: Christianity is lived out in community.
  2. Become a mature follower of Christ: without other believers holding you accountable, you will drift.
  3. Have the knowledge or passion necessary to lead their children toward Christ and His church: since the example is set, the children will follow a poor example.
  4. Be unable to speak wisdom to other believers: wisdom is gained through knowledge and experience, so if there is no experience of community, one cannot speak to the needs to others apart from the small group.
  5. Be a witnesses for Christ on an ongoing basis: one’s walk speaks louder than one’s talk, believing at a distance tells others that you are not “all in” to this Christianity stuff.

And so… I share the following five reasons that believers don’t join a small group:

  1. They don’t want to have an intimate relationship with Christ: most will prefer just enough of Jesus to get by rather than be totally committed.
  2. They don’t want to become a mature disciple: they prefer to just believe the right stuff and pay their dues by showing up to church, but don’t want to be a fanatic disciple of Jesus… that might be uncomfortable.
  3. They don’t care if their children become Christians: or attend church when they’re adults, or if their grandchildren are separated from them and Christ for eternity: if you are not excited about your relationship with Jesus, I guarantee that your kids have less of a chance to experience him in any real way. What we hand down to the next generation is caught more than taught.
  4. They don’t care about the other group members: it’s more than just going to a group in order to get something out of it, it’s about being there to help others be all they can be in the Lord. The group is designed to encourage, lift up and bear the burdens of ONE ANOTHER.
  5. They don’t care if Christianity in the west dies with their generation: Christianity is always just one generation from extinction, so what are we passing on to the next group of believers? The American church is stunted if we pass on a comfortable, me-centered, uncommitted and casual faith in a set of theological propositions.

Why is Gosnell Trending?

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I have not heard about this in the main stream media, so who is Kermit Gosnell?

Kermit Barron Gosnell, 72, is an American doctor in Philadelphia who ran two multi-million dollar abortion practices. After a controversy nearly a year earlier, Gosnell was arrested in January 2011, charged with eight counts of murder: one patient who died under his care after a botched abortion, and seven infants born alive whose spinal cords Gosnell allegedly severed with scissors. A grand jury recommended charges of murder against Gosnell and several of his employees. CNN stated in March 2011 that prosecutors were considering seeking the death penalty. The trial began on March 18, 2013.

Apparently, major media outlets are ignoring any mention of the trial, but none of it surprises me.

Here’s why. The reason why Gosnell is on trial is because…

  1. A woman at his clinic died during the procedure.
  2. He murdered seven babies who survived the abortion.

The stories of the killings are horrific, including stories of snipping the spines of babies who were still moving. How anyone (pro-life or pro-choice) could not be outraged by this is beyond me.

So why not report on this otherwise newsworthy crime story? To do so raises an uncomfortable question, “Why is it murder to kill the baby after a botched abortion and NOT murder to kill the baby during the abortion? The only reason I can think of is location. It’s the same baby. It’s horrific when the killing happens on the operating table but it’s just abortive tissue when it is removed from inside the womb. Simply changing the location of the baby changes the same act from a woman’s choice to murder.

So why does the media ignore the otherwise newsworthy trial, while Twitter is trending today (April 12, 2013)? The best way to get “we the people” from asking basic questions of human life and justice is to keep it OUT of the media.

See the movie, October Baby.

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Our Great Commission

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I’ve been thinking about what Christ has commanded us to do…

Matthew 28:18-20, And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The Process: in order to reach the world, we must make disciples, “as you are going, make disciples of all nations.” It is a part of everyday life, not some activity that we can check off a list, like, “I went out today and made disciples.”

The Progression: as we are making disciples, we will get involved in the activities of baptizing and teaching. We win people to Christ and then encourage them to take that first step of obedience (baptism). But even here, our job is not complete.

Jesus did NOT say that we are to teach them: he said to teach them to OBEY. Teaching has the idea of transferring information and knowledge. When we teach them to obey, we are investing our lives into people and the process of their transformation. Teaching them to obey is relational, and as a part of the Christian community, it is our obligation to not only teach the doctrines of the faith, but to help people live them out in obedience.

Jesus did NOT say that we are to teach them all I have commanded: but to teach them all I have commanded YOU. It is true that we cannot pass on to others that which we do not possess ourselves. We can study what God has done in the lives of other believers, but the Great Commission is to teach others that which God is commanding US, and teaching US. This again points to the relational nature of discipleship. As God speaks to us, and teaches us, we are then able to take those experiences and help others along this spiritual journey. We read the Bible and pray, and then we are able to talk about God’s dealings with US. It takes the teaching away from the theoretical and doctrinal to the personal and practical. When we share what God is doing in our OWN lives, we are able to better teach others the purposes and ways of God. Let’s not just teach what God has commanded, but teach what he has commanded US.

The Priority: what happens when we don’t see people following through with their commitment to God? I read this passage today and thought it might fit in this scenario. Let’s look at this unclean spirit going out of a man to represent when a lost person gets saved.

Matthew 12:43-45, “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44 “Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45 “Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

This is not an illustration or discussion on whether a saved person can be possessed by a demon, so simply follow the illustration…

The old life has passed away, new life has come, but this person who said YES to Jesus does not fill his HOUSE with the knowledge of God, or the love of God, or the Word of God, or get involved with basic spiritual disciplines or the body of Christ, which is the church. We see them drift away and wonder what happened. Where is the excitement of those first days (Luke 15:24), why have they left their first love (Revelation 2:4) or allowed the thorns to choke the life out of them (Matthew 13:7, 22)?

I wonder if they only put their house in order, but never filled it with the things of God, which bring life and will sustain us through this earthly life.

How will we help teach all that God has commanded us, to others, so that we are making disciples who follow Jesus in obedience? When God speaks and shows us how, may we be listening and ready to respond in faith and action.

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Communication and Connection

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John Maxwell has written something that makes total sense. Often we assume that we are communicating information, but the reality is that we will not communicate until we connect with people on some level.

Something I know but do not feel, my communication is dispassionate.
Something I know but do not do, my communication is theoretical.
Something I feel but do not know, my communication is unfounded.
Something I feel but do not do, my communication is hypocritical.
Something I do but do not know, my communication is presumptuous.
Something I do but do not feel, my communication is mechanical.

When components are missing, the result for me as a communicator is exhaustion. However, when I include all three components- thought, emotion, and action, my communication has conviction, passion, and credibility. The result is connection. I believe you can achieve the same result when you include all three.

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