Here's some of the questions presented at the end of Chapter 1. By no means do you have to answer all of them, but please find a few that seem particularly relevant to your experience and how the book challenged you.
- Gary talks about "seeing what God is doing" and "joining him in his work".
- How do you respond to this concept?
- Is this something you are comfortable with and practice or something you would like to learn?
- Did God bring someone across your path this past week who may have presented you with an opportunity to do just that ? Share the experience and how you responded.
- If you did not respond in the way you think God may have been asking:
- What held you back?
- Are there fears you need to dare to face?
- Is there sin you need to repent of?
- Share a time when you did respond to God's direction.
- Why is the Good News good to you? Share specifically.
As far as joining God in his work, I feel a hold back and let my own self image and concerns guide me. I feel as if I am not going for what the Lord has for me very much at all. I think it is good to know that the Father is always working, but I find that if that is true one of two things is also true in my life. 1, God isn't communicagting to me what he is doing, or 2, I am not listening. I want to do the things he is doing, because the things he is doing are amazing. Healings, miracles, power encounters, life changing experiences! I want all of this, but I fell like i fall into the pool with all of the other men with their balls cut off. It hurts to say that, but I would just be in deniel elsewise. So with all of that, I am not comfortable working with God, but I want to be. I want to see him working, and then be the one to accomplish the miracle at hand. The last thing I will say, is that this is all Good News to me. I am glad that I can still play this game, I am glad I can still do what God wants for me, I am glad I am still usable by him. A cry of my heart(muffled as it is) for awhile now has been to see the Kingdom of God break in in physical ways. I want to see healings, miracles, and the finger of God extended in everyday life. Sorry I didn't get this in yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to a lot of what Zack said. When I think of "joining the Father's work", I don't feel adequate or qualified. I feel like healings and prophetic words and other miraculous gifts are only for the "Superchristians", and I've never considered myself one of those. Why would God choose to work through me when I'm so screwed up? If I was God, I can think of million other more-qualified people to deliver the works and message of the Kingdom.
ReplyDeleteBut recently I've seen God do some wonderful things through me. I've recently started learning to pray during ministry time, and I've been involved in various "Treasure Hunts", where a group of people pray to see and hear what wants to do and then does it. I even prayed for someone recently and they were healed right away! I've even had friends tell me that my prayers are helping them.
All this is wonderful, but I still don't know or understand why God is working through me. I haven't done anything right. I don't know how to listen to Him. I guess this is the Good news that the chapter talks about, that God can still work through people despite their shortcomings and lack of faith.
Thank you to the guys for breaking the ice! In response to Zach, society may see vulnerable men as ‘having their balls cut off’, but I think it is very refreshing to see a departure from a screwed up cultural norm.
ReplyDeleteSurrendering control is hard, especially for men. It seems that many people attempt to surrender control but don’t feel that they are hearing God clearly, which leads to feelings of uncertainty, helplessness, and self doubt that results in taking a passive role. Gary used the swimming pool analogy to demonstrate that you have to obey God before he gives you gifts, and I suspect it is very similar with the hearing God part. So many people wait to act until they feel that God has spoken very clearly to them, but that would be too easy. In reality, you probably have to start acting before God really starts to let you in on His plans. I know this is very uncomfortable but I think if you can become active by partnering with people who can hear what God is doing more clearly, you will step out in faith and grow AND avoid standing around like you have your balls cut off! And even after being involved, many people (like myself) are also guilty of instant gratification. We all want results now, but sometimes you just have to be persistent.
I personally feel like I am not as active as I could be because I don’t always hear what God is saying and therefore don’t feel the same level of ‘passion’ for ministry as other people. It may be more accurate to say that I avoid hearing much of what God is saying because I feel that it is unfair for Him to ask me to do things that are so contrary to my nature. In reality, the true problem is that I have only been in touch with half the person God has intended me to be. I don’t see myself as a passionate or creative person and I struggle with a sense that I am unfeeling. This feeling is not very conducive to active ministry! But I have seen God working in the lives of others just through me sharing my obstacles them. That is pretty good news to me and proof that it really is just about giving away what little you may have.
Thank you all for your comments! I'm really glad that people feel comfortable to speak from their hearts.
ReplyDeleteAs far as this chapter, I was really struck by the question Best posed of "How good is the Good News". I go through seasons where I get caught up in all I feel obligated to do for Jesus and how hard it is. It always shows me how the way I follow Jesus can get skewed into this cycle of guilt and frustration instead of trying to see and share the Good News. I've been feeling this again lately, but was reading this chapter just before going to our Sunday service. That question really stuck out to me as I was praying before hand. During worship I really felt God's presence in a way that really communicated grace and found myself worshiping in what felt like a really sacred way. In that moment, I feel like God spoke to me that this is just one piece of the Good News; that I'm able to come into this place, feel his grace, worship him freely, and feel freedom from the weight that I put on myself and life situations can burden us with. It made me want that for others, that they could experience this freedom. It was a really sweet moment that I've been trying to remember as life can feel heavy around me.
These moments help me combat the many other moments when I don't feel like I can hear or see God around me as many of you have also experienced. Most of the time, it's more of a control issue like Leann was discussing. I begin to take control of my life that I forget about God. It feels like when you are driving but not really paying attention to what you're doing, then you arrive and you can't remember consciously driving to get there. (I'm sure all of you will now stay far away from car out of fear). I have this "wake-up" moments where I realize I haven't been seeking God or trying to see what he's doing around me. It's a constant struggle to try and live in the present with God and especially to have the courage to risk for him even if we can't see him as clearly as Jesus did.