Facing Your Fears While Chasing a Lion

For the past two weeks, our college Bible study group has camped out in the third session of our book, Chase the Lion by Mark Batterson.  The title of the study comes from a story in 2 Samuel 23:20-23:

Benaiah son of Jehoiada was the son of a brave man from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits.  Benaiah killed two sons of Ariel of Moab, and he went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.  He also killed an Egyptian, a huge man.  Even though the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went down to him with a club, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and then killed him with his own spear.  These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who had a reputation among the three warriors.  He was the most honored of the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three.  David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

We have been talking about facing our fears, because if we’re not careful, our fears will become huge lions that take over our lives.

I don’t care how battle-tested or battle-scarred you are.  I don’t care how crazy or courageous you are.  You don’t come face-to-face with a 500-pound lion without experiencing sheer terror.  But one thing sets lion-chasers apart – they don’t run away from the things that scare them.  Normal people don’t chase lions, but lion-chasers aren’t normal.

Lion-chasers chase their fears. (p. 45)

Has God put something in your path that you would rather run away from?  You can run away, you can go kicking and screaming (not a pretty sight, no matter what your age), or you can run straight toward the thing that you fear and face it head-on.

What fears are you facing, and how will you respond today?

 

Chasing the Lion

We began our fall Wednesday night schedule at YCBC this week … and what a schedule it is!  We begin at 5:00 with supper, and end our worship choir rehearsal at 8:30.  We pack as much as we can into a few hours!

For the next six weeks, part of that schedule will include Chris teaching a Bible study for our college students.  For this session, he chose a book titled Chase the Lion: Stepping Confidently into the Unknown by Mark Batterson.  We are meeting at 6:30 on Wednesdays, and would love to have anyone in the “college and career” age range join us!

This week, we looked at the introduction to the study:

The world is full of cautious and prudent people who will live fine, long lives.  But chances are if you spend your life in an attempt to eliminate risk, uncertainty, and fear you will miss out on some of the most amazing experiences a person can have with Jesus.

Your greatest regret at the end of your life will be the lions you didn’t chase.  You will look back longingly on the risks not taken, opportunities not seized, and dreams not pursued.  Stop running away from what scares you, and start chasing the God-ordained opportunities that cross your path. (CTL, p. 10)

What lions are in your path today?  Will you join us in chasing the lions?

 

“Sex and the City Uncovered: Exposing the Emptiness and Healing the Hurt” by Marian Jordan

In Sex and the City Uncovered: Exposing the Emptiness and Healing the Hurt author Marian Jordan uses the popular television series “Sex in the City” as a reference point for some of the issues faced by single (and married) young women in today’s culture.

In the book, she discusses the ways that many young women seek to find their self-worth in relationships, careers, money, clothing, appearance, alcohol, sex – and helps them come to the conclusion that none of these things will bring the lasting happiness and joy that they seek.  Only a relationship with Jesus Christ can fill the emptiness in their hearts.

Founder of Redeemed Girl Ministries, Marian knows first-hand that this kind of lifestyle does not lead to true happiness because she tried living that way herself.

I would recommend this book as a good resource for those seeking to minister to young adult women today, as well as a resource for those who find themselves trapped in a life that seeks to find approval from the world.

 

Women’s Ministry and Young Adult Women

We know that many young women in their 20s and 30s are not particularly attracted to the “traditional” way of doing women’s ministry – which is great and fine, but yet I still believe that the topic of biblical womanhood is best taught and applied in the context of women teaching women.

So … I’ve been praying and struggling with ideas for several months as to how a “new” way of doing women’s ministry would look to this age group.  I don’t really have any firm answers yet, but I am excited to tell you that a young woman in our church e-mailed me this week with a real burden for many of the issues faced by the other women in our age group, and with a desire to help work with this group of women.  Praise the Lord!

We hope to meet together in the coming weeks to share ideas with one another, but this is completely a step in the right direction!  I think that God is going to do wonderful things through the women of our church, and I can’t wait to see what happens!

 

Young Women and Biblical Womanhood

I have been searching for resources to help young adult women understand the concept of biblical womanhood, and I am coming up short.

Where can I find the future Elisabeth Elliot and Nancy Leigh DeMoss?  What leaders, speakers, and writers in their 20s and early 30s are actively seeking to model to and teach their peers about a biblical understanding of what a woman is to be in her home and family?

Please don’t misunderstand me.  I know the value of older, godly women passing along the legacy of biblical womanhood to those of us who are younger.  I have been listening to Nancy Leigh DeMoss’s current radio series on Titus 2, and I am learning a lot from her this month.  Yet, I know that she is primarily talking to the older women in the audience.

One good blog that I read is girl talk, written by Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters.  They give a good balance of older women teaching younger women, and how the younger women are to respond.

Marian Jordan and Redeemed Girl Ministries were recently recommended to me.  I am anxiously awaiting her book to be delivered by our friendly USPS.  Once I’ve read it, I’ll give a report.

If you are involved with leading women or young adults, do you have some good, new resources to share in this area?  If so, please pass them along!

 

Orlando and Threads Connect Conference

I mentioned last week that Chris and I would be attending the Threads Connect Conference in Orlando – which we did.  We had a great time.  And we met some great people.  In fact, the conference really has me thinking over some things about the way we “do church” today, and what “church” may look like 20 or 30 years from now.

The breakout sessions at the conference covered three main themes – community, responsibility, and depth.  I can’t possibly summarize everything in a brief post here, but I do want to mention a few things that really spoke to me.

Community

This conference focused on trends among young adults today, ages 18 to 34 years old.  We desire to “do life together,” as Jason Hayes said.  Community is not only geographic, but relational.  Community needs to encourage honesty, authenticity, and the freedom to ask questions.

We must minimize church jargon.  Many young adults today have never been introduced to the church.  We should provide an atmosphere where it is okay to ask questions.

Community includes letting people grow in their walk with the Lord, or discipleship.

Mike Harder talked about four aspects of a healthy Christian community: 1) fellowship, friendship, and relationship; 2) Bible study; 3) prayer; and 4) food.

Mike also talked about how Jesus modeled these aspects of community with His disciples.  First, He taught them spiritual Truth, and then they saw how He applied that Truth.  Second, He gave them opportunities to minister and to serve.

We are a generation that wants close relationships in an increasingly disconnected world.  We who are in the church must make sure that the opportunities to form those relationships exist there.

Responsibility

We are a generation that wants to know that our lives are making an impact on the world.

Social action is increasingly important to young adults, as we have increased awareness to the needs around the world.

We must teach young adults that Jesus ministered to both spiritual and physical needs, and we must do both as well.

Participating in missions together often builds bridges among generations, and continues to foster that sense of community through shared experiences.

Depth

Michael Kelley defined “depth” as not equal to the level of information, but equal to the encounter of the information.

There is an emphasis on story rather than on fact, mystery rather than logic, and change rather than stability.

We must move from an information model to an exploration model of teaching a lesson.  We want to explore the text together rather than be lectured.

We must move from admiration to identification.  We must acknowledge that we all struggle in the same ways.  Life is not a sitcom that is wrapped up neatly in 30 minutes.

We who are churched need to be equipped to stand for Truth in a world that is not doing that.  Those who are unchurched will not make uninformed decisions to follow Christ.  So, we must teach the whole counsel of Scripture.

Young adults are interested in theology, apologetics, worldviews, other religions, and other difficult topics.

The conference speakers encouraged us to teach the entire Bible.  Foster discussion.  Address tough topics.  Memorize scripture.  Give the responsibility for spiritual growth to both leaders and learners.  We must provide strong exegetical Bible teaching.  We must sing theologically sound music.  Substance is more important than form.

Chris and I were both challenged about the way that we approach our young adult ministry at Yellow Creek.  We were challenged to be creative in the ways we work to build community.  We know to continue teaching the Bible in strong and relevant ways.

I have been thinking about the implications of these and other trends that were discussed last week, and the impact that young adults will have on the greater evangelical world as they mature and eventually become leaders in their churches.  There’s a lot here to think through and process.

Ed Stetzer has an interesting new book coming out in October – Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and Churches that Reach Them.  Ed also spoke at the conference about some of his findings, and I think that this book will be a must-read for pastors who are serious about reaching the next generation.  I am looking forward to reading it myself.