Assumptions...

Mr. Rogers with a beard. Sheppard dude. Longhaired, halo
wearing peacenik. White robed, soft-spoken pushover. Helpless,
broken man hanging on a cross.

Say the word Jesus and see what pictures pop into your head. Do
the images resemble any of the descriptive phrases I've listed above?
Probably. But does that make them true?

The new series we're undergoing as a church, Reset, challenges
us to abandon our assumptions and discover who Jesus really is all over
again. How about these phrases:

Divider.
Activist.
Revolutionary.
Crusader for social justice.

Are we still talking about the same guy?

That's just it, isn't it? If we were really honest with
ourselves, then we'd have to admit that each of us harbors a unique
version of Jesus built from a combination of cultural assumptions,
intellect, and past experiences. Our own, personal, Jesus.
Would the real Jesus please stand up?

Fortunately, we've got something more than just stained glass
pictures or cheesy movies to introduce us to our savior. Read the New
Testament book of Luke, join a Reset group, and have the guts to check
your assumptions at the door. Come with us as we discover Jesus all
over again.

- Don

* Picture Jesus and his disciples standing together. Do you see a
bunch of construction workers on a coffee break, or a theology professor
and his grad students sitting in the faculty lounge? Why?

* Would you agree that most iconic images of Jesus feature some
version of an effeminate man surrounded by lambs or children? Does that
sound like the guy who trampled on the social taboos of his day while
insulting the members of the cultural elite? How do you reconcile those
images?

* I can sum up my preconceived notions of Jesus with one
word-boring. But how do you think a person as nonthreatening and bland
as we've made Jesus could convince twelve men to leave their livelihoods
and families to follow him to their deaths?

Community

He called us his Three Horsemen. BP, Kelsey and I were three of his five Troop Commanders, great friends, and brothers in arms. Our Squadron Commander knew that he could count on us to together accomplish any mission that we couldn’t complete individually. Our relationship made the Squadron stronger, but more than that, our friendship made each of us stronger.

Like anyone deployed away from his family and loved ones for a year, I endured some dark times in Afghanistan. But the friendship and trust I placed in my fellow Horsemen helped see me through those moments. On countless days existing on little sleep while spending long hours in the cockpit, the sound of my friends’ voices checking in over the radio often brought a smile to my face. Knowing that they were in the air with me provided a feeling of security during uncertain times.

I can recall one mission in particular that went terribly wrong. While lost in the maelstrom of chaos that poets call the fog of war, the one stalwart I clung to was the conviction that if I too were shot down, Kelsey would come for me. I knew this without Kelsey ever voicing this sentiment, because if the situation were reversed, I knew that I would come for him.

The bond between the three of us didn’t develop in Afghanistan—we were a community before we deployed. Our wives were friends, our children played together and we ate dinner at each other’s houses. We’d invested the time and effort to develop our community prior to Afghanistan, so that when I needed friends the most, I already had a family to support me.

So what about you? Do you have a community that supports you? If not, do you ask God why he hasn’t sent anyone into your life? Maybe you should be asking him to point you towards someone who needs your time and energy in their life. Sooner or later all of us will face a trial like Afghanistan.

Don’t face yours alone. Take a step towards someone today.

-Don

• Is your small group a band of brothers or just a bible study? What can you do to grow authentic community in your small group?
• Andy said, “Christian life is designed to be a team sport.” Are you part of a team? Why not?
• React to this statement: Our faith in God is personal but never private. Who have you invited to share in your personal relationship with God?

Intimacy

Intimacy... It isn't a word that is used everyday, yet it is a word that describes something we were created to experience. When God created man there was an intimate relationship where Adam and God talked openly, honestly and freely. When God realized that man needed another companion and created Eve there too was an intimate relationship between Eve and God and between Adam and Eve. So we can see from the very begining what type of relationship we were created to have with each other and with God.

That is the easy part... Knowing how we were created. The hard part is living it!

Although Intimacy is often hard to describe, it is easy to spot. Children do this relatively well, they don't know how to do relationships any different. They naturally have the time for there parents, they haven't learned how to pretend to be someone they aren't and although it is difficult to say they are "committed" to the success of their parents, they do tend to "submit" to the will of their parents.

I know for me it is often difficult to abide by those three principles in most of my relationship, especially with God. They seem pretty simple; Time/Vulnerability/Commitment. But when the rubber meets the road, well I typically don't get anywhere to quickly.

I'm guessing the same is true for you... I'm guessing like me you make excuses as to why we don't make time for the people we care about and why we don't make time for God. "I'm too busy with School, I have to practice, I'm so busy with ____ (Fill in the blank)". When we really put that in perspective it seems like a really silly excuse... We are basically saying "God I don't have time for you because I have more important things to do". Meanwhile God waits...

God makes time for us, but often don't make the time for God. And time is really where it all starts. It is difficult to be vulnerable with someone, to let them into your life if we aren't dedicating time to them. It is difficult to Commit yourself to someone, to help them become successful without setting time for them. It is hard to get to know anyone with out spending time with them...

The question is... Where are you spending your time? What are you getting to know? Who or what is getting to know you? What are you committed to?

I'm guessing it isn't God... Meanwhile God waits... God waits and He knocks (Rev 3:20), will you let Him in?

* Have you set time for God today?
* Will you trust God and let Him know you for who you really are?
* Will you commit yourself to God and trust God will do the same to you?