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Who is the Church for?

Aug 9

Posted by Jim Botts in Following Christ, Hearing God, Leading Others, The Jesus Mission | No Comments

One time a guy told me, “The church is Christians, so it must be for Christians.”  Is that a fact?  This past weekend at Neighborhood Church, I addressed this issue in a message about our church’s value of Mission.  In this message you’ll see the big picture of God’s redemption business, as well as examples of how He’s working in the Neighborhood Church Family.

Share this message with anyone who might be interested in doing God’s business!

To become better equipped for God’s redemption business…

1.  Get familiar with Lesslie Newbigin.  Download and read this free book of His missional leadership devotions – here

2.  Read Newbigin’s writings: A Walk Through the Bible, The Open Secret, then The Gospel in a Pluralist Society

3.  Let Newbigin’s macroscopic view of God and His mission free you from the theological reductions.

Sola Missio Dei,

Jim Botts


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Quit Being A Christian!

Jul 30

Posted by Jim Botts in Following Christ, Hearing God, The Jesus Mission | 1 Comment

Question: is it OK to quit being a Christian in the name of following Christ?

Recently, best selling novelist Anne Rice renounced being a Christian via her Facebook page.  She reasoned that she felt like an outsider to the Christian community for the past 10 years, and finally has decided to quit Christianity altogether (except for following Christ, that is).

So here’s what I would say to Anne Rice…

1.  We should all quit being Christians

I totally relate to her sense of feeling like an outsider to organized Christian religion.  I feel the same way (for very different reasons).  I resist applying the “Christian” label to myself, because the early church did not apply it to themselves, outsiders labeled them as “Christians” (see Acts 11:26).  We should all quit acting like Christians, and start living like loyal followers of Jesus.

2.  Jesus is “anti” on some issues

Rice stated her reasons for quitting Christianity as follows…

I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life.

Her reasoning incorrectly assumes that Jesus is not “anti” anything.  Jesus is unabashedly anti-religiosity, anti-greed, anti-sexual-immorality, and anti-human-opinion-over-God’s-Word!  Jesus is “anti” human centered opinions because He’s “pro” God’s intended design for humanity.

3.  Following Jesus has a divisive effect

There’s no way to follow Jesus, and avoid the divisiveness that Jesus brings.  I’m not talking about the divisiveness of personality (like harsh and judgmental Christians).  Nor am I talking about the divisiveness of personal immaturity and insecurity (like President Obama’s us/them, blame other people responses).

Jesus spoke of Himself in terms that could be considered divisive.  He referred to Himself as a Light that reveals people’s darkness (John 3:19-21).  He called Himself the Truth connects people to God (John 14:6).  Light divides the darkness, and truth separates falsehood.

4.  You cannot embrace Jesus and reject His people

If you want to follow Jesus, He will lead you into community with His people.  He commands you to love His followers, to remain connected to His followers, and to participate in His world mission together.

So, yeah!  Let’s totally quit being Christians.  Let’s follow Jesus.

The one who divides the darkness with His light.

Who replaces falsehood with His truth.

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The Jesus Mission…and you!

Mar 29

Posted by Jim Botts in Following Christ, Hearing God, Leading Others, The Jesus Mission | No Comments

The Jesus Mission: It’s Personal from Neighborhood Church of Redding on Vimeo.

For the last four weeks we’ve encouraged our church to post on the wall of our auditorium, the names of people they are praying will receive Christ at our church this Easter.  During our weekend services each of the last four weeks, we created a space for people to come up and pray for the people posted on the wall.  The message I gave was specifically designed to motivate our folks to take the next step and invite those they’ve been praying for, to come to church this Easter.

Here’s a picture of just one the walls with names posted (pay no attention to our facilities manager George, with the bag over his head).

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God’s Family ~ My Family…

Nov 30

Posted by Jim Botts in Following Christ, Hearing God, Relationships | 7 Comments

Special Guest Speaker: Jim Botts from Neighborhood Church of Redding on Vimeo.

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Y Follow U?

Oct 31

Posted by Jim Botts in Following Christ, Leading Others | 1 Comment

KR_Traits-of-a-Leader-FINAL

Lots of people these days have leadership titles, but how many of them have leadership traits?

Titles are granted, traits are earned.

Titles are impersonal, traits are relational.

Titles are easy to come by, traits are developed over time.

Titles can be an end in themselves, traits are the means to an end.

Titles create entitlement, traits necessitate empowerment.

Titles make much of self, traits make much of others.

For Jesus, leadership was not about titles, but traits like servanthood, self-sacrifice, and serving as an example for others…

So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-25, NLT)


Jesus didn’t look for leaders who would serve.  He looked for servants who could lead!

Jesus modeled for us how servanthood develops leadership!

If you have a leadership title of any sort (Dad, Mom, Boss, Pastor etc), ask yourself…

1.  If the people in your life served like you, what would their schedule look like?

~ (connect people to God, caring / coaching others)

2,  If the people in your life loved like you, what would their relationships look like?

~ (marriage, work / school, difficult people)

3.  If the people in your life handled resources like you do, what would their finances look like?

~ (debt, tithing, helping others)

4.  If the people in your life pursued Jesus like you, what would their life look like?

~ (prayer, Scripture, community, mission)

Jesus never awarded any leadership titles.  But He did model leadership traits for us to develop.

#1 – servanthood / #2 – self sacrifice / #3 – serving as an example for others to follow.

For further reading check out 1 Peter 5:1-7

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People = carriers!

Oct 19

Posted by Jim Botts in Following Christ, Relationships | 5 Comments

swine-flu

With the spread of H1N1 (aka swine flu), lots of people are worried about catching diseases from others.  And they should worry–because people are carriers!

Everybody’s carrying something, not just physically, but spiritually too!  Scripture teaches that you can catch spiritually transmitted diseases from people.

“Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old ‘yeast’ by removing this wicked person from among you.” (1 Cor 5:6-7, NLT)

People can be contagious carriers without ever realizing it.  In fact, some of the most spiritually infected people have no clue that they are sick…or that they are harming others.

Here’s what to watch for in order to avoid spiritually transmitted diseases…

1.  An uncovered mouth ~ everyone knows that an uncovered mouth is the portal to serious sickness.  All too often, people open their mouths and spew division, suspicion, and negativity on you.  If you put up with it, it’ll make you sick.  When dealing with verbally infected Christians,  Scripture cautions us to keep our distance.

2.  Unwashed hands ~ infectious germs spread rapidly through unclean hands.  Some people never deal with their dirt, and thereby infect others with the junk they never dealt with.  If you get too close, their dirt will become yours.  When it comes to unrepentant Christians, Scripture says to quarantine those who WILL NOT come clean.

3.  Inconsiderate attitude ~ some people never think about how their sickness affects others.  These people bring their runny-nosed kids to school.  They sit by you all day, and later admit they had the flu all night long. Everyone gets sick, but not everyone cares about not spreading their sickness. When it comes to infected Christians, Scripture tells us to give them a dose of loving truth.

God doesn’t want us to live like germophobes, seeking to isolate ourselves in a bacteria-free world.  He wants us to care about and protect the health of His community.

As for me…I’m gonna cover my mouth, keep my hands clean, and be mindful of the affect I’m having on others.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read about how one person created a pandemic of spiritual sickness affecting a whole community here ~ read Joshua 7.

**Post your thoughts / comments below**

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Taking A Ride With Pride

Jul 4

Posted by Jim Botts in Following Christ, Hearing God | No Comments

Pride

Pride: it’s one of the seven deadly sins, it turned Lucifer into the Devil, and it takes people on a one-way ride…down.  You say, “What’s wrong with being proud of people or accomplishments?”  Pride isn’t necessarily evil in and of itself.  But pride becomes evil when it enthrones the awesomeness of self (displacing the awesomeness of God).

Pride says, “Check me out, I’m awesome.  Adjust to me, because I’m the center of the world!”  When pride pulls over and invites us to get on board, we embark on the downward ride with pride…

  • Families are pulled down by selfishness
  • Marriages are taken down by dominance
  • Teams are weighed down by ego-centrism

I’ve been guilty of pulling down all those relationships in my life through selfish pride.  But I’ve learned keep pride in check through the example of a Biblical character.

The poster child of taking a ride with pride is the Old Testament Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar (Nebs from here on out).  God placed Nebs over the largest, strongest, and grandest kingdom of his day.  But Nebs took a ride with pride and attributed what God had done with himself—and look where it took him…

“You will be driven away from people to live with the wild animals. You will feed on grass like cattle and be drenched with dew from the sky for seven periods of time, until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men, and He gives it to anyone He wants” ~ Daniel 4:25, HCSB

Nebs’ ride with pride drove him nuts.  He was driven away from people and relationships into lonely places.  He lived like a senseless animal instead of a King.  And seven years of his life were wasted in that place.

The moment Nebs acknowledge three truths, his life got back on track…

1.  God is God…and I’m not ~

Earlier in Daniel chapter four God warned Nebs in a dream with the vision of the world’s tallest tree being cut down.  The tree represented Nebs, and its height represented his kingdom.  Nebs thought he was taller than God, until God cut him down to size.

I’ve come to realize there’s only one God…and it’s not me.  Recognizing God as the Most High (i.e. taller than me) has benefited my marriage, my family, and my leadership as I’ve learned that only God is tall enough to see everything that I can’t.

2.  God rules…and I do not!

Four times in Daniel chapters four and five we’re reminded that the Most High “rules the kingdom of men.”  Nebs learned that God will never follow our leadership, but we must follow His.

Nothing brings me greater peace than to rest in the fact that God rules.  He knows how to take care of what is committed to Him.  And since God rules, I don’t have to worry about how I’ll fix every problem.  God rules = I don’t have to (whew, the pressure’s off)

3. God is the Giver…and I am not!

There’s an old saying, “A self-made man always worships his maker.”  That’s what happened to Nebs.  He thought his hard work and networking resulted in his kingdom.  What he forgot was that everything was given to him by God.

God is always the Giver, and we are always on the receiving end—no matter what.  God is never indebted to us, but we are always indebted to him.

Taking a ride with pride will drive you nuts, ruin your relationships, and waste your life.

Your life will get on-track with God the moment you acknowledge…

that God is God (and you are not),

that God rules (and you do not),

and that God is the Giver (and you are not).

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Portrait of a Disciple ~

Jun 29

Posted by Jim Botts in Following Christ | 1 Comment

In leading people onward in their spiritual journey, recurring questions emerge.  “What’s the goal?  Where are we leading these people?  What does a disciple look like?” These similar questions share a common answer.  One that’s not too difficult to find…if we let Jesus set the terms.

Jesus ~ “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher”

~ Luke 6:40

According to Jesus a disciple looks like his/her teacher.  So, a disciple of Jesus—looks like Jesus.

In other words, if you look at the life of Jesus in the gospels, you’ll see the portrait of a disciple.

picture frame

Jesus’ life portrays four pictures of what a disciple should be…

Picture # 1 ~ A Life of Scripture

Jesus constantly framed all of life with Scripture.  Here are some occasions when Jesus framed important issues with Scripture.

  • ~  Jesus saw His life mission through Scripture in Luke 4:18-21
  • ~  Jesus overcame the Evil One with Scripture in Matthew 4:4, 7
  • ~  Jesus corrected the Pharisees with Scripture in Mark 7:4-13
  • ~  Jesus saw the His whole life in Scripture in Luke 24:27,44

Any aspiring disciple of Jesus must learn the Scriptures.  Leaders must teach Christ’s followers to read the Scriptures (to learn the Story of God), memorize them (to get attuned to the voice of God), and study them (to live the ways of God)—like Jesus did!

Picture # 2 ~ A Life of Prayer

Jesus was famous for something His “disciples” today are not—praying well.  He prayed so well that His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray the same way.  A collage of Jesus’ prayer life looks like this…

  • ^ He prayed at His baptism and heaven opened in Luke 3:21-22
  • ^ He prayed often in the early morning hours in Mark 1:35
  • ^ He prayed all night long in Luke 6:12
  • ^ He prayed out loud over His disciples in John 17.
  • ^ He prayed in the garden before His death in Matt 26:36-46
  • ^ He prayed from the cross in Luke 23:34

Disciples of Jesus must be people of prayer.  Therefore, spiritual leaders must help Christ’s followers find their voice (and God’s) through prayer.  That’s what Jesus did with His first followers!

Picture # 3 ~ A Life IN Community

Jesus rarely did anything alone.  Everyday life for Jesus intersected His relationship with God and His relationship with His disciples.  Here’s a short list of what life in community looked like for Jesus.

  • + He chose to live in a small group community ~ Luke 6:12-16
  • + He traveled around in community ~ Luke 8:1-3
  • + He shared His meals in community ~ Matt 9:10-11
  • + He retreated into community ~ Mark 6:30-32
  • + He ministered to others in community ~ Mark 10:46-52
  • + He did evangelism in community ~ John 4:31-38
  • + He processed His hardships in community ~ Matt 26:36-41
  • + He passed on His life mission in community ~ John 20:20-21

If the Son of God did not attempt to live apart from community, how much less should His disciples?  True spiritual leadership models a life that intersects relating with God and God’s people.

Picture # 4 ~ A Life ON-Mission

A casual stroll through the Gospels reveals Jesus passionately engaged in the mission of God.  He lived everyday in community and on-mission with God.  Here’s how the mission of God unfolded in Jesus’ life…      

  • > Reaching out to wayward people ~ Luke 5:31-32
  • > Teaching spiritually confused people ~ Matthew 9:35-36
  • > Healing hurting and damaged people ~ Matthew 4:24
  • > Restoring disgraced people ~ John 8:1-11
  • > Developing committed people ~ Matthew 10:5-7
  • > Sending out more people ~ Matthew 28:18-20

Genuine disciples of Jesus cannot opt out of the mission of God.  Every spiritual leader must demonstrate of lifestyle on-mission with God in the same way Jesus did.

These four pictures ~ Scripture, Prayer, Community and Mission come together to form one complete portrait of Jesus—what every disciple should look like.

Every spiritual leader must model the Jesus lifestyle and equip disciples to live His way.

Every small group must foster spiritual leadership that reinforces true discipleship.

Every disciple, when he is fully trained, will be like his Teacher (Jesus)!

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