When I started to think through this week, my initial instinct was to continue on a narration of Haiti and how vodou is actually a combination of gods that are lower than the big God of the universe. I figured I would have plenty of fodder to talk about and tie in with a statement in regards to a command against idols. Vodou takes the Catholic religion and then mixes in ingredients from different African religions. Think of it sort of like a gumbo religion. It’s Catholicism with a ingredients that are varying degrees of creepy. With all the images and idols Vodou felt like an easy target for a study on having no idols.
The problem was that I was confusing commandment #1: No other gods with commandment #2 “No graven images”. Haitian Vodou definitely comes up with some doozies as it relates to worshiping other gods. When it comes to creating a graven image of God, Americans are in a class all by our selves.
The confusion is easy because the word is also translated idols and we get those confused with gods. The fact is that they are two completely separate commandments that are at once mutually exclusive and yet (like all 10 of them) completely intertwined. Much like a chain with 10 links.
The first commandment is a warning against worshipping other gods. We talked about it last week at Conduit but simply put it’s a command against replacing the true God with false gods. The second commandment is a warning against worshipping the true God falsely.
Throughout history man has wondered what God is like. What does He look like, act like, talk like. The desire is to capture an essence of Him, and looking to, among other things, nature to create an image of what He is like. Thus the reason the American Indian would put an eagle on top of their totem poles, or the Polynesians would worship turtles, or Egyptians would worship cows. (Ex 20:4…or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth)
They would say that the eagle is majestic and can see from above and is all knowing so that must be worthy of our worship. It’s just like God. It’s true that God is majestic, and all knowing and can see things I can’t, but the eagle swoops down out of the sky and picks of the weak and the defenseless. That is NOT God. It’s capturing something that is true of God, and applying it as God. It reduces Him, it oversimplifies Him, it brings confusion.
I don’t know anybody who knows anybody who has actually carved out a literal idol and used it for worship. My kids have used Play Doh for years and never once have I walked in and found them worshiping what they created for the Play Doh barnyard.
Just because the image isn’t literal doesn’t mean we haven’t created an image though. See if you smell what I’m stepping in.
Public figures are very conscious of their image. The image is sort of the short bio, the description, it’s the essence of who they are. When you think of Brad Pitt for instance you think of someone who is impossibly good looking, a great actor and a social activist. That is his image. It’s sort of reducing him to a couple of sentences. It’s true of Brad Pitt but it is not him.
What about God? What is His image? What is His essence? Paul told the church at Colossi that Jesus Christ was the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15) The writer of Hebrews goes a step further saying that the Son is the “exact representation of His being”. (Heb. 1:3) Jesus painted a picture of God not with His hands, but with His life.
Paul said in Romans that we are being conformed to His image (Rom 8:29) and that we should no longer conform to the patterns of this world. (Rom 12:1-4) Jesus Christ is the image of the unseen God, and we are to be conformed to that image, to the image of Christ. When I’m wondering how I should live, how I should respond to a situation, what my stance on a particular issue should be, I base it on Jesus Christ Himself. What is God’s “image”? Jesus.
What was Jesus known for? He had this amazing ability to make powerful religious people feel very uncomfortable and yet the marginalized, sinners, poor, oppressed felt very comfortable in His presence. When He saw people in need, He met their needs. He healed sick people. He fed hungry people. He lived sacrificially. He loved.
In their book Unchristian Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman published research and found that the perception of Christians is that we are antihomosexual (95%) judgmental (87%) and hypocritical (85%) These perceptions are followed by majorities of boring, out of touch with reality.
When you stop and think of who Jesus was, how He lived while living here in a suit made of dude, how would you describe Him? Judgmental? Hypocritical? Boring? No way. How is it possible that this is our image? Perhaps it’s the image we’ve ascribed to God?
Paul said to not conform to this world, but the idea is of conforming to a pattern, to a mold. The pattern or mold of this world is to celebrate powerful, to get all I can, to be successful, to finish first. It’s the exact opposite of the image that Jesus painted with His life.
As a church we’ve sought power, we’ve sought success, prosperity, we’ve sought to impress people by “competing with the world” so that we can “reach” more people. In doing so we’ve unwittingly created an image, a graven image that attempts to represent who God is, but falls dramatically short.
I know that I’m speaking in generalities and the fact is there are churches right here in America that don’t worship this image of God. Conduit is only one example among many.
I saw a church in the image of God in Haiti. I saw a building that wasn’t fancy and had no moving lights. It didn’t even have glass in the windows. But it was a church serving their community. They were feeding the poor, healing the sick, and reaching out the world around. They weren’t prosperous, successful, or powerful; they weren’t even white. But then again, neither was Jesus.
It’s easy to cop an “Elijah complex” that nobody is getting this right but me and go hide. We must not do that. There are plenty of folks doing amazing stuff, they just don’t get on television. The church is you, the church is me. God isn't going to hire a publicist. We can tell His story with our lives.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Hi everyone, I posted an episode to my podcast, Conduit Bible Study- Darren Tyler. Click this link to check it out: Exodus 20:2 No Other Gods - Darren
Hi everyone, I posted an episode to my podcast, Conduit Bible Study- Darren Tyler. Click this link to check it out:
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Conduit April 11- The Hope Of A Nation
In 1791 Saint Dominque was the richest European colony in the world making many French wealthy through gigantic sugar plantations and coffee-producing estates. With a new nation being born just to its north Revolution was in the air in a country that would become known as Haiti.
A half million slaves who were the driving force of this enterprise started doing a head count and realized they outnumbered owners by 15 to 1. Those are overwhelming odds by any ones standards and certainly a confidence booster when planning a revolt. The slaves from Africa combined forces and overthrew their euromasters and sent them packing.
Over 200 years later this nation born from freed slaves is the 148th least developed of the worlds’ 179 countries. The average annual salary is $240- about 66 cents per day. 50 percent of the population lacks access to potable water and barely 10 percent uses electricity. For those 10 percent that have access to electricity it goes off every day for several hours.
What I saw on the ground was a nation in the throws of poverty. There is no public garbage service and so it is strewn around everywhere. There are piles of it, mountains of it, rivers of it and streets of it. There were literally streets that seemed to be paved with it. An interesting juxtaposition against a heaven whose streets are paved with gold.
This nation of former slaves was built on the backs of a people who had no idea what it was like to be free. As slaves it was not in any interest of the owners to educate their property Thus it was that a half million men women and children with no education, no resources and no God set out to form a nation.
With no formal training many of the former slaves retreated to the nation’s interior where they farmed small plots with little outside investment. They settled into subsistence farming techniques that continue to this day. It’s those very farming techniques that have played a huge role in stripping the land and have prompted an ecological crisis. In a year like 2007 when 4 major hurricanes blew through it is cataclysmic.
It is recorded that Haiti is the first nation that was ever established by a group of former slaves. This is not entirely true. Israel holds that title. Israel had been living in slavery for 400 years under the brutal Egyptian government. Like our brothers and sisters in Haiti, Israel was the economic engine for the prosperity of their owners.
When you consider this it begins to make total and perfect sense why one of the first things that God would do is to park them in the desert and give them The Law. It comes into focus why God would tell them to farm the land for 6 years and every 7th year to give the land a break. (Lev 25:1-2) It makes sense why He would take the time to tell them to go outside the camp and bury it when they have to go to the bathroom (Deut 23) It’s clear why He would tell them to stay away from certain foods that we know today have the dangers of carrying disease. (Lev 11)
It wasn’t a God trying to set up some sort of cosmic buzz kill system but rather a merciful God that knew what it would take for a people to coexist in a new land. It makes you wonder if Israel would’ve found themselves in the same condition as Haiti if God hadn’t taken the time to give them an education.
Many experts believe Haiti is not beyond hope. It has a relatively small population and is in a stable region. By some accounts there is about $1B in foreign aid immediately available that could be invested in hospitals, schools, health care, electrical systems and vital infrastructure. And yet that isn’t happening.
John Currelly, an agronomist with the Pan American Development Foundation in Haiti says "If you had covered these mountains 100 years ago with high-producing fruit trees and various other perennials, this country would still be richer than Canada. Haiti is extremely productive and has a tremendous recuperative capability ... The land itself, if left alone, comes back very quickly."
But the land has never been left alone. Its riches once fueled an empire, just as poverty now powers its collapse. And so what to do?
The government has failed dramatically if not spectacularly. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t feel a sense of hopelessness when I first arrived. How could these people in this country ever thrive? Billions of dollars of foreign aid, a UN force t visible everywhere that operates on a $580M annual budget and the direct involvement both militarily and internally from the United States have not helped. Where is the hope?
At the risk of sounding cliché, it’s in Jesus. More specifically it’s in Jesus IN you and I and our brothers and sisters in Haiti. I had been asking where is God in the face of such suffering but the proper question is “where is the Church?” When I looked in that direction I saw hope manifested in a man like Gerald Lafleur who leads the church appropriately called Restoration Ministries.
I saw hope in Pastor Rodrigue who along with his wife open their home 3 times a week so 75-100 kids can eat a meal that is more than a dirt cookie or stale rice.
Sebastian (is sponsored by Bucky and Kimmie Elliot through Conduit.) is being taught principles like giving and mercy and love.
Farrah (sponsored through Conduit as well) is being taught that her body is her property and to break the cycle of single mothers with children from multiple fathers who will never marry their mothers.
Vlo (sponsored by Philip Peters through Conduit) is being taught to be a man to not get a woman pregnant and walk out on her.
Dashka (sponsored by Theresa Swain through Conduit) is being taught that abstaining from sex outside of marriage is the ONLY guarantee they have of not contracting an evil disease such as HIV/ AIDS.
They’re not only being fed physically but spiritually as well. These well fed children will grow up, and it’s my belief that they will grow up to be part of the revival that awaits Haiti.
This is all being done in the confines of a local church in a local community. It’s all being done because of folks like you and I. THE Church, made up of believers all over the world, are coming together and bringing real hope to this ravaged nation. It will only be done if all of us will man up, do our part, stand a post.
Jesus, when He sent out the 72, told them to pray for laborers. He said that the laborers are few. Living in Nashville where there are 1,000 churches that’s kind of a foreign idea. Coming home from Haiti I saw exactly what He was talking about.
If you’re not already involved with what we’re doing through Conduit, I would ask that you prayerfully consider getting involved. I’m not going to lie to you and say that I just want your prayer support, it’s my hope that we already have that. Sebastian, Farrah, Vlo and Dashka already have laborers, I wonder if you would consider joining us.
You can click on this link http://www.unitedcaribbean.com/haiti-childsponsorship-programme.html and see some of the kids that are still waiting to be helped. By donating through Conduit 100% of your gift each month is tax deductible and 100% of it goes directly to Restoration Ministries where 100% of it goes directly to serving the child spiritually, physically and emotionally. $30 a month. Many of you are already involved in a ministry like this, but if you’re not, prayerfully consider joining us.
(If you wish you can donate directly to Restoration Ministries but their accounts are in Haiti and you do not get the tax deduction)
Blessings,
Darren
CONDUIT RETURNS TOMORROW NIGHT. 7:30PM AT JOURNEY CHURCH IN BUILDING 8 AT THE FACTORY IN FRANKLIN. WE’VE GOT SOME AWESOME VIDEO, PICTURES, ETC FROM OUR TRIP TO HAITI.
A half million slaves who were the driving force of this enterprise started doing a head count and realized they outnumbered owners by 15 to 1. Those are overwhelming odds by any ones standards and certainly a confidence booster when planning a revolt. The slaves from Africa combined forces and overthrew their euromasters and sent them packing.
Over 200 years later this nation born from freed slaves is the 148th least developed of the worlds’ 179 countries. The average annual salary is $240- about 66 cents per day. 50 percent of the population lacks access to potable water and barely 10 percent uses electricity. For those 10 percent that have access to electricity it goes off every day for several hours.
What I saw on the ground was a nation in the throws of poverty. There is no public garbage service and so it is strewn around everywhere. There are piles of it, mountains of it, rivers of it and streets of it. There were literally streets that seemed to be paved with it. An interesting juxtaposition against a heaven whose streets are paved with gold.
This nation of former slaves was built on the backs of a people who had no idea what it was like to be free. As slaves it was not in any interest of the owners to educate their property Thus it was that a half million men women and children with no education, no resources and no God set out to form a nation.
With no formal training many of the former slaves retreated to the nation’s interior where they farmed small plots with little outside investment. They settled into subsistence farming techniques that continue to this day. It’s those very farming techniques that have played a huge role in stripping the land and have prompted an ecological crisis. In a year like 2007 when 4 major hurricanes blew through it is cataclysmic.
It is recorded that Haiti is the first nation that was ever established by a group of former slaves. This is not entirely true. Israel holds that title. Israel had been living in slavery for 400 years under the brutal Egyptian government. Like our brothers and sisters in Haiti, Israel was the economic engine for the prosperity of their owners.
When you consider this it begins to make total and perfect sense why one of the first things that God would do is to park them in the desert and give them The Law. It comes into focus why God would tell them to farm the land for 6 years and every 7th year to give the land a break. (Lev 25:1-2) It makes sense why He would take the time to tell them to go outside the camp and bury it when they have to go to the bathroom (Deut 23) It’s clear why He would tell them to stay away from certain foods that we know today have the dangers of carrying disease. (Lev 11)
It wasn’t a God trying to set up some sort of cosmic buzz kill system but rather a merciful God that knew what it would take for a people to coexist in a new land. It makes you wonder if Israel would’ve found themselves in the same condition as Haiti if God hadn’t taken the time to give them an education.
Many experts believe Haiti is not beyond hope. It has a relatively small population and is in a stable region. By some accounts there is about $1B in foreign aid immediately available that could be invested in hospitals, schools, health care, electrical systems and vital infrastructure. And yet that isn’t happening.
John Currelly, an agronomist with the Pan American Development Foundation in Haiti says "If you had covered these mountains 100 years ago with high-producing fruit trees and various other perennials, this country would still be richer than Canada. Haiti is extremely productive and has a tremendous recuperative capability ... The land itself, if left alone, comes back very quickly."
But the land has never been left alone. Its riches once fueled an empire, just as poverty now powers its collapse. And so what to do?
The government has failed dramatically if not spectacularly. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t feel a sense of hopelessness when I first arrived. How could these people in this country ever thrive? Billions of dollars of foreign aid, a UN force t visible everywhere that operates on a $580M annual budget and the direct involvement both militarily and internally from the United States have not helped. Where is the hope?
At the risk of sounding cliché, it’s in Jesus. More specifically it’s in Jesus IN you and I and our brothers and sisters in Haiti. I had been asking where is God in the face of such suffering but the proper question is “where is the Church?” When I looked in that direction I saw hope manifested in a man like Gerald Lafleur who leads the church appropriately called Restoration Ministries.
I saw hope in Pastor Rodrigue who along with his wife open their home 3 times a week so 75-100 kids can eat a meal that is more than a dirt cookie or stale rice.
Sebastian (is sponsored by Bucky and Kimmie Elliot through Conduit.) is being taught principles like giving and mercy and love.
Farrah (sponsored through Conduit as well) is being taught that her body is her property and to break the cycle of single mothers with children from multiple fathers who will never marry their mothers.
Vlo (sponsored by Philip Peters through Conduit) is being taught to be a man to not get a woman pregnant and walk out on her.
Dashka (sponsored by Theresa Swain through Conduit) is being taught that abstaining from sex outside of marriage is the ONLY guarantee they have of not contracting an evil disease such as HIV/ AIDS.
They’re not only being fed physically but spiritually as well. These well fed children will grow up, and it’s my belief that they will grow up to be part of the revival that awaits Haiti.
This is all being done in the confines of a local church in a local community. It’s all being done because of folks like you and I. THE Church, made up of believers all over the world, are coming together and bringing real hope to this ravaged nation. It will only be done if all of us will man up, do our part, stand a post.
Jesus, when He sent out the 72, told them to pray for laborers. He said that the laborers are few. Living in Nashville where there are 1,000 churches that’s kind of a foreign idea. Coming home from Haiti I saw exactly what He was talking about.
If you’re not already involved with what we’re doing through Conduit, I would ask that you prayerfully consider getting involved. I’m not going to lie to you and say that I just want your prayer support, it’s my hope that we already have that. Sebastian, Farrah, Vlo and Dashka already have laborers, I wonder if you would consider joining us.
You can click on this link http://www.unitedcaribbean.com/haiti-childsponsorship-programme.html and see some of the kids that are still waiting to be helped. By donating through Conduit 100% of your gift each month is tax deductible and 100% of it goes directly to Restoration Ministries where 100% of it goes directly to serving the child spiritually, physically and emotionally. $30 a month. Many of you are already involved in a ministry like this, but if you’re not, prayerfully consider joining us.
(If you wish you can donate directly to Restoration Ministries but their accounts are in Haiti and you do not get the tax deduction)
Blessings,
Darren
CONDUIT RETURNS TOMORROW NIGHT. 7:30PM AT JOURNEY CHURCH IN BUILDING 8 AT THE FACTORY IN FRANKLIN. WE’VE GOT SOME AWESOME VIDEO, PICTURES, ETC FROM OUR TRIP TO HAITI.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Conduit April 27 - Faith That Works
American Churches have spent literally hundreds of millions of dollars in the past 20 years in a sort of “culture war” to save our kids. We’ve created amazing facilities with video games, basketball courts, multi media, etc. It was almost as if mega church pastors got into a sort of contest to see who could build the biggest most expensive facility to “reach” the youth culture. I believe that this comes from a good place in the hearts of our elders and don’t pretend to know whether or not it’s proper. I’ve been at this long enough to learn that God will work all that out.
(In fairness I just left Willowcreek and their “youth room” was the former main auditorium for the church. The youth room was a 2500ish capacity state of the art facility that most mega church pastors would give an appendage for. They spent the week on a rice and beans diet at Willowcreek working up to an offering from the money they would’ve spent on normal food for building fresh water wells in Africa. I don't intend to lump everyone into one bucket with generalizations)
I just think it’s worth asking; how’s that working out for you? A few decades of event driven ministry, how’s that working out? If Barna is right and over 80% of our kids are walking away from the Lord after graduating High School, I might suggest we have a hole in the boat. The biggest brightest facilities in the country are of no use if we’re not utilizing them for biblically based works. What do I mean?
In James 2 we're told that if we don’t have works to go along with our faith then our faith is dead. He says in verse 14 if someone claims to have faith and has no deeds can such a faith save him? He then goes on to give an example of seeing a brother or sister with no food or clothes and what our response is to that person. He then gives that quintessential statement, that “faith without works is dead”.
Theologians will debate whether it’s faith or works.
I think the best answer is: it’s faith that works.
Right there in James is an emphasis on works, and works defined by serving a brother or sister without food or clothing. When I cross reference those works with the works that I spent most of my life engaged in I find myself seriously lacking. It’s a great lesson for you and me personally as well as a great basis for how to raise our children in this culture defined by indulgence and self.
Does building a multimillion dollar facility to “compete with the world” (a literal quote from a pastor who built a facility like this) actually just validate the system that we’re trying to rescue them from? In America it takes a multi million dollar facility with the latest and best in multi media technology to get a students attention. In Haiti (where I’m going in 5 days) it takes a bowl of rice.
I wonder if those resources could be better diverted to resourcing an army of students to the “works” that James writes about. I dare say that if we were gathering students together for the purpose of serving others instead of them selves it might cause a monumental shift in the youth culture; and thus the culture as a whole.
I’m part of a movement like this in my home church. (www.journeyfranklin.com)
When we recently figured out that we were completely packed out in attendance we had the normal questions of whether or not we should do multiple services. An email sent from someone in the church suggested we might be asking the wrong question. The subject line said: “more services or more service?”
For the past 5 months, every Sunday there is a gathering of 5-10 of our small groups who gather together and head out into the community to serve our brothers and sisters. We have painted schools, repaired homes for single mothers, cleaned up the garbage at a local housing project, and gather food for a local food ministry called Grace Works. We do this on a Sunday morning. We’re literally asking 50-100 folks to NOT come to church each week.
We don’t have a multi million dollar facility for the students, heck we don’t have any facility for the teens but we’re doing the “works” that James writes about under the influence of the Holy Spirit. It’s not a spectator type atmosphere, but then again, was it ever meant to be?
So far my kids have stood side by side with Shannon and I as we’ve picked up unmentionable (even by me) garbage from the back of a public housing project where a single mom was raising her children. We’ve gone door to door inviting folks to donate food to Grace Works. We’ve sorted that food. To put it simply we’ve done “works”.
I knew that it was connecting this morning when the kids asked me on the way to church; “daddy do we get to serve today?” They were genuinely bummed when the answer was no. Not today. It occurred to me that we invite folks into the Kingdom by saying “all you gotta do” in reference to a prayer that doesn’t even exist in scripture. Maybe the invitation instead is “all you get to do”.
lemonAID
I strongly believe that faith that works has to start at home; in our personal lives, in our families. I must not outsource my personal responsibilities to church leadership. Pastors and youth pastors are integral parts of our lives but as the priest of my home, it is absolutely my responsibility to lead in these areas. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord kind of thing.
One idea to join this movement is the lemonAID coming up in May. We’re planning to do ours on Memorial day, but it’s perfectly OK if you feel like you should do yours on another day due to travel plans or other conflicts in the schedule.
The idea is simple. Set up a lemonade stand in your neighborhood and donate all the proceeds to Conduit Mission. We’ll put the money to immediate use in Haiti, Africa and right here in Middle Tennessee at Place of Hope (www.placeofhope.us) I know I say this all the time but we give away over 96% of the money that comes in. The majority of that 4% that we spend is actually credit card/ paypal fees that we pay on donations that come in.
If you’re looking for a teachable moment with your kids, something to do with your youth group, something for you and the roommates, the band, or whatever I think this is a perfectly simple way to make an impact immediately.
For every .50 glass of lemonade it could feed a kid in Haiti for a day. Not a bad way to spend a few hours. I’ve had a few responses from folks who plan to join us, if you are for sure wanting to do this, please contact me at dtyler@platformmanagement.com or on my facebook. We’re going to put together a list of everyone participating.
We’ve got some collateral materials being put together for you to use at your stand. If anyone has any killer recipes for lemonade send those on too. Madi has suggested adding cookies to the stand and we’re planning on doing that as well.
All money raised will go immediately to work clothing and feeding our brothers and sisters in need. Conduit Mission is a 501C3 and all donations are 100% tax deductible. I hope you’ll pray about it, and hope you’ll join us.
See you tomorrow.
Darren
www.darrentyler.com
www.conduitmission.org
We’re back for Conduit tomorrow night at Journey Church in Building 8 in the Factory. We’ll be meeting at 7:30pm. We’ll start our conversation about the law. Could you recite the 10 commandments? Do you think you even should? Have you tried to go for a period of time and not break any of them? How’d that work out? I’m good on the not murdering or adulterating. I’m sucking on coveting, the Sabbath, and idolatry.
(In fairness I just left Willowcreek and their “youth room” was the former main auditorium for the church. The youth room was a 2500ish capacity state of the art facility that most mega church pastors would give an appendage for. They spent the week on a rice and beans diet at Willowcreek working up to an offering from the money they would’ve spent on normal food for building fresh water wells in Africa. I don't intend to lump everyone into one bucket with generalizations)
I just think it’s worth asking; how’s that working out for you? A few decades of event driven ministry, how’s that working out? If Barna is right and over 80% of our kids are walking away from the Lord after graduating High School, I might suggest we have a hole in the boat. The biggest brightest facilities in the country are of no use if we’re not utilizing them for biblically based works. What do I mean?
In James 2 we're told that if we don’t have works to go along with our faith then our faith is dead. He says in verse 14 if someone claims to have faith and has no deeds can such a faith save him? He then goes on to give an example of seeing a brother or sister with no food or clothes and what our response is to that person. He then gives that quintessential statement, that “faith without works is dead”.
Theologians will debate whether it’s faith or works.
I think the best answer is: it’s faith that works.
Right there in James is an emphasis on works, and works defined by serving a brother or sister without food or clothing. When I cross reference those works with the works that I spent most of my life engaged in I find myself seriously lacking. It’s a great lesson for you and me personally as well as a great basis for how to raise our children in this culture defined by indulgence and self.
Does building a multimillion dollar facility to “compete with the world” (a literal quote from a pastor who built a facility like this) actually just validate the system that we’re trying to rescue them from? In America it takes a multi million dollar facility with the latest and best in multi media technology to get a students attention. In Haiti (where I’m going in 5 days) it takes a bowl of rice.
I wonder if those resources could be better diverted to resourcing an army of students to the “works” that James writes about. I dare say that if we were gathering students together for the purpose of serving others instead of them selves it might cause a monumental shift in the youth culture; and thus the culture as a whole.
I’m part of a movement like this in my home church. (www.journeyfranklin.com)
When we recently figured out that we were completely packed out in attendance we had the normal questions of whether or not we should do multiple services. An email sent from someone in the church suggested we might be asking the wrong question. The subject line said: “more services or more service?”
For the past 5 months, every Sunday there is a gathering of 5-10 of our small groups who gather together and head out into the community to serve our brothers and sisters. We have painted schools, repaired homes for single mothers, cleaned up the garbage at a local housing project, and gather food for a local food ministry called Grace Works. We do this on a Sunday morning. We’re literally asking 50-100 folks to NOT come to church each week.
We don’t have a multi million dollar facility for the students, heck we don’t have any facility for the teens but we’re doing the “works” that James writes about under the influence of the Holy Spirit. It’s not a spectator type atmosphere, but then again, was it ever meant to be?
So far my kids have stood side by side with Shannon and I as we’ve picked up unmentionable (even by me) garbage from the back of a public housing project where a single mom was raising her children. We’ve gone door to door inviting folks to donate food to Grace Works. We’ve sorted that food. To put it simply we’ve done “works”.
I knew that it was connecting this morning when the kids asked me on the way to church; “daddy do we get to serve today?” They were genuinely bummed when the answer was no. Not today. It occurred to me that we invite folks into the Kingdom by saying “all you gotta do” in reference to a prayer that doesn’t even exist in scripture. Maybe the invitation instead is “all you get to do”.
lemonAID
I strongly believe that faith that works has to start at home; in our personal lives, in our families. I must not outsource my personal responsibilities to church leadership. Pastors and youth pastors are integral parts of our lives but as the priest of my home, it is absolutely my responsibility to lead in these areas. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord kind of thing.
One idea to join this movement is the lemonAID coming up in May. We’re planning to do ours on Memorial day, but it’s perfectly OK if you feel like you should do yours on another day due to travel plans or other conflicts in the schedule.
The idea is simple. Set up a lemonade stand in your neighborhood and donate all the proceeds to Conduit Mission. We’ll put the money to immediate use in Haiti, Africa and right here in Middle Tennessee at Place of Hope (www.placeofhope.us) I know I say this all the time but we give away over 96% of the money that comes in. The majority of that 4% that we spend is actually credit card/ paypal fees that we pay on donations that come in.
If you’re looking for a teachable moment with your kids, something to do with your youth group, something for you and the roommates, the band, or whatever I think this is a perfectly simple way to make an impact immediately.
For every .50 glass of lemonade it could feed a kid in Haiti for a day. Not a bad way to spend a few hours. I’ve had a few responses from folks who plan to join us, if you are for sure wanting to do this, please contact me at dtyler@platformmanagement.com or on my facebook. We’re going to put together a list of everyone participating.
We’ve got some collateral materials being put together for you to use at your stand. If anyone has any killer recipes for lemonade send those on too. Madi has suggested adding cookies to the stand and we’re planning on doing that as well.
All money raised will go immediately to work clothing and feeding our brothers and sisters in need. Conduit Mission is a 501C3 and all donations are 100% tax deductible. I hope you’ll pray about it, and hope you’ll join us.
See you tomorrow.
Darren
www.darrentyler.com
www.conduitmission.org
We’re back for Conduit tomorrow night at Journey Church in Building 8 in the Factory. We’ll be meeting at 7:30pm. We’ll start our conversation about the law. Could you recite the 10 commandments? Do you think you even should? Have you tried to go for a period of time and not break any of them? How’d that work out? I’m good on the not murdering or adulterating. I’m sucking on coveting, the Sabbath, and idolatry.
Friday, April 17, 2009
lemonAID: James 2
Shannon and I seem to have made a critical parenting error when we encouraged our kids to read and expand their minds. Some day I’m going to write a book about all the stuff that other parenting books left out and right there above “choose to like foods and candy that your kids don’t like so you don’t have to share” will be “don’t encourage your kids to be smart until they’re much older, say around 18.”
In the middle of the umpteenth conversation about why Madi isn’t going to get a cell phone just because “all” her friends have one, my 12 year old informed me that I am being “unresponsive to her needs”. I kid you not. Nothing like getting stung with a well worded rebuttal from a 12 year old with an expanded vocabulary.
I felt like I had hit pay dirt when her friend Sarah said that she didn’t have a cell phone nor did she want one. I informed her of this news feeling like I had scored the winning blow in this cell phone spar. She told me: “Dad you just told me that I shouldn’t be basing my decisions on what my friend are and aren’t doing. Why are you saying that because Sarah doesn’t want one that I shouldn’t.” Touché
As a parent living in Williamson County Tennessee I find myself in this sort of constant struggle of trying to make sure my kids have enough, but at the same time aren’t losing a grip on reality. When I informed my children that daddy got his first cell phone when he was 23 years old AND that it came in a handy carrying case that it had to remain attached to, they were completely baffled.
I definitely feel at times that we’re losing this battle. Eight year old Ashleigh found out that her friend got the “new” Nintendo DS and even though hers is less than a year old it was eating her heart out that she didn’t have it. After all, it had a camera! She had it all planned out that we could take her DS to Game Stop and trade it in and that if we traded in some games with it we could get $70 towards the new one that was, well, considerably more than $70. She was so genuinely put out with me that she had planned to put her DS and some games in a zip lock bag and leave it out for the Easter bunny with a note asking for a trade in from him.
Cell phones, video games, problems solved by the Easter bunny?
I’m well aware that if my children are losing a grip on what matters and what really counts then this is a parenting problem, not a child problem. My kids are not jerks. They’re not rich kids by American standards, and yet they are being introduced to thoughts, processes, and desires that are elicited by living in the one of the wealthiest counties in the richest nation on earth. Williamson County is a great place to raise kids, a great place for them to be safe and protected. But sometimes I have to ask, protected from what?
As a parent I spend every morning driving them to school because it gives me a guaranteed 20 minutes for daddy to talk with them, ask probing questions, and proactively teach my kids the Word. I utilize that time wisely, but I get the feeling that is not quite enough.
I think what I’m missing most is that I am giving my kids an academic lesson, but it’s just that academic. How many lessons can I say that I have learned in life that came from “hearing” it.
Maybe that’s why the bible says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) It also says faith without works is dead. (James 2:20) And what are the works? Going to church every Sunday? Tithing? Singing loud during worship? Nope. Not that there is anything wrong with those things but that statement from James is the crescendo of the 19 verses before talking about serving the poor.
I’ve read a statistic that says the vast majority, upwards of 85% of teens who grow up in the church, will walk away from their faith in College. Maybe it’s because their faith is dead? Maybe the reason it’s dead was that the works we are instilling in them aren’t the works that God Himself is calling us to.
One of the things that I love about my home church, Journey Church is that once a month we are serving the community instead of “going to church” on Sunday mornings. We’ve been doing it for 4 months now and at least once a month I get a chance to have a real life “works lesson” with my kids to invigorate their faith.
In our conversations with the kids, we came up with this idea of doing a lemonade stand to raise money for Conduit and our friends in Haiti, Africa and Place of Hope here in Middle TN. Like most God ideas it sort of grew and unfolded as we talked about it. We realized that this is a simple thing that other people, families, etc could do in their own hometown, neighborhood, etc.
It’s pretty easy to set up, and not very time consuming. Jesus said his yoke was easy and his burden was light. (Matt 11:30)
So I would like to invite you all to join us on Memorial Weekend for our first LemonAID.
We’re going to be setting up a LemonAID stand in our neighborhood. It’s the first weekend the pool is open and it’s always a super high traffic day. The stands need only be open 3-4 hours total. My kids will be manning (or girling it as the case may be).
We’ll send you collateral materials for making a sign, etc. There will be prizes awarded for the stands that make the most money, most creative designs, etc.
All money raised will go directly into The Conduit and right out into Haiti, Africa and Place of Hope right here in Middle, TN. Conduit is a 501(C)3 and should anyone actually donate more than the cost of the lemonade it’s fully tax deductible.
We’re building a home in Haiti right now that is literally almost finished. There are folks in Place of Hope whose lives are torn apart by addiction being put back together through the power of Christ. Our effort that day is one way to be a part of it. Our armies on the front lines are nothing without the supply lines
If you are compelled to join us, please email me. We’ll be putting up a list on the website of those who are helping. We’d also like to get pictures, videos, stories, etc from that day to share with others.
If you’re a parent with kids, if you’re a youth group, or anyone else this is something easy to be part of.
Hope to hear from you!
Darren
www.conduitmission.org
www.darrentyler.com
In the middle of the umpteenth conversation about why Madi isn’t going to get a cell phone just because “all” her friends have one, my 12 year old informed me that I am being “unresponsive to her needs”. I kid you not. Nothing like getting stung with a well worded rebuttal from a 12 year old with an expanded vocabulary.
I felt like I had hit pay dirt when her friend Sarah said that she didn’t have a cell phone nor did she want one. I informed her of this news feeling like I had scored the winning blow in this cell phone spar. She told me: “Dad you just told me that I shouldn’t be basing my decisions on what my friend are and aren’t doing. Why are you saying that because Sarah doesn’t want one that I shouldn’t.” Touché
As a parent living in Williamson County Tennessee I find myself in this sort of constant struggle of trying to make sure my kids have enough, but at the same time aren’t losing a grip on reality. When I informed my children that daddy got his first cell phone when he was 23 years old AND that it came in a handy carrying case that it had to remain attached to, they were completely baffled.
I definitely feel at times that we’re losing this battle. Eight year old Ashleigh found out that her friend got the “new” Nintendo DS and even though hers is less than a year old it was eating her heart out that she didn’t have it. After all, it had a camera! She had it all planned out that we could take her DS to Game Stop and trade it in and that if we traded in some games with it we could get $70 towards the new one that was, well, considerably more than $70. She was so genuinely put out with me that she had planned to put her DS and some games in a zip lock bag and leave it out for the Easter bunny with a note asking for a trade in from him.
Cell phones, video games, problems solved by the Easter bunny?
I’m well aware that if my children are losing a grip on what matters and what really counts then this is a parenting problem, not a child problem. My kids are not jerks. They’re not rich kids by American standards, and yet they are being introduced to thoughts, processes, and desires that are elicited by living in the one of the wealthiest counties in the richest nation on earth. Williamson County is a great place to raise kids, a great place for them to be safe and protected. But sometimes I have to ask, protected from what?
As a parent I spend every morning driving them to school because it gives me a guaranteed 20 minutes for daddy to talk with them, ask probing questions, and proactively teach my kids the Word. I utilize that time wisely, but I get the feeling that is not quite enough.
I think what I’m missing most is that I am giving my kids an academic lesson, but it’s just that academic. How many lessons can I say that I have learned in life that came from “hearing” it.
Maybe that’s why the bible says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) It also says faith without works is dead. (James 2:20) And what are the works? Going to church every Sunday? Tithing? Singing loud during worship? Nope. Not that there is anything wrong with those things but that statement from James is the crescendo of the 19 verses before talking about serving the poor.
I’ve read a statistic that says the vast majority, upwards of 85% of teens who grow up in the church, will walk away from their faith in College. Maybe it’s because their faith is dead? Maybe the reason it’s dead was that the works we are instilling in them aren’t the works that God Himself is calling us to.
One of the things that I love about my home church, Journey Church is that once a month we are serving the community instead of “going to church” on Sunday mornings. We’ve been doing it for 4 months now and at least once a month I get a chance to have a real life “works lesson” with my kids to invigorate their faith.
In our conversations with the kids, we came up with this idea of doing a lemonade stand to raise money for Conduit and our friends in Haiti, Africa and Place of Hope here in Middle TN. Like most God ideas it sort of grew and unfolded as we talked about it. We realized that this is a simple thing that other people, families, etc could do in their own hometown, neighborhood, etc.
It’s pretty easy to set up, and not very time consuming. Jesus said his yoke was easy and his burden was light. (Matt 11:30)
So I would like to invite you all to join us on Memorial Weekend for our first LemonAID.
We’re going to be setting up a LemonAID stand in our neighborhood. It’s the first weekend the pool is open and it’s always a super high traffic day. The stands need only be open 3-4 hours total. My kids will be manning (or girling it as the case may be).
We’ll send you collateral materials for making a sign, etc. There will be prizes awarded for the stands that make the most money, most creative designs, etc.
All money raised will go directly into The Conduit and right out into Haiti, Africa and Place of Hope right here in Middle, TN. Conduit is a 501(C)3 and should anyone actually donate more than the cost of the lemonade it’s fully tax deductible.
We’re building a home in Haiti right now that is literally almost finished. There are folks in Place of Hope whose lives are torn apart by addiction being put back together through the power of Christ. Our effort that day is one way to be a part of it. Our armies on the front lines are nothing without the supply lines
If you are compelled to join us, please email me. We’ll be putting up a list on the website of those who are helping. We’d also like to get pictures, videos, stories, etc from that day to share with others.
If you’re a parent with kids, if you’re a youth group, or anyone else this is something easy to be part of.
Hope to hear from you!
Darren
www.conduitmission.org
www.darrentyler.com
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Conduit April 13- Shame
Sherry Morris has an incredible story. She was molested at 5, survived a drug overdose at 13, she was raped at 15, was pregnant at 17 and again at 22, both pregnancies ended by abortion. It wasn’t her desire. However, she was pressured by others that it was the right thing to do at the time. From there she had more relationships that were bad, used drugs to escape the spiral her life was on. She married and divorced in less then a year. Then she got pregnant again. Just like before, she was encouraged that abortion would be the best thing, but this time it was different. She was stronger. She chose life.
She gave birth to a son, and named him Jason. Many of you know Jason. Around Conduit we call him J. He is the smooth creamy dancing machine from the Haiti Ball that has been leading worship at Conduit for the past couple of months.
Sherry made the decision to follow Christ in a rehab facility in 1988. The questions of what to do with the guilt and the shame are part of her story. It’s powerful because that’s a truth that all of us deal with on different levels. It’s recorded in Genesis that Adam and Eve felt no shame. We can’t imagine what that must feel like. It was Eden. It will be again, but in the meantime it’s a very real emotion that some of us battle with more than others.
These are emotions Paul must have dealt with. I wonder how many times Paul ran into the families of Christians he had personally executed before his conversion. How difficult it must have been to forgive himself. Shame is a powerful emotion that takes hold of your thought life. Perhaps that’s why it’s Paul that told us about “taking every thought captive”. (2 Cor.10:5) It’s something he probably had personal experience with.
Sherry is doing exactly what Paul said he did. 2 Corinthians 1:4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
Today, Sherry works for an organization called Healing Hearts Ministries. It is an International Ministry, which is currently located in Bonney Lake, Washington. It was formed to provide Biblical counseling and Christian ministry to individuals who suffer emotionally and spiritually from the pain, trauma and afflictions of their past, not forsaking it’s original calling to minister hope and healing to women and men who have been afflicted by the sin of abortion.
A couple weeks ago I wrote to you that our story, the story of what God has done and is doing in our lives is one of the best apologetics for our faith in Christ. It was true for Moses, it was true for Paul and it is true for Sherry Morris it’s true for you and I. Monday night we’re going to get a front row seat to just such a story. We’re going to get to meet Sherry Morris AKA “J’s Mom” as she shares with us what God has done and is doing in her life.
In other news, the Hezlep’s are back from the Everlife European tour. I’m hoping for lots of great Europe stories from Jeremy and Amber. It felt like something was missing while they were gone. I guess it’s because there was. It’ll be good to see them back.
We’re rapidly approaching our trip to Haiti. We leave from Nashville on April 30. My trip is paid for, but I encourage you to pray about helping out with an extra gift for our brothers and sisters in Haiti. In Nashville we talk a lot about “doing lunch” with each other. Maybe you can do lunch with our friends in Haiti. For $15 you can feed a child for a month. A month of “doing lunch”. You can do that at www.conduitmission.org.
Remember we are a 501C3 nonprofit organization and any gift that you give is fully tax deductible. Also remember that we are a conduit and not a lake. The money you give is sent into the front lines at the end of every month. We have very little operating expenses and were able to give away 96.5% of all money that came in. You can see a full record of our finances at our Facebook group. It’s posted publically for everyone to see.
I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be fantastic. I can’t wait to hear what God has to say through Sherry Morris. Monday night at 7:30pm.
Blessings,
Darren
PODCASTS: The podcasts are up to date at www.darrentyler.podomatic.com and on itunes.
She gave birth to a son, and named him Jason. Many of you know Jason. Around Conduit we call him J. He is the smooth creamy dancing machine from the Haiti Ball that has been leading worship at Conduit for the past couple of months.
Sherry made the decision to follow Christ in a rehab facility in 1988. The questions of what to do with the guilt and the shame are part of her story. It’s powerful because that’s a truth that all of us deal with on different levels. It’s recorded in Genesis that Adam and Eve felt no shame. We can’t imagine what that must feel like. It was Eden. It will be again, but in the meantime it’s a very real emotion that some of us battle with more than others.
These are emotions Paul must have dealt with. I wonder how many times Paul ran into the families of Christians he had personally executed before his conversion. How difficult it must have been to forgive himself. Shame is a powerful emotion that takes hold of your thought life. Perhaps that’s why it’s Paul that told us about “taking every thought captive”. (2 Cor.10:5) It’s something he probably had personal experience with.
Sherry is doing exactly what Paul said he did. 2 Corinthians 1:4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
Today, Sherry works for an organization called Healing Hearts Ministries. It is an International Ministry, which is currently located in Bonney Lake, Washington. It was formed to provide Biblical counseling and Christian ministry to individuals who suffer emotionally and spiritually from the pain, trauma and afflictions of their past, not forsaking it’s original calling to minister hope and healing to women and men who have been afflicted by the sin of abortion.
A couple weeks ago I wrote to you that our story, the story of what God has done and is doing in our lives is one of the best apologetics for our faith in Christ. It was true for Moses, it was true for Paul and it is true for Sherry Morris it’s true for you and I. Monday night we’re going to get a front row seat to just such a story. We’re going to get to meet Sherry Morris AKA “J’s Mom” as she shares with us what God has done and is doing in her life.
In other news, the Hezlep’s are back from the Everlife European tour. I’m hoping for lots of great Europe stories from Jeremy and Amber. It felt like something was missing while they were gone. I guess it’s because there was. It’ll be good to see them back.
We’re rapidly approaching our trip to Haiti. We leave from Nashville on April 30. My trip is paid for, but I encourage you to pray about helping out with an extra gift for our brothers and sisters in Haiti. In Nashville we talk a lot about “doing lunch” with each other. Maybe you can do lunch with our friends in Haiti. For $15 you can feed a child for a month. A month of “doing lunch”. You can do that at www.conduitmission.org.
Remember we are a 501C3 nonprofit organization and any gift that you give is fully tax deductible. Also remember that we are a conduit and not a lake. The money you give is sent into the front lines at the end of every month. We have very little operating expenses and were able to give away 96.5% of all money that came in. You can see a full record of our finances at our Facebook group. It’s posted publically for everyone to see.
I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be fantastic. I can’t wait to hear what God has to say through Sherry Morris. Monday night at 7:30pm.
Blessings,
Darren
PODCASTS: The podcasts are up to date at www.darrentyler.podomatic.com and on itunes.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Conduit April 6: Once Upon A Time...
I’ve known Mike Pappas for a long time. For several years he was the general manager of a sweet club located in downtown Minneapolis called Club 3 Degrees. Under Mike’s tutelage the bands on my roster enjoyed several sold out shows and the ease that comes from a deftly executed event.
Some time ago Mike told me that he grew up in downtown Minneapolis. Knowing that Mike was a cool guy who could borderline pull of those calf high pants that were in fashion circa 2004 I had immediately envisioned him in Minneapolis’ version of NYC in a condo with super cool parents and a nanny.
I was lifting weights with Mike the other day and started asking him questions about his downtown living. I couldn’t have been more wrong. He did in fact live downtown but he did so because his parents bought a duplex and operated it as a safe haven type ministry for inner city kids. Mike had grown up in a world where he had been stabbed, shot at, and witnessed several of his young friends lives ended early by violence. All before he was 18.
Instead of living in a high rise condo and going to prep school, Mike was side by side with kids whose lives were in danger, and his parents fought a seemingly losing battle to save them. That is Mike’s story, and it made me respect him and was in awe of parents faith that was so strong that they did the opposite of what I have done and moved their family closer to the inner city, not further away. God truly did move in their lives.
In Exodus 18 Moses father in law Jethro showed up. Moses told him what happened in Egypt and their escape. Like any great story there were life and death situations, there were insurmountable odds, an underdog that came out on top, and a hero who saved the day. (a hero named Jehovah) Blown away by what he had just heard, Jethro replied: “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods” (exodus 18:11). Moses didn’t try to close the deal with Jethro with excellently worded arguments for faith., he simply told him his story.
Paul did this in Acts 22. He was being arrested and asked for a chance to speak to the people in Jerusalem. He uses the phrase “this is my defense”. The word defense in the Greek is apologia from which we get our word apologetics. When I think apologetics I think of smart guys like Josh McDowell or Lee Strobel. These are great men who have forgotten more stuff than I’ll ever know and have done some amazing things for the Kingdom.
It’s interesting to note that Pauls “apologia” or defense wasn’t to prove the existence of Jesus or the resurrection through intricate arguments and logic, instead Paul tells his story. Here’s what happened to me. Here is how God changed my life. Here is what Jesus did in me.
Just a few chapters earlier in Greece Paul stood up and gave an excellent sermon with culturally relevant arguments. He tied in the names of the Greek gods and used intellectual arguments to prove their inadequacy in the face of Jesus. It is one of the best sermons in history from a purely historical and well written format. And yet, the response was at best underwhelming. No church was started there.
Perhaps that’s why he opens up his letter to the church at Corinth saying that I have not come to you with “eloquence or superior wisdom” but rather he came to them with “Jesus Christ and him crucified”. (2 Cor. 2:1) The story of Jesus was Paul’s story. It ought to be my story too. Maybe Paul learned a lesson that day.
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus appeared to two disciples. They didn’t recognize Him at first until He took them through the prophecies that pointed to who He was. Suddenly their eyes were opened. (Luke 24) To you and me that is a theological apologetic proving the validity of Jesus. To Jesus however, and think about this, that was His story. He was sharing His story with them. And that opened their eyes.
We all have them. We all have a story; a story that is still being written. The medical diagnosis, the tragedy, a relationship that didn’t work out, the job that ended as well as the relationship that did work out, the new job you just got, the recovery. Now that I’ve gotten a little bit of life under my belt I have come to understand that each one of those things that didn’t kill me not only made me stronger, it is one more page, one more chapter in my story.
Growing up in church we had testimony time. Testimony is just a very spiritual sounding term for a story of God coming through. I wonder if there’ll be testimony time in heaven. Someone would stand up at the front of church and tell their story. It would resonate with us, it would encourage us, it would bolster us. That’s something we could use more of.
We’re all a sucker for a story with a happy ending, and Heaven is full of happy endings of life here on earth. Revelation 19 records that we’ll be around the throne saying “righteous and true are your judgments”. (rev. 19:2) In other words, right on God, you got it right. I can almost imagine each and every person there getting their turn to tell their story, their redemption and salvation and then our response, simply put is “right on God, you got it right.” That was a nail biter, I didn’t know how that one would end, but the Hero really did save the day.
When I’m facing difficult circumstances, when I’m facing insurmountable odds, I’m in perfect position for a big story. The news of what happened to Israel managed to travel all the way to Jethro with no internet, no cable news, and no phones. A story that amazing has to be told.
(for those thinking of sending me an email, I’m not trying to downplay the importance of good doctrine, rather I’m trying to play up the power of what God moving in your life. It’s not just an academic exercise, it’s God being real and relevant in yours and my lives. )
Your story is your best apologia. If you’re like me and you’re not a big time smart person with lots of eloquent arguments for faith. That is really great news.
In Revelation John also talks about a book of life in which are recorded names. It’s a book full of names. Each name represents a life lived, a story that unfolded. Our ending life here on earth is really just the completion of our story this side of heaven. Mike Pappas name and story are there. Mine is, and I pray yours is too.
John also records that one day He’s going to give me a new name. One that only He and I know. I think it’s He’s going to give me a new name. a new story that will start then. Until that moment, embrace the story that God is writing called “Darren Tyler” or “Mike Pappas” or whatever your name is.
Tomorrow night is Exodus 19. Israel’s collective story is unfolding in a Mountain called Sinai. You might remember a little something called the 10 commandments. We’re getting warmed up, quite literally, for that.
We meet on Mondays at 7:30pm at Journey Church in Franklin. Hope you can join us.
Blessings,
Darren
BE A PART:
$15 feed a child in Haiti for a month. Be a part of their story and have them be a part of yours. you can donate online at www.conduitmission.org. We are a Conduit and not a pond; the money flows right through. By this time next month it'll be feeding children in Haiti who have no other means to support themselves.
BROADCAST:
It’s been fun to have folks joining us from all over on www.mogulus.com/conduit it’s not fancy or high tech but it seems to work. Maybe some day we’ll invest in some foliage and televangelist hairstyle for me. In the meantime if you can join us, we start the webcast at 7:30pm Central.
Some time ago Mike told me that he grew up in downtown Minneapolis. Knowing that Mike was a cool guy who could borderline pull of those calf high pants that were in fashion circa 2004 I had immediately envisioned him in Minneapolis’ version of NYC in a condo with super cool parents and a nanny.
I was lifting weights with Mike the other day and started asking him questions about his downtown living. I couldn’t have been more wrong. He did in fact live downtown but he did so because his parents bought a duplex and operated it as a safe haven type ministry for inner city kids. Mike had grown up in a world where he had been stabbed, shot at, and witnessed several of his young friends lives ended early by violence. All before he was 18.
Instead of living in a high rise condo and going to prep school, Mike was side by side with kids whose lives were in danger, and his parents fought a seemingly losing battle to save them. That is Mike’s story, and it made me respect him and was in awe of parents faith that was so strong that they did the opposite of what I have done and moved their family closer to the inner city, not further away. God truly did move in their lives.
In Exodus 18 Moses father in law Jethro showed up. Moses told him what happened in Egypt and their escape. Like any great story there were life and death situations, there were insurmountable odds, an underdog that came out on top, and a hero who saved the day. (a hero named Jehovah) Blown away by what he had just heard, Jethro replied: “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods” (exodus 18:11). Moses didn’t try to close the deal with Jethro with excellently worded arguments for faith., he simply told him his story.
Paul did this in Acts 22. He was being arrested and asked for a chance to speak to the people in Jerusalem. He uses the phrase “this is my defense”. The word defense in the Greek is apologia from which we get our word apologetics. When I think apologetics I think of smart guys like Josh McDowell or Lee Strobel. These are great men who have forgotten more stuff than I’ll ever know and have done some amazing things for the Kingdom.
It’s interesting to note that Pauls “apologia” or defense wasn’t to prove the existence of Jesus or the resurrection through intricate arguments and logic, instead Paul tells his story. Here’s what happened to me. Here is how God changed my life. Here is what Jesus did in me.
Just a few chapters earlier in Greece Paul stood up and gave an excellent sermon with culturally relevant arguments. He tied in the names of the Greek gods and used intellectual arguments to prove their inadequacy in the face of Jesus. It is one of the best sermons in history from a purely historical and well written format. And yet, the response was at best underwhelming. No church was started there.
Perhaps that’s why he opens up his letter to the church at Corinth saying that I have not come to you with “eloquence or superior wisdom” but rather he came to them with “Jesus Christ and him crucified”. (2 Cor. 2:1) The story of Jesus was Paul’s story. It ought to be my story too. Maybe Paul learned a lesson that day.
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus appeared to two disciples. They didn’t recognize Him at first until He took them through the prophecies that pointed to who He was. Suddenly their eyes were opened. (Luke 24) To you and me that is a theological apologetic proving the validity of Jesus. To Jesus however, and think about this, that was His story. He was sharing His story with them. And that opened their eyes.
We all have them. We all have a story; a story that is still being written. The medical diagnosis, the tragedy, a relationship that didn’t work out, the job that ended as well as the relationship that did work out, the new job you just got, the recovery. Now that I’ve gotten a little bit of life under my belt I have come to understand that each one of those things that didn’t kill me not only made me stronger, it is one more page, one more chapter in my story.
Growing up in church we had testimony time. Testimony is just a very spiritual sounding term for a story of God coming through. I wonder if there’ll be testimony time in heaven. Someone would stand up at the front of church and tell their story. It would resonate with us, it would encourage us, it would bolster us. That’s something we could use more of.
We’re all a sucker for a story with a happy ending, and Heaven is full of happy endings of life here on earth. Revelation 19 records that we’ll be around the throne saying “righteous and true are your judgments”. (rev. 19:2) In other words, right on God, you got it right. I can almost imagine each and every person there getting their turn to tell their story, their redemption and salvation and then our response, simply put is “right on God, you got it right.” That was a nail biter, I didn’t know how that one would end, but the Hero really did save the day.
When I’m facing difficult circumstances, when I’m facing insurmountable odds, I’m in perfect position for a big story. The news of what happened to Israel managed to travel all the way to Jethro with no internet, no cable news, and no phones. A story that amazing has to be told.
(for those thinking of sending me an email, I’m not trying to downplay the importance of good doctrine, rather I’m trying to play up the power of what God moving in your life. It’s not just an academic exercise, it’s God being real and relevant in yours and my lives. )
Your story is your best apologia. If you’re like me and you’re not a big time smart person with lots of eloquent arguments for faith. That is really great news.
In Revelation John also talks about a book of life in which are recorded names. It’s a book full of names. Each name represents a life lived, a story that unfolded. Our ending life here on earth is really just the completion of our story this side of heaven. Mike Pappas name and story are there. Mine is, and I pray yours is too.
John also records that one day He’s going to give me a new name. One that only He and I know. I think it’s He’s going to give me a new name. a new story that will start then. Until that moment, embrace the story that God is writing called “Darren Tyler” or “Mike Pappas” or whatever your name is.
Tomorrow night is Exodus 19. Israel’s collective story is unfolding in a Mountain called Sinai. You might remember a little something called the 10 commandments. We’re getting warmed up, quite literally, for that.
We meet on Mondays at 7:30pm at Journey Church in Franklin. Hope you can join us.
Blessings,
Darren
BE A PART:
$15 feed a child in Haiti for a month. Be a part of their story and have them be a part of yours. you can donate online at www.conduitmission.org. We are a Conduit and not a pond; the money flows right through. By this time next month it'll be feeding children in Haiti who have no other means to support themselves.
BROADCAST:
It’s been fun to have folks joining us from all over on www.mogulus.com/conduit it’s not fancy or high tech but it seems to work. Maybe some day we’ll invest in some foliage and televangelist hairstyle for me. In the meantime if you can join us, we start the webcast at 7:30pm Central.
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