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5 Quick Survey Questions to Check Your Church-Attending Expertise?

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what you think matters

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Survey for Followers of Jesus:

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Questions:

#1: You see someone wearing inappropriate church attire you should:

  1. Tell them what’s appropriate should they ever consider attending your church again
  2. Whisper your disapproval to everyone around you
  3. Provide the person a choir robe to cover their offensive clothing
  4. Say a prayer of praise the person came to church

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#2: You’ve been asked to volunteer for another ministry opportunity you should:

  1. Say, “I’ll pray about it” even though you have no intention of volunteering
  2. Say, “No” if you don’t want to do it or can’t say, “Yes.”

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#3: You’ve baked a German Chocolate cake for tonight’s potluck and put it in the church’s refrigerator. When you go to retrieve the cake you discover half of it has been eaten, you should:

  1. Contaminate the remaining half. Then leave it in the fridge in order to make the thief sick, and finally
  2. Set up a hidden camera so you can catch the culprit(s).
  3. Thank God someone liked your cake.

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#4: You overhear a loud and disagreeable conversation between a church member and the pastor you should:

  1. Try not to interfere
  2. Interrupt and give your opinion
  3. Gossip about what you overheard.

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#5: You notice a typo in the church bulletin you should:

  1. Draft a formal complaint to the church board
  2. Realize people make mistakes
  3. Smile and feel superior.

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Bonus Question:

#6: The collection plate is coming your way you should:

  1. Take a blank and empty offering envelop and pretend to put something in it.
  2. Casually toss in a one dollar tip
  3. Give God the best gift you are able

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Results:

(#1: d; #2: b; #3: c; #4: a; #5: b; #6: c)

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Correct:

0-2 Maybe you should answer these questions again.

3-4 Good job you’re making progress.

5-6 Congrats! You’re a model follower.

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Audio:

People tell me very often that the Christian faith isn’t relevant to their day-to-day living

I disagree

I disagree because there are circumstances (situations/ conditions) that happen every day to each one of us that gives us a chance to know for ourselves that Jesus, living in us and through us, has relevance … it may be when someone slights you by making (what you perceive as) a derogatory comment.

What do you do? How do you react? Will you get angry and try to get even or will you smile and walk away?

Of course how you act (re-act, behave) says a lot about your level of understanding about Jesus’ teaching on being a follower (disciple) … how could anything be more relevant than this?

I believe God’s intention is to bring us into maturity This happens as the Holy Spirit leads us to respond like Jesus and act less like an unenlightened human being … that means we grow up.

In every circumstance (situation) you come face-to-face with today you and I have a choice that is relevant to our faith in Christ The situations we encounter can move us closer to the Lord or show that we haven’t really gotten it yet.

The five questions above are only samples … my intention is to help us think clearly about our behavior and the message it sends to those in our world This is relevant Christian living and it can be fun as we cooperate with God’s Spirit because we will be leaving a worthwhile impression of Jesus’ love and mercy. This helps you … This helps others … what’s more relevant than that?

Thanks for your company on Lee’s Nite Radio.

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Does Your Integrity Matter?

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At a Christian leadership workshop, a speaker addressed the issue of integrity and asked,

“How would your life change if you had to do everything in public?”

I thought to myself people would know everything I’m trying to keep secret.

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Then just for the fun of it, I looked up integrity.

One definition said integrity is:

The quality or condition of being whole or unbroken.

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I tried to visualize what this might mean.

Just as a house has a living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom my body has compartments.

All the compartments/rooms in my house/body make up my home/me.

The rooms, although separate, are under one roof.

Likewise, as a follower of Jesus, Jesus is the roof over all the compartments of my life.

The Lord wants all of me.

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When/if this happens integrity can exist.

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My heart then cooperates with Jesus and filters out the impurities; thus, integrity flows through all areas of my body.

Do you think it’s possible to have integrity in this present world? Does integrity matter anymore?

At first, peek, it may not seem so.

But if I truly believe that my heart is at peace and satisfied when Jesus reigns then it is possible.

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I listened as the speaker spoke. I took notes. I realized something disturbing, nothing I do is hidden.

God’s Holy Spirit knows my secrets.

Everything I do, I do in front of God.

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I’d say integrity matters. What do you say?

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How you can be tougher

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Saturday morning Ernie and I ate at the Tucson Mall Food Court after we’d completed walking an hour’s worth of Mall laps. As we sat at a table relaxing Ernie asked, “Do you think God is developing you into a Navy Seal?”

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“Say what?” I almost choked as I tried to swallowed my first big bite of a Cinnabon.

“I don’t mean an actual Navy Seal, but is God preparing you to become a deadly effective war machine?”

I cleared my throat. “Um … I don’t know … is that what God’s doing?” With my napkin I wiped some sticky sweet frosting from the corner of my mouth.

“I say it is.” Ernie took a sip of his coffee.

“How so?”

“Consider that God is active in your life … in everybody’s life.”

“OK.”

“God is doing something significant.”

“OK.”

“God is preparing everyone for service.”

“OK.”

“God is developing you into a Navy Seal.”

“OK … I mean, maybe. How’s God doing this?”

“Well for instance God begins the process through trials and errors.” Ernie set his coffee cup down.

I took another bite of my cinnamon delight. Then I said, “Give me an example.”

“Alright … let me first ask you a question.”

“OK.” I said, while chewing. “Ask away.”

“What do you think might be the purpose of a trial, a bit of suffering, or a crushing experience?” Ernie raised his cup to his lips and waited for me to reply.

Truth is I’d wondered about things like this before, but never really thought them through. “Purpose? I’m not sure there is a purpose …. What’s the purpose?”.

“Preparation.”

“Naw! That’s crazy talk.”

“No listen. God can use these things for preparation.”

“Preparation for what exactly? … Give me a for instance.”

“Preparation for developing you into a Navy Seal. Here’s one example … say someone loses their job unexpectedly because their company is closing shop here and moving there …”

“Hmm OK, I got it.”

“Is this a personal trial?”

I swallowed my last piece of Cinnabon before I said, “Of course it is. It affects the person. It affects the family. And it affects the neighborhood.”

“Right! This trial causes some form of hardship, doesn’t it?”

“Obviously.” I looked Ernie in the eye.

He didn’t blink. He didn’t look away. “Trials, suffering or defeats are part of the same thing … they’re preparation,” he said. “This preparation has both a temporary and an eternal value.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! You’re losing me.” I held up my left hand to slow Ernie down.

“Alright, let me back up a little,” he said calmly. “God is preparing you and me … us to become Navy Seals. A Navy Seal represents a tough, hardened defender that is skilled in conflict techniques. A Navy Seal is systematically prepared to overcome any enemy.”

“OK, I’ll buy that.” I composed myself. My head quit spinning.

Ernie continued explaining, “A Navy Seal operates in the physical realm. But God’s Navy Seals operate not only in the physical realm, they also operate in the spiritual realm. In this realm the skills and weapons used are supernatural … they are much more powerful than mere physical abilities.”

“Um, alright.”

“So then, God prepares you to become a Navy Seal, and one means of preparing you is through trials, suffering, or ruin … maybe all three.” Ernie paused and took a breath.

“OK, I can follow that.” I caught a whiff of a fresh batch of Cinnabons. My stomach smiled.

“The result is that preparation produces the ability in us to endure the hardships of trials, suffering, and even, destruction. And then to perform our service for the Lord.”

“Wow!” My eyes widened. “How do you come up with this stuff?”

Ernie continuing said, “Endurance matures us and makes us ready for anything … do you understand?”

“A little.” I planed to spend some alone time to think this through.

As we pushed our chairs back and stood up Ernie finished by saying and asking, “Think Navy Seal …. Are you tough? You can be.”

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Case Studies:

  1. Joseph: Genesis 30 ff
  2. Gideon: Judges 6 ff
  3. Ruth: Ruth
  4. Esther: Esther
  5. Job: Job

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Bonus Song:

Acapella Praise God Will Make a Way

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