Archive - November, 2007

By Jeremy Myers Filed Under Blogging, Laugh a Little! Written on November 29, 2007

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Daniel over at Messy Pastor tagged me to reveal seven things about myself that not many people know. That’s a creative idea, so here we go:

1. I am a cat lover, and can’t stand dogs unless they act like cats (small, sit on your lap, don’t bark…). Sadly, I don’t have a cat right now…we had to leave him in Montana when we moved to Texas three years ago.

2. I am addicted to books. Not reading them…just buying them. I love to read too, but I buy three times as many books as I read. It’s out of control.

3. I play Guildwars. It’s an MMORPG (Massive Multi-player Online Role Playing Game) with no subscription fee: Perfect for the poor seminarian who needs to “shut off” from time to time.

4. I am a lifelong Oakland Raiders fan, but don’t admit it much recently.

5. I have watched “The Matrix” about 60 times since it came out. I could write a book about “The Gospel in the Matrix.” One day I probably will lead lead a “movie Bible study” and begin with “The Matrix.”

6. I’m going to ditto Daniel on #6: I can’t stand self-righteous or legalistic Christians.

7. I grew up in a family of ten kids. Yep. I am second oldest. You can see how crazy my family is over at tenarrows.blogspot.com.

By Jeremy Myers Filed Under Mission Written on November 28, 2007

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My Wife and Jesus

From time to time, all Christians struggle with how to know God more intimately.

Is Speaking in Tongues the Way?

There is a wide segment of Christianity which says that if you really want to know God and experience Him, you need to speak in tongues, dream dreams, and have visions. The chills and the thrills prove that God is really caring about you.

My wife has some friends who have been telling her this very thing. They are some of the most Godly women we have ever known, and I do not doubt their sincerity, or their genuine love for God and desire to be used by Him. But Wendy started to get confused because some of them were implying that Wendy was missing out on all that God had for her, and that if she really wanted to experience God and have the close, intimate relationship with God that they did, she would have to pray for God to give to her all that He had for her (i.e., tongues).

She and I talked some about this.

Following Jesus Daily

Finally, I told her to keep praying and seeking God’s face in Scripture, and see what He reveals.

A few days later, she called me at work. She was so excited. She realized that knowing Christ intimately is not found only in “knowing Scripture” but in going along with Christ in what He is doing in your day. As you read the Gospels, the disciples just followed Him around, listening to His teaching, observing what He was doing, and then helping out where they could. So Wendy set out to do the same thing.

Love like Jesus

Buying Bears with Jesus

Three days later, (the day before Thanksgiving) she was in our local supermarket. As she pushed her cart around, she noticed a little girl asking an older man, probably her grandfather, for a stuffed bear. The grandfather responded a little gruffly, “I told you No! Put it back.” The little girl obeyed and little reluctantly, and as they walked away, kept glancing back over her shoulder at the bear.

Wendy thought, “I wonder if I should buy that bear for that girl.” She walked over to the bear and looked at the price. It was only $4.99. But she thought, “She probably has many toys at home, and all little girls like stuffed animals. What does she need one more for?” So Wendy walked away.

But she couldn’t shake the idea, and just as she was about to check out, she saw the grandfather and little girl headed toward the check out line as well. So Wendy grabbed the bear, and bought it with her other groceries. Then she went over to the grandfather and introduced herself and explained that she had saw the girl ask for the bear, and had overheard him tell her no. “God has been so generous with us, and I really felt God wanted me to buy this bear for her. I hope that is okay.”

Wendy said that the man’s face, which seemed to be somewhat angry and worried, melted into joy and disbelief. He said, “This is my granddaughter. She wanted the bear for her mother, my daughter, who is in the hospital. When we got here, I told her she could either buy flowers or a stuffed animal for her mother. She chose flowers first, but then wanted the bear as well, so that her mother would have a friend on Thanksgiving day tomorrow after the surgery. You have made her very happy. Thank you.”

Indeed, the little girl was beaming and hugging the bear.

This is my wife…the close friend of Jesus.

The Love of Jesus

Tonight she is taking a Pumpkin Pie over to our neighbors. We have been trying to develop a relationship with them, which has been difficult since they don’t speak English very well and we don’t speak Spanish. Wendy had been giving free English tutoring to their girls on Thursday nights. Anyway, they have never had a pumpkin pie before, so she made one for them. It is just another way she is showing love to our neighbors.

Now seriously… who needs to speak in tongues or have dreams and visions when you see Jesus loving others through your life in such tangible ways?

The Kingdom of Heaven is not about speaking in tongues, dreaming dreams, or seeing visions. It is about loving others like Jesus.

By Jeremy Myers Filed Under Church Planting Written on November 27, 2007

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Are you one of the brightest and best? Plant a church!

Church planting is just starting to pick up steam.

Here is an article about modern church planting from The Leadership Network:

Average number of baptisms or conversions in a church plant is 10 the first year, 11 the second year, 13 the third year and 14 the fourth year.

Church planting in the United States appears to be undergoing an extreme makeover.

According to the findings of a new research study, interest in church planting is on the rise, some of America’s best and brightest ministry leaders choose planting as their career path and church planting efforts are much more successful and promising than anticipated.

Read the rest of this article on church planting here.

By Jeremy Myers Filed Under Church Planting, Ecclesiology Written on November 27, 2007

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How can we do church?

We saw yesterday that we cannot go to church. Others in the world have come to understand this as well, and have started telling Christians to “Stop going to church…instead be the church.” Though shocking to some, it is right on target for how we need to be thinking. We cannot “get credit” for church by showing up in some building for an hour on Sunday morning, singing a few songs, smiling a few smiles, and listening to a sermon. That’s not “church.”

Doing Church

If, as we suggested yesterday, church is something you are, then it is something that you are part of all the time. Just as you are part of the human race everywhere you go, so also, you are part of the church everywhere you go.

So the question isn’t “Where do you attend church” or “What do you do in your church service” but instead, “As a part of the church, what can you be doing to strengthen it?” or “What does church do?”

The Biblical answer to this is simple. As the church, our task is to make disciples.

Making Disciples

And there are few “church guidelines” on how to do this. We have several examples of what various believers did in the first century do make disciples. They met together, prayed, ate meals, learned the teaching of the apostles, and served one another. Also, it seems that a big part of their disciple-making process was telling others about Jesus.

In history, we have many more examples of what other believers did to make disciples. Some of them worked for a time, but then became alarmingly ineffective. our modern day “church service” is a great example of this. At one point in history, it was a great way to reach the community for Jesus and teach and train these new believers about Jesus. It was where people came to serve and be served, hence the name “church service.” But this method doesn’t seem to work any more for most people. So why hang on to it?

In our day, we need to reexamine the ways we try to make disciples and if they are not working, ask ourselves,

What will work?
How can we best make disciples?
Are meetings necessary?
If so, when/where should we meet, and what should we do when we meet?
How can we get believers to know what God wants them to know and do what God wants them to do so we can be the church in our community?
How can we best tell people about Jesus?”

The answers to these questions will be different for different groups of believers living in different cities. But they are questions that every group of believers must ask if they are going to effectively make disciples.

By Jeremy Myers Filed Under Ecclesiology Written on November 25, 2007

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What is church?

What is Church?

Most of the problems regarding how to “do church” and what goes on “in church” could nearly be solved by simply answering the question “What is church?”

What is Church?

It seems that most of us believe that church is something we do on Sunday morning. It is where we meet God, and therefore, we have to dress up to “go to church,” and act a different way “at church.” Though there are new types of buildings that hold “churches” they are typically built with red bricks, stained glass, and a white steeple. It is “at church” that we sing songs about God, read the Bible, and listen to a pastor teach. Church is where we get spiritual instruction. Church is where we go when we need a spiritual “pick-me-up.” Church is an American tradition.

But is that what “church” is? No. Absolutely not!

What is Church?

Biblically, the church is made up of all who have believed in Jesus for eternal life worldwide and througout time. That is the church.

Therefore, church is not something you can attend. It is not a place you can go. ”Church” just is, and you are either a part of the church or you are not.

When this truth is grasped, it revolutionizes the way we go about being the church. We realize that since we can’t go to church, what is this “thing” we are doing on Sunday morning? If that’s not church, what is? If we can’t “go to church,” what are we supposed to do about church? How are we supposed to “do church”?

Weigh in below and join us tomorrow as we begin to look for some answers.