Decode Week 4 by Nate Farro

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Week 4 --------------

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It’s not entertainment. It’s life altering. It’s not a have to, It’s a get to. It’s not a building. It’s people. It’ not perfect, it’s messy. It’s not simply a place to spend time. It’s the hope of the world. It’s church. There is nothing more powerful, -------------------------impacting, or significant than the church. The church is God’s hope for the world. It is the primary vehicle God is going to use until he returns to tell people about him. It has the power to help people. It has the power to change lives. It has the call to connect people to a thriving relationship with God. Yet, the church is made up of people.--------------Sinful people. Flawed people. Dive into this week to Decode ---------------------------God’s life changing vision for the church.

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----------------What comes to mind when you hear the word church? Do you think of the hassle it is to up early on Sunday? Do you think of it as honing in on your quality Xbox time? Do you think of seeing friends and maybe bumping into your ‘crush’? Maybe for you it’s like a concert of some pretty cool music every week.

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“I Am” Church

DAY 22

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WEEK 4

When I was growing up, my family went to a church with this massive white STEEPLE. Inside, we sat on hard wooden benches called PEWS. For me, the best thing about going to church was getting candy (preferably Skittles) for being good. Our church didn’t have a place for kids or teenagers so we sat together as a family. It’s tough for six-year-old to sit still (and quiet) for a whole hour while adults sang and listened to some white-haired dude preach. But I made a game of seeing how much candy my parents would fork over. Sugar was a drug and ‘church’ was my supplier! Kinda weird, I know, but for me, that’s what it was about.

STEEPLE

Whatever your idea of church, there’s so much more to it than getting up early, seeing your crush, singing songs, or even eating Skittles.

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Now this may seem a little like English class but bear with me. Let’s look at the word, church. The original word from the Bible is Greek, or ekklesia, meaning to “call out.” It can actually be translated as “assembly” because people were called together to assemble for a meeting or gathering. Notice how it says nothing about church being a building, a place to get candy, to see our bff or to sing songs together.

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Pretty interesting huh? It was about being “CALLED OUT” to gather together.

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Now gathering together as Christians 2000 years ago was pretty dangerous stuff. If you’re reading this book, chances are you can freely worship at church, ----------------no worries. Back then, not so much. During that time, believers in Jesus would ----------------gather together united under this common phrase, “JESUS IS LORD”(ROMANS 10:9). Today, if you said that to a kid in your math class, he might agree with you, laugh at you, or maybe throw his pencil at you. But in the early church, gathering around this belief could be a death sentence. People were killed for saying those three words. Why? Well, now for a little history. The first century church gathered in little communities not unlike we do today, but for them, confessing Jesus as Lord was to deny Caesar as Lord. Joining the Christian church at that time was to denounce the Roman Empire, and that was treason. The church movement called people out of the current culture of worldly values, pagan living and sinful patterns. Instead, they gathered in love, grace and faith in Jesus Christ – completely countercultural! This was at huge threat to the Roman Empire and its values.

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Things have changed in the last 2,000 years. You and I gratefully live in a country where we can openly and freely worship the Lord. But the calling is still the same. God called you out of your old life to gather with others in Christ. You, together with all believers, are chosen and “called out”. You are the ekklesia, the assembly, the gathering, the church!

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So, the next time you say, “I’m going to church,” what you’re really saying is that you’re going to gather with people who share the same love for Jesus and declare him Lord and leader of their lives. Pretty cool, eh?

Often we take this gathering for granted; sometimes we even play hooky from this sacred gathering to sleep in, finish homework we knew about on Friday, or mess around on the computer. Armed with this new view on church, I challenge you to commit to making it a vital part of your life. Show up mentally, physically and emotionally. Gather to declare Jesus as Lord and leader of your life! Maybe this means you talk your parents into going, get your homework done early, or turn off the computer, Xbox or TV for a couple hours. Commit to making ekklesia a priority in your life. (Who knows, maybe you’ll even be rewarded with Skittles :).

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WEEKS AT CHURCH

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GOAL IS 90% . . .47 OUT 52 WEEKS

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Let’s take a little science quiz. Don’t put the book----------------down, I repeat, don’t put it down. Circle the words below that fall under the category of being an “organism.” Sound simple enough? Okay, go. YOUR DOG, FOOT FUNGUS LEBRON JAMES

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Its Alive!

DAY 23

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WEEK 4

CAR SHOE CHURCH

ROCK BASKETBALL TREE

Now, look at the bottom of the page to see how you did.

If you passed 5th grade science, you know that an organism is an individual form of life capable of growing (dictionary.com it if you don’t believe me). A shoe is not an organism but the fungus between your toes is. A car is not an organism, but your dog is. A rock is not, but a tree is. Basketball no, Lebron, yes. You get the point. Now, this might be a bit of a shocker to you but the church, as described in the Bible, is an organism. Church is not something you try on, test drive, or hide under. It is something that moves, grows and has life. A church is not meant to be a cold and dead thing. It is a living, breathing and active community of people who love Jesus Christ and live for his purposes.

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THE CHURCH IS A LIVING, BREATHING ORGANISM, WORKING AND GROWING TOGETHER.

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You are connected to that follower of Jesus living in Seoul, Korea right now. You are connected to my grandpa Bill who loved God and lived his life for Him. You are connected to the Apostle Paul who helped launch the original church. Now within this organism called the church, each of us has different functions. We were all created differently and given unique gifts that God uses to grow and strengthen the church. Remember on Day 5 when we talked about spiritual gifts? This is how everyone’s gifts Answers: dog, tree, foot fungus, Lebron James, church

And here is something else that might blow your mind. This living church of God includes all believers in Christ, from all over the globe, since the resurrection of Jesus. That’s a lotta stinkin’ people!

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In Ephesians, Paul says, “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”36 He continues this theme in Romans, “So it is with Christ’s body. ----------------We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak ----------------out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”37 Did you catch what it said? Each of us has a specific role (spiritual gift) in the body of Christ, known as the church. So are you bringing life to the church and helping it grow? Are you spending this one and only life to help build up the church? Or, are you just taking up space like an unwanted pimple?

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Get Involved! There are so many places for you to bring life to the church. Serving is a huge way to exercise your muscles and help it grow. Talk to someone at church about ways you can get involved and serve. Here are some thoughts to get you started.

36 Ephesians 4:16 37 Romans 12:5-8

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OUTGOING? TALK TO YOUR LEADER ABOUT HOW YOU CAN MAKE NEW STUDENTS FEEL WELCOME OR GET CONNECTED.

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BEHIND THE SCENES? HELP THE SUPPORT TEAM BY RUNNING A ----------------COMPUTER, LIGHTS OR WITH SET UP AND TEAR DOWN. -----------------

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MUSICALLY INCLINED? JOIN THE WORSHIP TEAM AND SING OR PLAY AN INSTRUMENT.

INNOVATIVE? FIND A NEED THAT ISN’T BEING MET AND OFFER TO TAKE IT ON OR HELP BUILD A NEW TEAM.

PRAYER WARRIOR? JOIN OR START A STUDENT PRAYER MINISTRY AT CHURCH OR SCHOOL.

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I AM GOING TO:

DATE: SIGNATURE:

WEEK 4

Hope

of the

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W orld -----------------

Like any other kid,----------------I had a dream. My dream was to make lots of money and drive a nice car. But not just any nice car, my mind was set on a cherry red Porsche 911 Carrera. Estimated price tag: $130,000. To get this car I knew I needed to make a lot of money. So, I went to college because people told me I needed an education to make money. (Ever heard that?) I wasn’t really great at anything specific in school so I decided to get a Business Management degree so I could make lots of money.

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Impact – You

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DAY 24

What dreams or goals do you have? Do want a car, a job or a degree? Maybe you just want to run into Robert Pattinson and the entire Twilight cast at Starbucks some day. Write your dreams or goals below.

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One day while sitting at church, a bigger reality hit me. It struck with such force that my Porsche dream popped like an over-inflated balloon. Just like that, it no longer mattered. I was listening to a guy named Bill Hybels speak. He said one phrase that pierced my soul and still does today, “the local church is the hope of the world.” With the utterance of those words, time stopped. I realized that nothing is more important than God’s church. If the church is the hope of the world, that means you and I (as the church) are the hope of the world. In that moment, I kissed my dream of making millions goodbye and gave my life to a much more important goal, the church.

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Here’s the thing. There’s probably nothing wrong with your dreams, but there might be something better you could spend your time and energy pursuing. That’s what I realized about halfway through my college career.

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Before ascending into heaven, Jesus gave one last command to his disciples (and us). “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of----------------this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” We call these verses, The Great Commission. In them, Jesus makes it very clear. When you choose to follow----------------him, your life is about doing kingdom work. That means you help people experience the love and grace Jesus offers and encourage them to grow in relationship with him. How do we do that? Our best resource is the church! That’s why the church is the hope of the world. Sometimes you don’t realize how important something is until it’s gone. What would life be like without the church? What would you miss? Do you think your life and your relationship with Jesus would stay the same? Thankfully, it’s not something we need to worry about. Jesus promises, “all the powers of hell will not conquer” the church.

God wants to use the church to reach out and impact the lives of others. And we need to remember that people are the church. (SEE DAY 22) You and I are the church. Stop and think about your life. How does God want to use you to bring hope to this world? How can you work through the church to do so?

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Maybe God has more in store for you than the dreams you wrote down earlier. Take a moment in prayer. Ask God where he can use you to bring hope to this world. You don’t have to take on a whole country or a city. Seemingly small things make a great impact on one life, and maybe more. Write down your ideas.

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What simple actions can you do in every day life to be the church to others?

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HERE’S A FEW TO GET YOU THINKING… • EAT LUNCH WITH THE KID THAT ALWAYS SITS ALONE. • INVITE A FRIEND TO EXPERIENCE CHURCH. • MEET THE NEED OF FAMILY MEMBER. • BRING AN APPLE OR A CANDY BAR TO YOUR LEAST FAVORITE TEACHER AND STRIKE UP A CONVERSATION.

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Get “Missional”

DAY 25

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WEEK 4

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----------------I don’t consider myself a “gamer” but I do own a Playstation 3 and a few video games. Many of my friends play this game online called Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. (Ladies who don’t like video games, I apologize for boring you.)

The mission of the game is clear, kill the other team members more times than they kill you. Personally, I’m awful at this game. I’m the guy in the corner pointing my gun at a wall and getting blown up with my own grenades. But it’s fun to play on a team with my friends (who are great due to many hours of practice) because we usually win. GAMES AND GOD?

This might seem weird but church is a lot like the game, Call of Duty. We are all on a mission together with one clear objective. We have to work together for success. Obviously, our mission is not about shooting each other or blowing stuff up. It’s about helping others experience the love and grace that Jesus Christ offers by exposing them to the love and grace that you’ve experienced. Remember, Jesus gave us this thing called the Great Commission (check out Matthew 28:18-20 from yesterday). That is our mission. What’s cool is that we are on this mission together. Just like in Call of Duty (CODMW2 for you gamers), you don’t go into battle alone. If you don’t like video game analogies, think of it as a team sport. You have team members that have your back. Isn’t it great to know that you don’t have to go it alone? You have people who encourage and pray for you! We are here to help each other out. “We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”40 We are the body of Christ working together.

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The church is what we call a “Missional” Community.

COMMUNITY = WE ARE ON THIS MISSION TOGETHER.

40 Romans 12:5

MISSIONAL = WE ARE ON A MISSION.

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YOU ARE A MISSIONARY!

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As a kid, I remember visiting a church and looking at their Missions wall. A banner read, “Missionaries Around The World.” Below this were pictures of about ten different families and a description of their work. “The Smiths are building a school in the Philippines as they share the love of Jesus.” I looked at those families and wondered what it would be like if my parents moved us to the Philippines.

Missionaries are needed all over the world and thankfully; many churches help to support them. But, in reality, we are all part of this “missional” community. As a Christ Follower, you are his missionary. We are all missionaries! This doesn’t mean you have to move to the Amazon jungle, forage for berries and share Jesus with tribesmen. Your mission field is your community, your science class, your bus, your family and your soccer team. Your job as a missionary is to share what you have, Jesus, with others, through your actions and your words. TAKE SOME TIME THINK ABOUT THIS. WRITE DOWN THREE OR FOUR OF YOUR “MISSION FIELDS.” EXAMPLES: DANCE TEAM, HISTORY CLASS, FAMILY, XBOX LIVE COMMUNITY.

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---------------------------NOW THAT YOU’VE IDENTIFIED THEM, PRAY FOR THESE “MISSIONAL” FIELDS. ASK GOD TO OPEN YOUR EYES TO SEE WHAT YOU NEED TO DO AND SAY. BOLDLY ASK GOD TO USE YOU.

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Messy Church

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----------------People can be cruel. They can be mean, backstabbing, vindictive and divisive. People can hurt other people.

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During the crucial years of junior high school, I went through what most people would call an awkward stage. I didn’t have many friends so I turned to the only girl that cared for me. Her name was Little Debbie. Yes. I’m talking about the delicious snack food of oatmeal crème pies, nutty bars, zebra cakes and my personal favorite, Swiss cake rolls. We hung out every day. I could polish off an entire box of Little Debbies during one episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. (Remember this show? If not, check it out on You Tube, its great!) Because of my love affair with Little Debbie, I gained a little extra weight (my mom called me ‘husky’). I was the butt of many not-so-creative junior-high jokes. One day at the beach, my sister’s friend came over and said, “You’re fat.” That’s all she said. Nothing else. Another time while playing indoor soccer an opposing team member started chanting, “fatty, fat, fat, fat” as I kicked the ball. Creative, no, but painful, oh yes.

People can be mean. And if you’re honest, you’ve been on both sides of that equation. At times, you’ve been the recipient; it’s a painful part of life that everyone experiences at some point. But you’ve also said or done some hurtful things to others. Here’s the reality, the same type of people make up the church. People like YOU and people like ME.

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Paul says, “for everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”41 He’s telling it like it is. We all mess up, we make mistakes, we hurt others. I know I have. Now you would think that when we choose to follow Jesus, any cruel or unkind behavior would cease. Nope, it still happens. Because Christians are imperfect people who hurt one another, Jesus tells us how to resolve conflict. Jesus says, “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.”42 People in the church have been hurting each other for years. That’s why Jesus tells us how to deal with it.

41 Romans 3:23 42 Matthew 18:15

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DAY 26

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WEEK 4

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Now you could tour the country, even the world, looking for the perfect church where people never hurt each another, but you won’t find it. And if you do find a perfect church, don’t go! You’ll mess it up. ----------------Every church community is messy because it is filled with imperfect people imperfectly following ----------------Jesus. And while people are the problem, you can’t have a church without them! The church is people, and people are sinful. We make mistakes, we have differing opinions, we stir up trouble, and we conflict with each other.

Has someone in the church ever said or done a hurtful thing to you? Have you ever hurt someone else from church? If it hasn’t happened yet, it probably will.

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YOU CONFIDE IN SOMEONE WHO THEN TELLS SOMEONE ELSE. YOUR FRIEND STARTS DATING YOUR FORMER BOYFRIEND OR GIRLFRIEND. SOMEONE SPREADS A RUMOR ABOUT YOU. YOU DON’T LIKE THE WAY SOMEONE LOOKED AT YOU AS YOU WALKED INTO THE ROOM. A FRIEND STOPS HANGING OUT WITH YOU.

Have you been there? Write it down. What happened? How were you hurt?

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Let’s take another look at Jesus’ words, “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 43 ” You need to go to that person. Share your perspective of what happened in grace and love. Let forgiveness dwell in the relationship.

43 Matthew 18:15

FOUR STEPS TO DEALING WITH CONFLICT 1. MAKE THE FIRST MOVE. GO TO THEM TO TALK. IGNORING THE ISSUE NEVER SOLVES THE PROBLEM. START THE CONVERSATION WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS “HEY CAN I TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING?”

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3. WORK IT OUT. LET THEM SHARE. DON’T INTERRUPT.

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2. SHARE THE TRUTH WITH GRACE AND LOVE. TELL THEM WHAT HAPPENED FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW. IF YOU WERE HURT, SHARE WHY. DON’T USE ACCUSATORY LANGUAGE. FOCUS ON HOW YOU FEEL MORE THAN WHAT THAT PERSON MAY HAVE SAID OR DONE. HE OR SHE MAY NOT EVEN REALIZE YOU WERE HURT.

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4. THE FINAL 10%. WHEN YOU THINK EVERYTHING HAS BEEN TALKED THROUGH, ASK THAT PERSON IF THERE IS ANYTHING LEFT TO SHARE - THE FINAL 10% MIGHT BE THE MOST DIFFICULT TO TALK ABOUT.

Go to that person and use these steps to resolve the conflict. Call, text or Facebook him or her today to set up a time to get together. But when you have your talk, do it face to face. Don’t wait on this! Sadly, people are sometimes hurt by someone or something at church and decide never to go again – to any church! It’s important to understand that the church is people and people are messed up. That’s why Christ gave us a strategy to deal with conflict and issues that will inevitably come up as long as we are a part of church.

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WEEK 4

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So your favorite band, (_______________) ----------------is coming to town. They’re putting on a smaller show at an intimate venue so tickets are a little pricy. But you have birthday money saved just for a time like this.

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The 3 B’s > Belong – Believe - Behave

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DAY 27

You go online to purchase tickets when you discover that it’s an 18 and older show. You’re bummed out but then start getting creative. “Maybe if I get the beard out that I wore for Halloween, they’ll let me in!” But, reality sinks in as you realize that facial hair or not, there’s no way you’re getting in. Believe it or not, some people (remember, people are the church) treat church like an 18 and over concert. Not that you have to be a certain age, but that you have to act a certain way to get in. And if you don’t, you’re out. Now, you might not get kicked to the curb, but people will let you know you’re not wanted. This happened to my family when my parents got divorced. Divorce sucks. God hates divorce. But he loves the people that go through it. My parents got divorced when I was in 4th grade. Obviously, my whole family was going through a ton of pain because of the split. To add insult to injury, we had to move from a nice home with a pool, a hot tub and a lake across the street into two smaller homes.

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As if that wasn’t enough, the church we attended started treating us differently. Apparently, the “D” word just wasn’t acceptable there. I remember going to church and feeling like everyone was looking down at us. Instead of embracing a family in pain, they treated us like we no longer belonged.

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Believe-Behave-Belong??? Unfortunately, sometimes churches expect certain behavior in order to belong. They teach that first you believe (in Jesus), then you behave (like Jesus), and

Now I don’t know all the details, but I do know that the feeling was neither welcoming nor caring. So we stopped going. At a time when my family needed the church the most, we felt shunned and not good enough to walk through the door.

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finally you belong (to the church).44 For these churches, belief in Christ is the first step in being part of a church, but you do not really belong until you behave. It is sort of like being initiated into a club where you only gain respect after earning your merit badges. (Boy ----------------scouts or girl scouts anyone?) You must constantly prove yourself to continue to be accepted and to belong. -----------------

BELONG- BELIEVE- BEHAVE

Jesus says, ”Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”45 If we are weary, if we carry heavy burdens and don’t know where to go, Jesus says, “Come to me.” IT’S OK TO NOT TO BE OK

The church should be a place for people to come, no matter what’s going on in their lives. Now, the church (remember it’s the people not the building) is to show hurting people the love, grace and comfort of Jesus Christ. He isn’t just there for us when we behave a certain way. Jesus meets us right where we are today and everyday. If we are striving to be like Jesus, then the same should be true about the church. The church is a place to first belong, then believe in Christ, and then behave more like him.

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CHALLENGE

Are you treating people at church like they belong? If you have friends at church, it’s so easy to just hang with them. But what if you made an effort to be more about helping other students realize they belong?

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Here are some ways to do that. Circle the idea below that you can start doing this week to help people feel wanted, accepted and to give them a sense of belonging. • MEET NEW STUDENTS • REMEMBER THEIR NAMES! • LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT THEM. • EXCHANGE NUMBERS AND THEN CALL OR TEXT THEM DURING THE WEEK. • SIT WITH THEM DURING THE SERVICE. • INTRODUCE THEM TO OTHER PEOPLE.

44 Dawn Haglund, quoted in Robert Webber, The Younger Evangelicals: Facing the Challenges of the New World (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002), 48. Haglund states that the older paradigm was behave, believe and then belong. I alter this order, as belief has been more primary than behaving in my experience of twentieth century evangelicalism. // 45 Matthew 11:28

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28 Journal

----------------WEEK 4

DAY 28