Community Matters

The deep longings we have to know and be known by true friends, comes from God. We were created for community. Small groups is where we experience Bible Study, Community, and Care. Jesus is the bread of life, but it is His community that serves it to us.


Here’s the text of the message:

It was the Sunday before Thanksgiving in 2010. I had been without a job for almost a year. It had been a hard year and probably the worst of it wasn’t financial but the toll that it took on my own sense of worth. I had been beaten down and struggled every day to recognize that Jesus was all that I really needed. I focused on Him and had some truly incredible moments, but I also had some of my darkest moments during that time. Anyway, that Sunday night we were home doing nothing, I mean, we didn’t have much to do. We had cancelled internet and couldn’t afford anything really. But there was a knock at the door, so I went and answered it. Outside the door was a crowd of people singing Christmas carols, but they weren’t just carolers. They were our friends. Friends from other cities and other states. Friends from next door. Friends from our church, our small group, and from churches we served years before, old students from my youth ministry days. These were not just people. They were “our people.” Miranda and I stood with our kids in our arms and tears in our eyes. As they finished singing, one of them said, “Steve, Miranda, we know you’ve had a difficult year, but wanted you to know that you aren’t alone. We’re here for you. One of them gave Miranda a brown paper bag and then they all took turns greeting us individually sharing their lives and hearts with us as they dropped money and checks into the bag. We got to experience this little community of God’s people “being the church” for us that night. It was humbling, but amazing! Later that night one of my friends reminded me, “Steve, we could have sent you the money. This wasn’t about the money. We knew you needed more than that. We wanted to be with you guys. We wanted you to know we were hurting for you and we may have been miles away, but we have been going through this with you. We’re here for you.” He was right.

Guys, in all honesty, I don’t know where I’d be today if I had continued down the path I was traveling. They were dark times for sure, but we weren’t alone. Even when it felt like it. Jesus saw us, His people. He knew the condition of my heart and heard the desperation in my prayers. He knew my heart ‘cause He created it. We thought we were alone, but “our people,” “Jesus’ people,” a community of Christ followers – They were with us. Praying for us, Lovingly pulling for us, scheming and secretly planning to show up for us. We were never alone because Jesus was working to stir His people on our behalf. He had a plan to use His people, the church.

You see, we were made for community. We like to think that we are independent and strong and that we don’t need anything or anyone. Our culture especially tells men that this is what it is to be a man – to be tough and rugged and strongly independent. Our culture celebrates radical individualism and the self-made person. But our culture is wrong. There’s a dark side to this kind of individualism. It’s called loneliness, and the US Surgeon General called it a “social epidemic.” This radical individualism and device empowered isolation are both contributing to our mental health crisis. There’s really no getting around it. We need each other.

We are created for community. From the core of who we are, we long for it. When God created the world and everything we know, He would create something and then proclaim that it was “good.” Light, good. Land, good. Plants, good, Heavens, good. Animals, good. He proclaims everything good – until He creates man. With Adam, God says for the first time, “It is not good.” It’s not good for man to be alone. That’s when He created Eve.  God created us to be in community. I mean, really God Himself is a community. The Tri-une God, 3-in-1. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are their own community. And we were created “in His image.” We long for community ‘cause He created us that way.

God’s design for His people to be in community can be traced all throughout the Bible, all the way to Jesus. He spent most of His time with a community Himself, a small group. It’s 12 guys.

Real community is found in Jesus ‘cause He alone can offer the forgiveness that is needed for us to have real connections and offer real grace to real people.  

Think about your own life. It’s crazy how much we long for someone to truly “see” us. From the time we were just children, we’d yell from the playground. “Mom! Look at me!” And it has just continued into adulthood. We want to be known, and to be loved just as we are. We want people to love us in spite of our shortcomings. People who will accept us like we are, but also want more for us. People who see our potential and believe in us. People who will lead us to grow and be challenged and improve.

We want all of this, but we’re also deeply afraid of it. We think that if people really know us, there is no way that they’d love us. We think we’ve got to keep certain parts of our lives hidden away and out of sight. However, we’ve got to learn to be bravely vulnerable. The Brazos Pointe core value is: Authentic Living over Maintaining Appearances. I know it can be intimidating because our deepest wounds come from relationships, but we’ve got to remember that so do our greatest joys and deepest healing. They come on the other side of our vulnerability.   

So. . . here we are. We’re made for community. We know we need it and we even long for it, but what do we do?

Many seek community in other activities – sports teams, clubs, social media, political organizations. Really anywhere people gather represents some way that people are seeking connections. Unfortunately, these all fall short. None of them can offer the forgiveness that we have in Jesus and that’s the only way we can have true relationships. God has designed us for much more than any of these other activities can offer and He has given us the church, His people, to satisfy that longing.

So what does a community of Christ followers look like?

Turn with me to Acts 2:42-47. (5th book of the NT – just after the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts.) Now to be clear, Randy shared a message on these verses about a year ago as a part of the Acts series we’ve been working through, but it’s just too good not to return to it today. These verses describe how Christ followers interacted with each other in their community just after His ascension – when He left the earth. It also describes what our community should look like.  As the Discipleship Minister here, this describes my dream, my vision for small groups where we can all truly experience the church, and learn to be the church for one another. It’s a place that calls us to grow and become, but also to know and be known. Sunday mornings just aren’t as effective at that. If you come to worship every Sunday, but are still disconnected, then you’re missing something. If you think you’re too busy, I’m sorry but you’re wrong. I get it. I’ve been there and I’ve made those mistakes. (I even stood in front of you guys and shared about it a few weeks ago.) But speaking from experience, there is a price to pay. If you’re too busy, then you’d be better off letting go of something else than missing out on what Jesus has for us in community. Small groups create a perfect place to truly experience God’s people and to practice our faith, building spiritual muscles, reflexes, and habits.

Look with me:

Acts 2

42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Now let me point out a few things here.

First of all, notice verse 44. It says, “All the believers were together.” and had everything in common. It doesn’t say they “met” together or that they “came” together. It says they “were” together. I think this is talking about physical proximity, but I think it’s more than that. It describes a “togetherness” that goes beyond location and speaks of their hearts. They were working out their faith together. They were likeminded and found ways to be in agreement – unified by Jesus. They had been apart, but now in Jesus, they have become “together.” I mean, we can be “with” someone and not be “with” them, right?!?! I can be with someone physically, but not with them emotionally or intellectually. Man, I’m not even always “with” Miranda, my wife when we talk about it this way. She loves Gilmore Girls. I’m definitely not “with” her. She doesn’t like Seinfeld so she’s not “with” me either. We don’t share that bond, but we do have a deeper bond in Jesus.

I actually believe this statement about the first Christ followers is one of God’s most amazing miracles! These people were from vastly different walks of life. They had opposing views on lots of issues, but they were still “with” each other. Can you imagine a group of democrats and republicans who are “with” each other? “Jesus over everything.” Right?!?! In Jesus, it is possible. We can find unity. Though we were apart, we can be “with” one another. As a matter of fact, if we are with Christ, abiding in Him, we are already “with” one another. This is community. This kind of “withness” is our goal here at BPF, and our vehicle for getting there is small groups.      

Now, Brazos Pointe emphasizes three primary activities in our groups. Bible Study, Community, and Care. We can see all of these in this passage. Let’s consider the 1st of these activities: Bible Study.

Now, Vs 42 says they were “devoted to the apostles’ teaching.” These teachings have become what we know now as the Bible today. In their time together, the Bible was central. It guided their lives. Their “withness” was found as they gathered around God’s Word, and they worked to both understand and obey it together. They didn’t just show up and learn and then walk away feeling proud of what they knew. No! They were dedicated to working it out and to living it out.

James 1:22 says “Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

If you look closely at the Acts passage, it’s clear that they set up daily habits. It says they “continued” to do these things and it actually uses the word “daily.” They were practicing rhythms intentionally so they could live as they understood Jesus’ call on their lives. They knew that knowledge alone wouldn’t shape and form them, but small, obedient decisions repeated over and over were the key. It would take practice, effort, work, and intentionality. We’ve got to make conscious, calculated, and deliberate decisions about our own spiritual growth and our communities, or we will end up aged infants just big just babies.

The 2nd primary activity in a BPF small group is Community. Vs 42 says they were devoted “to fellowship.” Being together. Enjoying one another. They were committed to each other everywhere they went too. We see them together in public spaces like the temple studying the Bible, but it also says in vs 46, that it continued when they went home. It says they did this every day. Man, these guys couldn’t get enough of each other. And they couldn’t get enough of the Bible either. It was an obsession. Jesus compelled them to one another. Community, life together, “withness” was a habit and a rhythm that was growing in their lives, and the longer they practiced it, the deeper those roots became. Their community preferred the craziness of a crowded life with Jesus’ people over the solitary life of independent living. They made a good choice.

US Surgeon General said that isolation is worse for your health than 15 cigarettes/day.

Christian author, John Ortberg summed up a 7000 person study saying, “Researchers found that the most isolated people were 3 times more likely to die than those with strong relational connections. People who had bad health habits such as smoking, poor eating habits, or obesity or alcohol use, but strong social ties, lived significantly longer than people that had great health habits, but were isolated.”

Andy Stanley piggybacked on this saying, “It is better to eat Twinkies with good friends than to eat broccoli alone.” 

In addition to the Bible, history, science, and sociology all point to our need for community and the dangers of isolation. We were made for community.

The last of our 3 primary small group activities is Care. Vs 45 says they sold their possessions to care for “anyone who had need.”  I think that means they made sacrifices to care for the annoying people, and the ones who always seemed to need a little extra grace. It means people who are democrats and people who are republicans. It means people who are rich & poor, sick or healthy. It even means people that we don’t like. , . or people who are simply not like us. They took care of everyone.

Galatians 6:2 – “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

I love this verse. We can fulfill the law of Christ (that’s love) by helping others. “Fulfill” is a big word. And the “law of Christ” is a monumental task, but in one simple act, we can get ‘er done.

Now, I’ve been in churches for most of my life and when we hear about people going through struggles, we like to say, “I’ll pray for you.” We like saying that ‘cause it makes us feel better and sounds all spiritual, but how often do we actually pray? Sometimes what people really need is someone to come over with a truck and help them move their couch. Prayer is important and good, but a kind word, a shoulder to cry on, your presence at a hospital, a smiling face behind a coffee cup. . . man, sometimes these are the things that make the biggest difference. It’s been almost 15 years, and I’m still talking about people showing up in my front yard. By the way, these are the kinds of things that become simple and come naturally when we have the right kinds of relationships with people – when we have taken the time to truly invest in people and work over time to build a history with them. You’d probably stand in someone’s yard like that if you were close to them. You wouldn’t skip a hospital visit if it was your child in that bed. We fall over ourselves and make all kinds of sacrifices to attend the weddings of people that are close to us. When you have these kinds of relationships, you show up. And they show up for you. It’s just what you do. In a real community you are both one who has needs, and one who fills needs. One who cares and one who is cared for.

All of this is to say that here at BPF, we want you to have real community, and that can only be found among God’s people. We believe that it’s important to:

  • Be “with” other Christ followers
  • Be Devoted to Bible Study
  • Practice intentional habits for growth
  • Be committed to Christ following Community
  • Care for Others

Small groups are a place where God can work His greatest miracles through Bible Study, community and care. It’s the place where lives are forever changed – where people can know and be known, support and be supported. It’s where God’s people become the family that we were created for.  

We aim to create small groups that are interconnected communities of love and depth in a world of hyper-individualism, loneliness, and superficiality. We believe that practicing Christ-following community is stronger than the world and its’ influence. We may not be perfect, but we believe we’ve got some amazing groups who are true examples of the kind of community that Jesus has called us to.

 However, we must choose to be a part of it. It won’t happen by accident. It won’t happen simply because you chose it once, sometime in your past either. This is a choice we must intentionally make each and every day.

If you aren’t currently connected, I’d encourage you to find a way to get connected. I know your schedules are crazy, so I’m not asking you to do something more. I’m asking you to do something different. You may have to say NO to other things in order to say YES to Christ-following community. If you’ve been in a group before or are close to someone who is, join that group. If life forced you out for a season, jump back in. Don’t get comfortable in your isolation. If you’re new or don’t have other connections, the “Rooted” experience is the place to start. It’s a discipleship class designed to build connections around the Bible with some experiences to practice what you learn.

My wife, Miranda and I walked into a “Rooted” group at the beginning of this year and wondered if we were going to make any real connections, but just a few weeks in, we knew we had found some new friends. Our group will be a part of the kickoff event next Sunday and will begin meeting as a regular small group the following week. Here’s the thing though. We’re not just meeting. We became friends during “Rooted” and we have had a couple of other gatherings this summer just so we could stay connected. We seek each other out on Sundays and share what some might consider an annoying (but fun) text feed, but we love it. Our group is looking forward to being together again. It’s not just a meeting. It’s a gathering of friends. This is our hope and our prayer for you as well. Get in a “Rooted” group if you don’t have a small group. Talk to myself or Erin Wilson at the Next Step center in the foyer. You can also sign up for a Rooted class using the QR code on the seatback in front of you.

One last thing: I really want to be clear. I am not asking you to get involved in a group because we need more people in groups. I’m urging you cause I know that God created us for community, and I have found it. I know how much of a difference it has made in my life. I’m not special either. I honestly don’t know anyone in real community who isn’t grateful for it. I’m just “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.” Like bread, community fills, and satisfies, sustains us, and gives us life. Now to be clear, Jesus is the bread, but it is community, God’s people, who serve it to us. (by the way, if you think you have community somewhere outside of Jesus, it’s not bread that they are serving you.)

We need people who will stand in our yard and we need to stand in the yards of others. I’m just grateful for what I’ve experienced and I want you to experience it too. Community is what the church is all about ‘cause we come to know Jesus through His people. We hear echoes of His voice and see demonstrations of His love through His people. Community is where we experience the hands and feet of Jesus. 

AMEN

Community Group

adults2We just got back from a little trip with our Community Group (or “Life Group” as they will be called soon) and so I’ve been reflecting on some of our times together:

I love this group. We play together, serve together, worship/learn/grow together, and just do life together. They have been there for us in both good and bad times. Don’t get me wrong – cultivating these relationships hasn’t been easy. We’ve all worked at being intentional and made sacrifices, but in the end, it’s definitely worth it.

In general, we just enjoy being together and find ways to be together. I don’t think it matters what we’re doing near as much as just being together. In doing so, we “rub off” on one another and begin to share memories/experiences which shape us. Even our parenting skills are influenced as we watch how everyone else “does” it. These are the people I consciously choose as “influencers” in our lives and I will protect those relationships.

kidsHere are just a few of the things we’ve experienced together so far:

  • Before my son Kasen had surgery earlier this summer, the kids from our group gathered around him and prayed for him. In this one act, they were an example for taking our burdens to the Lord. Their faith gave him more courage and their little prayers communicated their love and support for him. They taught him that God is in control and his faith was strengthened as he witnessed God answering those prayers.
  • When my truck broke down, one of the guys in our group came to my house to help with repairs – truly an answer to prayer. I’m not good with this sort of thing, but my friend is. This is how the body of Christ should function – each one offering his own gifts.
  • Some of them showed up to support me on the night I was leading a fundraiser for another organization I’m involved in. One of them actually serves on the board.
  • We volunteer together at the Pregnancy Help Center and work to be a blessing to one of our local schools. We also serve at our church together by cleaning the building and working behind the scenes.
  • The girls celebrate birthdays together and the men hang out and see movies together. We plan “Date Nights” together. Our kids play on the same soccer teams.
  • We go on trips/retreats together – Jellystone and Livingston.
  • We spontaneously decide to do things together – bike rides to the park for picnics.
  • We spend time praying for each other and study the Scriptures together. We have worked our way through a few books (Respectable Sins, The Praying Life) as well as sharing our own life stories with one another.

Prayer:
LORD, Thank you for giving these people to us. They are instruments in Your hands to help keep our family on track. When they speak, I often hear Your voice. When we’re together I sense Your presence and know You are near. When we’re together, I feel safe to ask questions and wrestle with what it means to live as You have called us. These relationships give us opportunities to practice living out this call to love one another and I must admit that sometimes it can be difficult. I’m so grateful that You brought them to us and pray that You will continue to draw us into deeper relationships that will push us deeper into our relationship with You. AMEN.

 

 

Right Now Conference

right nowMiranda and I went to Dallas last weekend for the Right Now conference. It was a perfect way to get away and refocus ourselves on God. It just seemed like a good time to get away to think and dream and pray and talk about our future a bit. At this time in our lives, with our future so up in the air, we know we’ve probably got some tough times ahead of us. We wanted to use this time so that we could enter this time as healthy as possible so we can be more prepared for whatever the future holds. The conference helped us to get confirmation about a few things and God used many of the speakers to really encourage us on a deep level.

right now2Here are some of the quotes I wrote down from the conference: (They may not be exact quotes – some are, but some are ideas expressed by the speakers which I wrote down as closely as I could.)

“If people follow you, will they get to Christ?” – Tim Ross

“Is there anybody in your church who is your written epistle?” – Tim Ross

“Small group = the purest form of the church. And the church exists for the world. Therefore, our small groups should exist for the world. Why do we build them for the benefit of the church?” – Alan Danielson

“Jesus’ small group met on the streets, in the bars, everywhere they went. It was the exception, not the rule to meet in a home.” – Alan Danielson

“If we aren’t traders, we are traitors to God.” – Alan Danielson on trading in the american dream for God’s.

“Leaders lean in to their strengths.” – Heather Zempel

“We like leadership where we can act as travel agents who sit in their offices and make decisions for others, but we should be more like tour guides who travel with their students.” – Heather Zempel

“I like the term ‘editor’ better than ‘accountability.’ Editors look for the good stuff and improvements as well as mistakes.”  – Heather Zempel

“Carrots that reproduce have to stay in the ground an extra year. Farmers have to leave their best carrots in the ground. Stay planted so you can reproduce.” – Heather Zempel

“Lead with your ears.” – George Barna quoting Ken Blanchard

“I never learned anything talking.” – George Barna quoting Lou Holtz

“Leadership is about bringing the danger with you.” – George Barna quoting Erwin McManus

“Get them out of their comfort zones and believe in them more than they believe in themselves. Anyime you push an individual toward greatness, it’s because you believe he or she is capable of greatness.” – George Barna quoting Lou Holtz

“Scripture doesn’t say anything about a middle road. It’s clear there’s a narrow road and a broad road, but no middle.” – Francis Chan

“Imagine the fellowship you’d have if you were actually able to be crucified and suffer next to Jesus – looking Him in the eye as you suffer together.” – Francis Chan

“It doesn’t matter how many people are in a church or how great the worship is. God asked for a family – a body. That’s what we should strive for.” – Francis Chan

“There are ways to do church that no one has thought of yet.” – Mark Batterson

“Unbelief = putting circumstances between you and God. Faith = putting God between you and circumstances.” – Mark Batterson

“Neurology shows that the older you get, most people shift from right brain thinking to left brain thinking over time. Kids don’t have much experience stored in the left brain, so they live their lives in their imaginations.” – Mark Batterson

“God doesn’t fit in our left brain!” – Mark Batterson

“Don’t let an arrow of criticism pierce your heart unless it first passes through the filter of Scripture.” – Mark Batterson quoting Erwin McManus

“Sometimes criticism from a poor source should be received as a compliment. Sometimes a compliment is a criticism.” – Mark Batterson

“You’ll never be more than 80% certain.” Mark Batterson quoting Andy Stanley

“9 times out of 10 the answer to our prayer will come out of nowhere.” – Mark Batterson

“Compassion (International) is helping rescue us from the poverty of wealth.” – Anne Jackson

“The most Christian thing I’ve ever done is to give.” – Anne Jackson quoting Francis Chan

“A generous heart is never foolish.” – Tim Ross

“We may live like we’re gonna die tomorrow, but we should learn like we’re gonna live forever.” – Mark Batterson

“Like a watchman on a wall, prayer lets us see what other people can’t see.” – Mark Batterson on Col 4:2

“If it doesn’t seem crazy then God might not be in it.” – Mark Batterson

Small Group Trader Article

SmallGroupTraderSmallGroupTrader.com (sgt) has published another article that I wrote. It’s truly an honor to be able to write for them. They have a great vision for creating and providing resources for small group leaders and are really doing some innovative things. (Check out the free video training clips for small group leaders.) It’s taken many years of full-time ministry to become the leader that I am, and yet I can do a little research on their site and see all kinds of ways that I can improve. Some of the best names in the church world (particularly the small group world) are represented there and I feel blessed to be able to be a part.

This latest article is titled: “Practical Ways to Connect as a Group” I tried to give a little theory and a few specific ideas for building community in a small group setting. The original idea came from a sgt (small group trader) list of “needed” articles. The request was “How do I Help my group Gel?” The final edit was done by the sgt folks.

You can also check out my bio here: Steve Corn Bio or a couple of the other articles I’ve written: Leadership is Service or I Don’t Know What we Should Study

I’d also encourage you to check out a small group guru and Miranda’s lifelong family friend Heather Zempel while you’re there. She’s got some great articles on sgt, an incredible blog, and has even written a brand new small group resource called Sacred Roads which was published earlier this month.

Some of the other people on sgx that we really like to keep up with include:
Mark Batterson
Tommy Nelson
Andy Stanley
Mark Driscoll
Chris Seay
Rob Bell
Todd Phillips

Tents & a 1½-Yr-Old

100_5471

OK – he’s only 16 months, but close enough. Kasen loves tents! When we go to the Bass Pro Shop, one of his favorite things to do is to run in and out of all the display tents.

Our small group went camping at Brazos Bend this week for Spring Break so Kasen and I made a quick day trip up to spend a night with them. He loved it! His first tent camping experience was a huge success. He went on a bike ride, played with his friends, helped find a geocache, fell asleep by the campfire, and slept til about 3am. He woke up and looked around a bit then snuggled back down into his sleeping bag for the rest of the night. He was still up like an alarm clock at 7am, but it was a good night.

100_54731Side note: We did have a little scare. Kesleigh had a skin infection and we were told we might need to take her to the hospital. The good news is that the antibiotics are working. Pray for her to have continued improving health.

I’m also grateful that we were also surrounded by great, caring friends (our small group) who prayed for her and engaged in some incredible conversations around the campfire. There’s just something about a campfire that brings those things out.

Small Group Exchange

Smallgroupexchange
I just wanted to let everybody know about a new resource for small groups. Smallgroupexchange.com launched earlier this month and has tons of helpful materials. If you’re not too sure about something, they’ve got articles to help. There are also plenty of ideas and materials you can purchase (with reviews) to guide your study. They even have free training videos for small group leaders.

The smallgroupexchange folks have also asked me to do some writing/reviewing for their site. Wow! What an honor. You can check out my small group exchange bio here or one of my articles (What should we Study? & Leadership is Service). While you’re there, you should check out Heather Zempel’s articles. She’s a great writer and small group guru who has been a family friend to Miranda for her whole life. She’s quickly become my friend too. She also has a great blog called Wineskins for Discipleship.

Exodus & Matthew

DesertWe started studying Matthew last night in small group and I noticed something I never really saw before.

I knew that Matthew was written to new converts from Judaism in an attempt to prove that Jesus is the Messiah. Because of that, Matthew uses lots of Jewish phrases and he approaches the story of Jesus with a distinctively Jewish undertone. Anyway, what I had never noticed was all the ways that Matthew lines up with the Exodus. Exodus was a collective memory in the subconsciousness of the Jewish people, so Matthew appealed to them even on a subconscious level. Here’s what I’ve noticed so far: (I’m sure there’s more.)

Before the Exodus, God had been silent for over 400 years. Before Jesus’ birth, God had been silent for over 400 years.

Like Israel (God’s chosen people), Jesus came out of Egypt.

Israel began it’s journey to the promised land by passing through the Red Sea. Jesus passed through the Jordan and then began his journey to the cross.

Israel wandered and suffered in the desert. Jesus was tempted and suffered in the desert.

Israel followed the pillar of fire on it’s way to the promised land. Wise men followed a star on their way to Jesus.

This one is not from Matthew, but is in the Gospels – Moses’ was bringing Israel out of slavery in Egypt and his first miracle was to change water (the river) into blood. Jesus’ brought us out of slavery to sin and his first miracle was to turn water into wine. Later, he would call wine, his blood.

Anyway, I just thought it was all pretty interesting.

Prideful Paul

I always thought it was a bit prideful of Paul to write things like – “follow my example” (1 Cor 11:1) and “join with others in following my example” (Php 3:17). Anyway, he says things like this throughout Scripture and it always bothered me a little, but last night in our small group it came up again and I think I finally understood it. One of the guys explained that in those days they didn’t have the Bible (well, not as we know it) – most people couldn’t read the letters that they did have either. Jesus had already resurrected too, so there really was no way for someone to know how to live out their faith except in watching someone else do it. Paul was trying to live his life in such a way that others could look at him and know how to live as a Christian.

Just as a father tries to live as an example to his children, Paul was doing the same. The idea of following someone’s example was not a foreign concept for the Jews either – the whole rabbinical system was based upon “becoming” like the rabbi. Jesus Himself taught his followers to do as they had seen Him do. (John 13:15). Anyway, all this is to say that Paul wasn’t just a big headed guy, he was simply trying to teach others how to live out their faith, and he used the same technique as their culture had been accustomed to.