This Week's Teaching | Prayers

Click image to watch

​Our culture lusts for certitude as if it bolsters truth. It must make us feel more secure. Like, if we believe something hard enough, it must be true. Or, at least, we can claim it as "my truth." And if anyone wants to challenge us, we can use certitude like a billy club to shut up our critics — including our inner critics.

But certitude is just as apt to make a display of foolishness as it is to reveal brilliance. In fact, it would appear that many use it to short-circuit difficult conversations or the tedious process of critical thought. 

It's easy to see it in politics, but does it not also describe the theological conversations that have long divided the Church? Certitude asserts itself as faith and knowledge, but what if it's more like lust than faith? What if it's a desire for certainty where God wants mystery?

Certitude means "absolute certainty or conviction that something is the case," typically about things that can't be proven. That can describe faith to a certain extent, which the Bible calls "confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." (Hebrews 11.1) Let that describe our certainty and conviction about the essential things. But when it comes to opinions about peripheral things where the Bible is vague, ambiguous, or silent, we need to practice meekness, gentleness and humility — and with confidence that what God has said is enough.

1 Corinthians 4.6 says "Do not go beyond what is written." The context of that is to stop dividing the church around different teachers and leaders. It certainly applies to our context. 

Let's renew that conviction. Start being aware of how much you crave certitude. Name it and renounce it. Choose conviction about foundational truths, and allow humble curiosity about all the other things — but stay humble and gentle in it. If we give ourselves to this, the light will shine brighter on those truths that are essential.

Amen. 

Pray for the ministry of X242. Pray that in 2023 we are able to minister the gospel in new communities through the planting and encouragement of new microchurches. Pray for wisdom and discernment.
​
Pray for those who are sick and in need. May it be said of us that "there were no needy persons among them."

Amen!

This Week's Teaching | Prayers

Click image to watch

I believe that if you commit to sowing these three investments this year, they will reap greater love, joy, and peace in your life. Now, to be clear, these aren't "the gospel," but they are "of the kingdom." What I mean is, you won't find these three things commanded in scripture. But you can find them bearing good fruit in the lives of people who take them seriously. And "by their fruit you will recognize them."

When Paul was giving counsel about something in 1 Corinthians 7, he was careful to clarify which was the Lord's command and which was his own judgment. He said, "The Lord, not I," and "I, not the Lord." But he also said with confidence that he was speaking as one who by God's mercy was trustworthy.

​I hope you hear this in the same way. If I speak with any authority in this week's teaching, it's the authority of God's wisdom, even if not with his direct command. And I believe that, by God's mercy, the counsel is trustworthy. You will do well to make these three investments. 

I'll let the video explain the details, but the three investments are as follows:

1. Daily Scripture
2. Microchurch
3. Spiritual Direction

If you're already part of our X242 network, you're already doing the second investment. If you're not yet in a microchurch, do it! You will not regret it! And especially if you also do the first and third.

Blessings for 2023!

Pray for the ministry of X242. Pray that in 2023 we are able to minister the gospel in new communities through the planting and encouragement of new microchurches. Specifically, pray for God to move in the following states where I believe there is a credible interest. Pray that a door to effective ministry would be opened, and that we would be positioned to respond well to it.

1. Arizona
2. Florida
3. Indiana
4. Kansas
5. New York
6. North Carolina
7. Ohio
8. Oregon
9. Pennsylvania
10. Tennessee
11. Virginia
12. Washington
13. Wisconsin

​
Also remember those among us who are sick and in need. May it be said of us that "there were no needy persons among them." In fact, already this week we've been able to help a widow with her pressing need. James 1:27 in action.

Amen!

Weekly Encouragement

Click to watch

As I reflect on our simple way of being church, I'm reminded how "simply" God came to earth.

Sure, the angels announced his birth, and "wise man came from afar," and even the prophets predicted his coming. But when he came, it wasn't with a great display of power amplified by pomp and circumstance. It was in a "display" of weakness, the simplicity of a baby who came into the world, no doubt, crying with his first human breath.

He could have come already grown, even as a theophany as he did in the Old Testament. But instead he came in actual human form, to live all the way from birth to death. God became a simple human baby to live our full human condition, and yet, he was fully without sin. He did this to redeem us as one of us.

Our God became a baby for us. That decision makes it easy to overlook, easy to have reasonable doubt. But when we fall to our knees to worship him, we see him for who he is. And there we fulfill our searching. There we find reason to hope.

Years ago I wrote a song about that, and for this week's teaching I decided to bring it in song. I trust it finds you well. 

​Merry Christmas,

This Week's Teaching | Prayers | Christmas Meetup

Click above to watch

When I have a hard message to bring, I try to go slow and make sure that it's not just a personal pet peeve or nitpicky criticism. Likewise, when I feel the urge to soften a hard message, I want to make sure it's to help it be heard, and not just to be more likable. It's easy to err in either direction.

Not only does that concern apply to my process in the above teaching, it also applies to its message: Our tendency to form golden calves out of the things we value, and then worship them as representative of God, is more prevalent than we like to admit. And unfortunately, there's no shortage of preachers and teachers who will custom form those golden calves for us, just like Aaron did for the people of Israel when they asked him to.

In this teaching we look at Exodus 24 and 32 to see the story of Aaron's sin. And then we relate it to Paul's warning in 2 Timothy 3 and 4 about picking teachers who form their messages around what we want to hear. My goal isn't to cast aspersion on preachers, but to encourage you to know the scriptures, and to "learn not to go beyond what is written." (If you missed the first two teachings on this topic, catch up here and here.)

Our X242 way of studying the scriptures conversationally has been so wonderful. It's in such conversations that we "test the prophecies" and make sure our own convictions aren't just personal opinions. And it's where we learn to stop fighting about doctrines that go beyond what is written. It's where we devote ourselves to the apostles' teaching.

Our goal is to know what the scriptures say, not just what preachers and teachers say they say! And that includes anything I say. I'm honored to open the word to you. But I'm even more honored to open it with you.

If you know of anyone who would like help learning how to do this, please help us connect. No matter where they live.

Prayers for each of you as you devote yourself to the apostles' teaching, getting rid of any "golden calves" you've accepted. That will make more sense as you listen above.

Peace and grace,

• Pray for the X242 Network. Keep praying for our microchurch hosts and leaders, and for new church plants, that our ministry would be an encouragement to all who need it.
• ​Pray for the disconnected believers in your life — those who are not in regular, intentional, spiritual fellowship with other believers. Pray that God would put it in their heart to reconnect in those ways, and that we would be able to help them.
• Pray for the unbelievers in your life — those who either have never believed or stopped believing. Pray that God would stir up faith, hope, and conviction in them. Pray that you'd have the opportunity to give a reason for the hope you have.
• Pray for those who are sick and in need. May it be said of us that "there were no needy persons among them.​

This Week's Teaching | Prayers | Christmas Meetup

Click above to watch

Whenever you catch yourself quoting a preacher (or pastor or podcaster or meme), ask yourself whether you can say the same thing by just quoting scripture. 

If you can't, that doesn't mean the preacher is wrong. It probably just means that it's a constructed opinion, synthesized from a variety of sources. If those sources are all scripture, it's probably a strong opinion. But if those sources are other people's constructed opinions about scripture, it is a weaker opinion. It's farther from the true source. And if those other people's constructed opinions are synthesized from unbiblical sources, it is a dangerous opinion.

I believe the church's pulpits and podcasts are filled with weak and dangerous opinions.

That's why I believe it's so important that we learn to go back to the scriptures, to read them personally and in small conversational gatherings like we're doing with X242 (and like I taught last week). This devotion keeps us from being led astray by fancy thinkers and eloquent speakers. And it helps us to say Amen with a reasoned conviction when we come across fancy thinkers and eloquent speakers who speak a biblical truth!

In fact, I want to be sure to say this clearly: This isn't to cast aspersions on preachers. Not at all. Preachers are called by God to preach the gospel. Jesus was a preacher. The apostles were preachers. And I personally feel the weight of what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:16, "Woe to me if I don't preach the gospel."

But the church has become too fascinated with, and dependent upon, preachers as their primary source of God's word. And from that fascination, it seems we've lost discernment. We've become tolerant of three sins:

1. The sin of Diotrephes
2. The sin of Peter
3. The sin of Aaron

I explain the first two in this week's teaching, and plan to explain the third next week. So, open your bible to the following scriptures and read along as you watch/listen above:

• 1 Corinthians 4:6
• 3 John 1:5-11
• Galatians 2:5-12

With conviction and hope.

• Pray for the disconnected believers in your life — those who are not in regular, intentional, spiritual fellowship with other believers. Even if they're good people, sincere in their faith, doing their devotions regularly, and listening to preachers and worship music and podcasts, etc., pray that they would recognize their need for being in spiritual conversation with other believers. Pray that the Holy Spirit would stir up in them this desire. And pray that you would have opportunity to recommend what we are doing in X242.
• Pray for the unbelievers in your life — those who either have never believed or have stopped believing. Pray that God would stir up faith in them. And hope. And conviction. And pray that you would have opportunity to be the voice of faith and hope and love to them.
• Pray for those who are sick and in need. May it be said of us that "there were no needy persons among them."
• ​Pray for the X242 Network. Keep praying for our microchurch hosts and leaders, and for new church plants.

This Week's Teaching | Prayers | Christmas Meetup

Click above to watch this week's teaching

Many Christians have a habit of reading devotionals to help them feel close to God or grow in their faith. What others have written can be helpful. Absolutely. Just like listening to preachers and teachers can be helpful.

But if you only read devotionals or listen to preachers and teachers, you're missing out on something better.

Hands down, the best "devotional" is probably something you already have: Your Bible. And the best thing you can do to have a good relationship with God is to spend time in scripture and prayer. I know that's intimidating to a lot of people, but just think of it as a conversation. Get to know him through private conversations where it's just you and God, listening and talking.

But still, just doing our private devotions isn't enough. We need to know God in conversation with others, studying the scriptures and praying together. This is the beauty of what we're doing in X242! When we have that conversation with others, it expands our perspective and we learn new things!

I say more in the teaching above. And I use an illustration of something I experienced last week in two different microchurches. I wonder if you've had similar experiences.

Open your Bible to the following scriptures as you watch/listen above:

• Acts 9
• Galatians 1
• 1 Corinthians 6

Prayers for you as you apply yourself to these things!

• Pray for the disconnected believers in your life — those who are not in regular, intentional, spiritual fellowship with other believers. Even if they're good people, sincere in their faith, doing their devotions regularly, and listening to preachers and worship music and podcasts, etc., pray that they would recognize their need for being in spiritual conversation with other believers. Pray that the Holy Spirit would stir up in them this desire. And pray that you would have opportunity to recommend what we are doing in X242.
• Pray for the unbelievers in your life — those who either have never believed or have stopped believing. Pray that God would stir up faith in them. And hope. And conviction. And pray that you would have opportunity to be the voice of faith and hope and love to them.
• X242 Network. Keep praying for our microchurch hosts and leaders, and for new church plants. 
• Health & Provision. May it be said of us that "there were no needy persons among them."

This Week's Teaching | Prayers

Click to watch this week's teaching

Scripture tells us not to quench the Holy Spirit's fire. That can apply to spiritual fervor or zeal, like being "on fire!" But most of us aren't trying to extinguish our enthusiasm about God. If anything we wish we had more, not less. So it doesn't make sense that Paul would warn us not to quench our enthusiasm about God.

There's another way to hear this that makes more sense. Rather than being "on fire for God," we can think of being "in the fire of God." Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would bring conviction about sin and righteousness and judgment. The Spirit's conviction is like a consuming fire, burning away what doesn't belong. The flames can be fanned through hardship, or prophecy, or even just an inner witness. It's tempting to put out the fire of conviction by downplaying it or resisting it. But when we learn to live in the fire, we experience the fullness of God in our lives!

Devote the next half hour to considering whether you are quenching the Spirit. Watch the teaching above with your bible in hand. Then ask God, "Show me any areas in my life where I am quenching your Spirit." And if he shows you anything, stay in the fire until you have been consumed by him.

Scriptures references in this week's teaching:

• 1 Thessalonians 5.19
• Exodus 24.17
• Deuteronomy 4.24
• Hebrews 12.29
• Luke 3.15-17
• John 16.7-11
• 1 Thessalonians 1.5-6
• Ephesians 4.30-5.20

• X242 Network. Keep praying for our X242 network of microchurches. Pray for our microchurch hosts and leaders. Pray for new church plants and for the people who desperately need to be connected to God through this simpler way of being church. Specifically ask God for miracles of healing and rebirth. 
• Health & Provision. Pray for those among us who are sick and in need. May it be said of us that "there were no needy persons among them."
• "Sam," Himalayas. Thank you for praying for "Sam" last week. He tells me that God is answering our prayers for protection from those who were actively targeting them for persecution. The threat is always there. So please continue to pray for safety and courage and provision in his travels to explain the gospel to an illiterate and impoverished people.
• Israel microchurches. Keep praying for the network of microchurches in Israel, that doors are opened for the gospel to be heard and received. Pray for the witness of peace and unity among Israeli and Palestinian followers of Jesus.

Thank you to those who support X242 financially. It helps us to help others. 

This Week's Teaching | Four Things to Pray For

Click to watch this week's teaching

Where are those with the gift of healing?

​I've had wonderful conversations with people who believe it's always God's will to heal. I also hear that some believers believe God never heals, but I've never had a serious conversation with anyone who holds that view. For me personally, where I land is that God can heal and does heal, but that he doesn't always heal — unless, of course, you include getting our resurrection bodies as an ultimate healing.

I totally believe the resurrection is our ultimate healing. But honestly, in conversations about whether God heals, the "ultimate healing" answer usually feels like the wild card that we play as a last resort. But maybe that's okay. In fact, if we allow "ultimate healing" as a possibility, we can plead with one voice, asking and believing for God's best in every situation. 

But for those of us who lean skeptical, it's good to be reminded that "ultimate healing" is not the only healing. Not only did Jesus heal blind people and deaf people and lame people and dead people, one time he also healed Peter's mother-in-law of a fever. God cares and desires for us to be healthy. That should be a core belief, ahead of debates about when and how he heals, and whether he allows suffering.  

I believe God still heals these temporal bodies, even ahead of our ultimate healing. Part of that is just what he does every day.

We tend to forget about this ongoing miracle of creation, where he has designed these bodies to heal themselves! Amen and Hallelujah. We should thank God everyday for that.

But technically, it's not a miracle, if "miracle" means something that doesn't happen naturally. Healing is just something that our bodies do naturally for almost our entire lives. It's just natural.

But then one day they don't heal.

And that's when we cry out for God's supernatural intervention. That's when we gather people for prayer. That's when we lay on hands. That's when we ask him to do what the natural isn't doing. And that's what I believe God still does.

Sometimes he heals supernaturally through our collective prayers. We are all called to this. But I also believe he has gifted some people with a spiritual gift of healing. 

But to our shame, we usually put such healers in cages or on stages. We either tell them to settle down and be normal (put them in cages). Or we make celebrities of them (put them on stages). Both should be ugly to us.

In my spirit, I believe God is calling for a new sending out of normal people with the spiritual gift of supernatural healing. And I believe the Holy Spirit is especially crying out for those who need no hyped up special event. What if the gift of healing looked more like a social visit than a concert? I've heard many stories where healing like that happens. I know some of us are having such conversations when we gather. It's good to tell the stories.

I believe God is calling for this in our times, and churches like ours that have stepped off the stage are especially situated to receive this expression of God's love. And that's what I'm asking for in this week's teaching.

As you watch this week's teaching above, open your bibles so you can follow along:

• Romans 12:3-9
• 1 Corinthians 12:4-31, and 14:1

• Pray for "Sam," the pastor we helped buy winter coats to give out to poor children in the Himalayas. He is being targeted with a severe threat of persecution. Where he lives that can include sanctioned violence as well as imprisonment and fines. Pray for an angelic host to surround him and all those he ministers to. Pray for safety and courage in his travels. And pray for his enemies who are persecuting them, that they would put their faith in Jesus.
• Pray for a minister in Israel who has a small network of microchurches, and is relating to our network. Pray that doors are opened for the gospel to be heard and received. Pray that it would be said in Israel what was said in the early days of the church, that "many of the priests became obedient to the faith" and "many were added to their number." 
• Pray for our own X242 network of microchurches, that the gospel would grow in our midst, and that we would be ready to respond to the call to plant new churches. Pray for me (please) as I am in active discernment about how best to encourage and support the planting and nurturing of microchurches wherever there is interest.
• Pray for those among us who are sick and in need. May it be said of us that "there were no needy persons among them."

​Amen!

This Week's Teaching | SRQ Meetup | Compassion | Call to Prayer

Click to watch this week's teaching

Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? How you answer that question depends on what you were taught, or not taught. There's a lot of confusion about it. And there's a lot of division around our opinions.

I love that our network includes people from different teachings and customs. Some of us have had charismatic experiences and answer the question from that perspective. Others of us have been taught a more theological response to the question and give that answer. I think the conversation is most rich when we slow down and listen, without arguing about who has the right answer, or who has the Holy Spirit.

Recently the church that meets at my house was studying in Acts and we had such a conversation. I found it moving. It was a safe place, but I always feel the tension that most people experience with it. We've all felt judged by others and others have felt judged by us. But when we slow down and listen to each other's stories — I'm talking about the stories of those who have experienced the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in their life — when we listen to each other's stories we find a common theme: Surrender. And we celebrate a common witness that is greater than sign gifts or theological statements. We see how the Holy Spirit is actively transforming us through the daily decisions to live what think of as a surrendered, holy, spiritual life.

When that is true in your life, you can answer the question with humility and confidence: Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Yes, today I am living a surrendered, holy, spiritual life in the name of Jesus.

That's what this week's teaching is about. And here's the scriptures so you can follow along in your Bible as watch above.

• ​Acts 19:1-7
• 1 Corinthians 12:29-31

Because of your generosity, we've recently been able to help a single mom with rent, and are helping an elderly couple with necessary repairs to make their mobile home inhabitable again after Hurricane Ian. We also have an Amazon wish list for a family who lost everything. Since it lists their names, I don't want to link it here publicly. Please email me if you'd like to help personally and I'll send it to you.

Father, we pray for those among us who are sick, and for those who have sick loved ones. Hear our prayers. Heal their bodies. Have mercy. Speak the word of healing over them.

Lord, we pray for those among us who are struggling to fully trust you. Show yourself to them as we open up the scriptures, and share life together. Show yourself to be good, loving, and powerful. May the name of Jesus be highly honored among us, and take its rightful place in their hearts as they are baptized into the Way.

Lord, fill us each with your Holy Spirit. Renew our devotion to you. Renew our resolve. As we lay down our lives in joyful surrender to you each day, may we be renewed in every way. Make us holy, renew us spiritually. Yes Lord, may we live surrendered, holy, spiritual lives in the name of Jesus.

Father, remember those who are still trying to put their lives back together after losing so much in the recent hurricanes. Answer their prayers. And lead us to those we can help in tangible ways.

We pray peace for the cities in which we live. And we lift up our brothers and sisters throughout the world who risk everything to follow you, and especially those who risk all to explain the gospel under great threat.

Lord Jesus, come quickly.

Amen.

This Week's Teaching | SRQ Meetup | Call to Prayer  

​Click to watch this week's teaching

If we follow the world's ways, we will hate our enemies. We'll fight against them, pay them back wrong for wrong, and cheer when they get what they deserve. And it will feel sensible, like the right thing to do. To be sure, Christians are on the side of justice. God will repay everyone according to their choices, and we will rejoice that his judgments are always right. But those who follow the way of Jesus learn to do something so radical it's almost unimaginable. In this week's teaching we attempt to imagine it. We look at Stephen's final words as he's being martyred. He prayed, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." What if you prayed that for your enemies, and God answered it?

As you watch/listen above, follow the scriptures below in your Bible.

• ​Acts 7:58-60
• Luke 23:34
• Luke 6:28-36
• Romans 12:14-21

• As the U.S. feels the political divisions this election week, pray that God's "kingdom would come and his will would be done on earth as it is in heaven." Pray that we would be known by our love for the Lord, for each other, and for our neighbors. Pray that our conversations would be filled with grace, seasoned with salt, ready to give an answer for the hope we have in these last days.
• Pray for the global Church, and especially those who are suffering persecution. Pray for those risking their lives to explain the gospel to those who haven't heard yet. Pray that they would proclaim it fearlessly and effectively. Pray that many would come to faith.
• Please keep praying for those in our network who are discerning their first steps in planting a microchurch. Pray that their conversations would be fruitful, and that we would know how to encourage and strengthen them.

Amen!