Act Your Way Into a Feeling

Act Your Way Into a Feeling

Dear Champions,

The short excerpt is by and the Scripture is by Dr. Tim Elmore, and the scripture is 1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Miami Vice was a story of two rugged cops who used unconventional methods to get their job done.  Don Johnson, star of the 1980s TV show Miami Vice, was the man back in his day.   He was cool and tough.  One day as he entered his hotel room, he saw a thief rifling through his fiances purse.  The man had just robbed the place and was determined to get away with his loot.  When Don Johnson saw the thief he didn't have to think twice.  He took off after the crook, wrestled him to the ground and held the thief until police came to arrest him.  One bystander commented, "It was an amazing situation, just like the show!"

Don Johnson had so embraced the character he played over and over, it was intuitive for him to pursue the criminal that day.  It was second nature.  He had "acted" his way into a character.  You are more likely to act your way into a feeling than to feel your way into an action.  There is power in raw action.

Psychologist George w. Crane become known for a case he handled with a female client.  The woman came to see Dr. Crane and told him she hated her husband and wanted to divorce him.  She told the psychologist how selfish her husband was, and she wanted to hurt him as badly as possible.  "Well, in that case," replied Dr. Crane, "I'd advise you to start showering him with compliments.  Make him his favorite meals and serve him in any way you can.  Do all you can to communicate you love him, and when you've become indispensable to him, then present the divorce papers to him.  This is the best way to hurt him deeply."

Dr. Crane sent her off and asked her to call in a few months to let him know when she was ready to begin the divorce proceedings.  Interestingly, she never called.  When Dr. Crane finally spoke to her and asked if she was ready for the divorce-she emphatically resisted.  "Divorce him?" she responded.  "I changed my mind.  When I began acting like I loved him, I discovered I really did."

We must become the change we desire.  We can't afford to wait until we "feel" like it.  We're more likely to act our way into a feeling than to feel our way into an action. 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

Bible Doing

Bible Doing

Dear Champions,

 

The short excerpt is from Bob Goff's book, Love Does, and the Scripture is James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

 

The first thing I did was quit going to what Christians call a "Bible Study."  A Bible study sounds like a wholesome thing to go to, and honestly, it is.  They can come in as many flavors as there are people leading them.  At the ones I went to, I learned a bunch of facts and information about Jesus.  We might be studying how a guy named Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus.  The leader would open up a reference book and say something like, "The word dead means in the Greek .  .  ."  And then he'd say, "In the Hebrew the word means . . . "  Sometimes he'd get really into it and talk about the difference between the Greek version of dead and the Hebrew version.  Then he'd ask us a compelling question.    Something like, "When was the last time you felt dead?  Huh?  I asked myself.  Honestly, who really needs to hear a definition of dead?  And what difference did it make?  I wanted to talk about how I could do a better job following Jesus, how to practice kindness, and what might be possible to do with my faith before I'm the Greek or the Hebrew version of dead.

 

The guy's intentions were totally pure, so I don't mean to trash him or anything.  Most Wednesday nights, when I left the Bible study, I found I couldn't remember a single thing we'd talked about either.  But then I realized the reason I didn't remember anything was because, in the big scheme of things, it really didn't seem important to me.

 

So I started getting together with the same guys each week and instead of calling it a Bible study, we call it a "Bible doing."  We've been at it for fifteen years now, and I've found there's a big difference between the two.  At our Bible doing, we read what God has to say and then focus all of our attention on what we are going to do about it.  Just agreeing isn't enough.  I can't think of a single time where Jesus asked His friends to just agree with Him.

 

John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

Objections to Reconciliation

Objections to Reconciliation

Dear Champions,

The excerpt is by Andy Stanley, and the Scripture is in the excerpt.

Objection number 1:  It's just so complicated with this person because the stuff is so incredibly big.

Reconciliation is not about working through the issues.  It isn't about condemning or making sure you are justified.  Reconciliation is, I am going to open up the door and send you an invitation.  We don't have to talk about any of the issues.  I haven't heard from you in a while, and I wanted to send you an invitation to see the kids.  Hope things are going well. 

Are you saying that we are just going to ignore all of that stuff?  Yes!   Remember that while you were still a sinner Christ died for you and me (Romans 5:6).  God just wants you to send a picture, a letter, or to reach out and give somebody an update.   Reconciliation isn't about rehearsing the past and getting everyone on the same page and dealing with the elephants in the room.  Reconciliation is in spite of all of that.

Objection number 2:  If I start going over there, then it will look like I'm condoning that relationship. 

That's not your real reason, and you are just hiding behind that.  You just don't want to move in their direction.  While you were still sinning with all of your sin ahead of you, Christ 2000 years ago died for you anyway.  He didn't condone your sin.  He just moved into your direction and life in spite of your sin and started working.

The biggest objection:  I don't care how many letters, pictures or invitations I send, it's not going to work. 

If you open up, send an invitation and move in their direction, it's going to work on you.  Whether or not they ever respond and do anything in your direction isn't your issue.  If you move in their direction, down the road you will say this.  "My attempt to reconcile became the center of God's work in my life.  God got more mileage out of that decision than any other decision that I have ever made in my adult life.  Something has happened inside of me."

Attempts at reconciliation always work in someone.  If you are a Christ follower, your responsibility is to do toward them what your heavenly Father has done toward you.  Our attempts to reconcile should not be based on their behavior or the fact that they are ever going to respond or that they deserve it.  Because Christ's love compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14), we need to attempt to reconcile.  Christ's love for you and me compels us to set the table, open the door  and send the invitation.  Do everything in your power to make reconciliation possible just in case they ever decide to respond.

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

Another Great Man!

Another Great Man

Dear Champions,

 

The excerpt below was sent to me by Mr. Jim Mancke who is celebrating his birthday today.  He shared with me that not only did President Kennedy die on this day but also C.S. Lewis.  His response to my birthday greeting today is worth sharing with you.  The Scripture is James 4:6.  God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.

 

Thanks for remembering this special day that is actually more special this year than ever. 50-years ago today, November 22, 1963,  I was in junior high school as a 9th grader. It was my birthday and with my being a young office worker, the office staff had surprised me with a very special birthday cake. As we were readying ourselves for the cake cutting, the announcement of President Kennedy being shot was made on the radio. Not long after that announcement came the more shocking news of our President's death. 

 

I was asked to go up the narrow stairwell leading to the roof of Evans Junior High School where the flag of our country was flying. My task was to lower that flag to half staff. As young as I was, I still considered it to be a very powerful moment in my life. I will remember it forever!

Interestingly, another great man passed away on that same day. His passing was obviously overshadowed by our President's death. His name - C.S. Lewis. His powerful writings have touched an untold number of lives and especially mine. He was able to express God's love for me in a way no one else has. One of his more moving writings reminds his readers to this day that a great "stumbling block" for mankind is our pride. As he phrased it -  

 

"There is one vice of which no man in the world is free," Lewis wrote, "which everyone in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else . . . The vice I am talking of is Pride . . . Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind …

"As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you."

 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

 

The Message of Reconciliation-Part 2

The Message of Reconciliation-Part 2

Dear Champions,

The short excerpt is by Andy Stanley, and the scripture is Romans 12:17-18 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.    If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Reconciliation became an unavoidable reality for me years ago when my relationship with my Dad was dead and dying.  I was going to see a counselor because I kept talking to my wife about it.  Finally she said, "You've said that 25 times.  I can't help you.  You need to tell someone else."  That's what we do.  We take all of our dysfunction from one relationship, and we just dump it on a new one.  Our husband and wives and kids are like, "What did we do?"

Finally I went to see a counselor.  During this time, a friend of my Dad called me and told me that I was wasting my time trying to reconcile with my Dad.  He said, "Your Dad is from a generation where he is not going to come around, and you need to stop trying."

That was all I needed to hear, so I went to my counselor.  "I've done all I can do.  I've done all I'm going to do, and even one of his friends said that I ought to be done."  My counselor wasn't buying it, so I asked him, "How long do I have to do this?  When can I finally give up on this?"  He said, "Andy, you can give up on your relationship with your father when your heavenly Father gives up on His relationship with you." 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

The Message of Reconciliation

The Message of Reconciliation

Dear Champions,

The short excerpt is by Andy Stanley, and the Scripture is in the excerpt.

One of the worst lies that you can tell yourself when it comes to family is, "I don't care."  You were born to care, and if you don't care, there is something wrong with you.  There is a big old bungee cord attached to your belt loop.  You run and all of a sudden that bungee cord yanks you back to that time of your life when you walked away and decided that you didn't care anymore.  This applies to all family members, but where this comes most dramatic is in our relationship with our father. 

Christ followers can't live with the excuse that I don't care because Christ's love compels us, and we are convinced that one died for all and that those that live should no longer live for themselves (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).  Christ did for you something that was uncomfortable for Him, and now He is requiring for you to do something for Him that is uncomfortable for you.  

If you are a Christ follower your entire life is to be a message that says, "Did you know that you can be reconciled to God?"  Reconciliation is in spite of your sin.  God says that you have to reconcile with others in spite of their sin because I reconciled with you in spite of your sin.   Romans 5:8 While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  

If we are not careful our message is this.  You can be reconciled to God in spite of your sin, but you can't be reconciled to me because of your sin.  I have standards, and my standards are higher than God.  When you became a follower of Jesus you died to yourself.  Jesus said yes to you so that you can now say yes to Him. 

You are to carry the message of reconciliation.

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

All Stories Point to Jesus

All Stories Point to Jesus

Dear Champions,

The short excerpt is by Tim Keller, and the scripture is in the excerpt.

It's interesting that the two English authors who are the most read authors in the English speaking language in the 20^th century were friends.  One of them led the other one to Jesus Christ.  One was an atheist (C.S. Lewis), and one was a Christian (J. R. Tolkien).  They took a long walk one day on the grounds of Magdalen College in Oxford, and Tolkien led Lewis to Christ by talking about heroes.  Lewis said, "I love the old stories of ancient heroes.  They really stir me up.  What a shame they're all myths."  And Tolkien responded, "But they're not all myths.  You know the story of Sleeping Beauty.  It points to the truth that true love can break the most powerful evil spell.  The story of Beauty and the Beast points to the truth that sacrificial love can transform the greatest horror.  And Jesus -- what a great story!  He's born in a manger, and the king tries to kill Him but He's saved at the last minute, snatched away, and escapes.  Then He grows up, and He takes on the great oppressive forces of life and of the world.  They take Him on, and they kill Him.  But, no -- He's raised from the dead! 

Here's what the wonder of the gospel is.  Jesus Christ is not one more story pointing to those great truths.  Jesus Christ is the truth to which all the great stories point.  In other words, Jesus Christ comes into the world saying, "I am the Prince who can break the spell with My kiss.  I am the Beauty who can transform the beast.  I'm the Hero of heroes, and I've entered into the world's story.  I'm going to put down every villain, and someday every tear will be wiped away (Revelation 21:4).  So come with Me, and I will enter into your life and be the Hero of your story.  Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will take the pressure off you -- and I will give you rest."(Matthew 11:28-30)

Believe the true story of Jesus.

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining