following the mission.

Rick, Nate and myself went to a conference a couple weeks ago called Story. It was intended to remind pastors and teachers about the greatest Story ever told. One of the speakers there asked the audience something that was so great that I want to ask you guys. Turn to the person next to you and I want you to share your deepest darkest sin to that person. Do that now.

Okay so you don’t have to. That more than likely made you feel quite uneasy. But if I asked you to turn to the person next to you and share with them your relationship with Jesus, for some of you, it’s almost like sharing your deepest darkest sin. We’ve talked about some pretty heavy stuff this weekend. For some of you it’s gone in one ear and out the other and for others the Word of God really kicked you in the heart.

Every year we talk about becoming Obsessed with God and following Jesus. When we leave here some of us forget the Obsessed part and for others the whole Jesus part about being a Christian. Rick talked about being covered in the dust of our Rabi, that we need to walk in the way of Christ. This is summed up in the great commandment of Loving God and Loving your neighbor. That we need to cast down our idols that come before loving God and rethink who our neighbor is and how can we love our enemies.

When it comes to loving our God and neighbor as our agenda, as the top priority of the way we live our lives, this is when we see the Missio Dei. This is the mission of God. Or even better, the God of mission. Just as Jesus was sent from God into the world to restore it back to Him we also have that mission to partner with Him.

This has been God’s plan since mankind has been separated from Him. When we look at God’s plan through Israel we see our own.

Gen 12:1-3

John 1:17

John 20:21-23

The basic missional charge, the sending of the disciples by Jesus, the sent one. Yet notice that Jesus did not send his followers out unequipped for this mission. He breathed on them, giving the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is the Spirit who forms and shapes us as individuals and believers. The Spirit at work in us produces the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). The Spirit at work through us produces the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor 12-14). The Spirit alive in us forms us to be more like Christ in our personal lives and in our communities.

Parable of the Good Muslim – Samaritan

Dallas Willard – The Divine Conspiracy - The story does not teach that we can have eternal life just by loving our neighbor. We cannot get away with that nice legalism either. . . . But in God’s order nothing can substitute for loving people. And we define who our neighbor is by our live. We make a neighbor of someone by caring for him or her. . . .

Jesus deftly rejects the question, “Who is my neighbor?” and substitutes the only question really relevant here: “To whom will I be a neighbor?” And he knows that we can only answer this question case by case as we got through our days. In the morning we cannot yet know who our neighbor will be that day. The condition of our hearts will determine who along our path turns out to be our neighbor, and our faith in God will largely determine who we have strength enough to make our neighbor.

Isa 42:6-9

Isa 61:1-3

Luke 4:16-21

Planting the Gospel.

This past weekend at the teen service we had a very intense lesson about God’s righteousness and mercy. Starting with small groups, the teens were asked to look up certain scriptures that talk about justification, mercy, righteousness, truth, holiness and love. Each small group has its own flavor from their leaders guiding the discussion. Beth and Erik who are just recently engaged have started helping out leading worship and a small group with high school students. They’ve had their own struggles with church but have been wanting to get more involved.

One of the girls in their group was Megan. She’s been coming for almost a year now but just tagging along with her sister. Rarely talks in the group and doesn’t really relate to anyone in the student ministry. She’ll come in, find a place all by herself and wait for the service to be over. She’s very short answered to anyone who tries to have a conversation with her and is fine with just being, alone.

During the discussion in their small group while reading the Bible, things just clicked in all the right ways. From the stories of Eric and Beth to the discussion from the other teens, things got very emotional. While the others in the group had their eyes reopened to the Gospel, for Megan it was like for the first time. In the groups they were using object lessons to relate to those big words like justification and righteousness. During the main lesson, Traci, the family minister, was teaching and asked the students what they got from the discussion. While some of the students were distracted by other things, other than the lesson, for Megan, she spoke. Everyone stopped what they were doing and listened as she explained how the thermometer shows how much God loves her. She described that the “red stuff” when it gets closer to the “light” rises and it’s like us when we get closer to God.

There are plenty of times that when we read or hear God’s Word it goes in one ear and out the other. Megan heard what God is communicating in His Gospel. It reminds me that when we set out to start Life Bridge we weren’t trying to plant a church. What we’re striving to do is plant the Gospel into the hearts of those in this world who are alone like Megan. I’d love to say that Megan instantly became included in the student ministry, but there are plenty of us who fail to hear that Word from God. This coming weekend we’re taking some of the students in the group to a retreat called Obsession. It’s a time to get away from the norm and become obsessed with God. Megan is still considering whether she’ll go or not.

individual community.

what makes an individual healthy and the same for community groups. When gauging whether a group is healthy or not, there needs to be standards as to which to be held accountable to. Each for the individual, small group and church body. This is at the core of the wholeness to the body of Christ. So each group should be held accountable to these "standards." Not that they should be judged or deemed unhealthy but it should be the drive towards in the hopes they should be more and more like the body of Christ. I think that the next iConnect would be a great time to cast this vision of what each group should drive towards. Right now there are 3-4 things that are at the heart of the individual and the community of being the body of Christ. Transformation, Connection, and Movement. All encompassing the surrender to Worship God with our whole lives. I know this is a dump but it is really at the forefront of my thoughts and passion to see lives transformed through community.

missional community dna

This has been something that's been growing and developing within me for quite some time. When looking at the missional communities, the merging of community happens when it's centered around being sent. The purpose that it has of going into the community to restore it back to God is the uniting mission that draws people together in community. At the core of the group is the DNA. The DNA is the lifeblood of what Jesus was about and this is what the church should reflect.

The D in DNA stand for Divine Truth. This is the transformation into the likeness of Christ through God's Word. This truth is a major strand of the DNA. Jesus is the divine truth. Jesus said, "I am the... truth" (John 14:16). No one can come to the Father except through him. When we bear this truth in our lives it leads to loving communities with purpose and mission, which are the rest of the DNA. The transformation of the Truth is at the heart of worship (Romans 12:1).

N in DNA stands for nurturing relationships. This is a continual building into each other of love, mercy and joy. Being a self-pastoral community the needs are met from the community not just one person pastoring the church. "Love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay his life down for his friends. You are my friends" (John 15:12-14).

A in DNA stands for Apostolic Mission. Just as Jesus was sent into the world to restore all things back to Him (John 3:16) so are we to join him in this mission. "As the Father sent me, I am sending you" (John 20:21). The DNA does not function in linear fashion. Working together, the Divine Truth is flowing into Apostolic Mission (Acts 1:8). Apostolic Mission is propelled by Nurturing Relationships. (John 13:35). Being together in Nurturing Relationships drives one another toward a unified Mission.

Pretty much this is Neil Cole's book Organic Community summed up. Not only does this serve as a drive from mission it is at the heart of the church. This can be compared to the Tangible Kingdom of Communion, Mission and Community. Then again it can be applied to Rick Warren's 5 purposes of worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and evangelism. Not matter what scale you're at these purposes are at the individual to the corporate. But it starts with the individual first.

what a weekend.

So i'm not sure the exact location of this place but i would have to say that this has been one of the most interesting weekends in quite some time. Interesting from the sorts of company. we're (scott, nikki and myself) hanging out with a dude named rick. he's been with us at our small group for the past few months. we're at his grandparents trailer by some lake in north webster, in. All i know is that we're east from valpo. Along the way we stopped by the blueberry festival in plymouth, in and i didn't see one blueberry.
Thinking we're going to a lake house, by no means am i demeaning where we're at, but this not exactly what we had in mind. Rick is a very interesting character. he's a married man with a 7 year old and was looking forward to this weekend for quite some time. Looking to "get away from it all" with us. Now i'm thinking, "why in the world would he want to get away with us?"
I can tell he's looking for his "roots" but has quite some opposition. By inviting us out to his "lake house" he's looking to us for his spiritual life. His wife has been calling nonstop and is pretty dang crazy when he drinks. I love him to death but it's been challenging for me.
Just like i've noticed the comfortability from being in the ministry (maybe another conversation) it seems thats where we are now. Being away from drama and all the things that make life comfortable, this is quite the opposite. The only way that we're able to be out here with rick is because his wife vouched for us as being "bible humpers." lol. No joke.
So we've been out here for a day, we've fished, napped and watched family guy and had some great conversation and still, what we had in mind is beyond what we had in mind.
I am definately glad that we came out. I believe this is exactly what God has in store for us in the future. What i had in mind when we came out here was comfortability. When it comes to partnering with God in restoring all things back to Him it shouldn't or doesn't necessarily mean that things are going to be comfortable. It goes against everything God had in mind in the beginning of time.
So, for the point of this not being exactly the way i thought things would be, i'm glad we are here. And now for some more family guy.rick is awesome

Missio Dei

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From: Josh Epperson <joshua.leeland@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, August 14, 2009 2:29 AM
To: go@blogger.com
Subject: Missio Dei

Being sent into the world just as Jesus was sent. God is already there no matter where you go. Partnering with God in restoring everything back to work Him. When entering new environment and culture we should look to see what God is already doing or see who the oppressed are that are crying out to Him.

time to slow.

so i've been packing my schedule quite tight for the past few months and it's time to slow down. more than likely i think God is or has been all this time trying to get my attention. as though the sound has finally caught up to me and the words coming screaming by halting me to walk. just like a safety patrolman.

actually it came about due to achilles tendonitis. (thanks webmd) somehow i just either didn't stretch enough or just ran on it wrong playing softball on tuesday. i was also training to run the chicago marathon. that didn't last long. i got up to 10 miles though and kris' leg started hurting.

maybe there are more ways that God was tryin to slow me down. it almost sounds negative. especially in our culture today. but i think i'm missin quite more by zoomin on.

it's been this way for the past 6 years with life bridge. not that the fast paced progression hasn't had any positive effect, cause it has, but it's been too constant. particularly in all the roles i've played here. children's. students. families. communities. developing programs. tweeking programs. people coming and going. equipping leaders. just going everywhere oh so quickly.

slow.

sssssssssssssssssssssssloooooooooooooooooooooow.