Been Reed - Life and Theology. The musings of a young pastor.

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Matt Chandler & Philippians

I’ve recently picked up a copy of Matt Chandler’s new small group study on the book of Philippians. It’s published by The Hub (formerly song of solomon).

I have to admit: I’m a Matt Chandler fan. I stumbled onto his podcast a few years back, and have really connected with his preaching. He’s easy to follow, funny, and engaging. And to top it all off…his sermons are biblically saturated. He preaches expositionally in a way that isn’t boring, and if you’ve spent much time under an expository preacher, you know that I’ve just given a huge compliment to Chandler. For some reason, I feel like I connect with Matt’s style better than I do other big-name preachers. Needless to say, I was intrigued by this study.

But great sermons and great preachers don’t always translate well into small groups.

Positives:

1. Chandler uses the same style of preaching in this video as he does on Sunday mornings. Like I said above, I have found it easy to connect with his preaching style.

2. There are very few questions. One of my critiques of Abide was that there were too many questions. It’s easy to throw a plethora of questions into each week’s discussion. The difficult part for writers (and editors) is choosing the best questions that draw out the most thoughtful, heart-searching answers. They have limited themselves to a 10-question max, and the questions that they’ve presented are really on-point.

3. There’s very little required homework. I try to consistently encourage those in my small group to spend time daily with the Lord. This curriculum gives them a natural place to start each day. But the next week’s questions aren’t built upon the prior week’s homework…and that’s a good thing. If you happen to miss a week, or get busy and don’t have time to look over the Scripture passage, you can just show up and immediately jump into the discussion.

4. “Diving deeper.” There’s a section each week that gives people the opportunity to go “deeper” in their own personal study of the passage. I like when a curriculum gives flexibility to differing levels of spiritual maturity.

5. The memory verse. I’m not great at memorizing Scripture. Ok…that’s a lie…let me try again. I don’t try very hard to memorize Scripture. But this study takes a verse from the passage that Chandler is preaching about, and encourages the group to memorize it. I love how this study integrates the discipline of Scripture memory.

6. The Scripture passages are right there in the book. I like to take notes when I hear sermons, and having the Scripture passages right there in the book allows me to take notes right alongside the discussion questions that the group will be talking about.

Negatives:

1. The sermons are 30 minutes long. I’m not opposed to 30 minute sermons, but the problem that groups run into is that sermons of this length can eat into discussion times.

2. This curriculum is 12 weeks long. In my opinion, that’s too long. If it doesn’t connect with your group, you could be stuck with it for quite a while. But wait, you say…if my group doesn’t like it, couldn’t we just tank it and pick up another study?? Well… (see below)

3. It’s really expensive. The DVD set alone (3 DVDs) is $149.95. That’s Beth-Moore-expensive. I get it…Chandler and the team put a lot of time and effort into this series. And it’s probably worth every penny. But this price point keeps it out of a lot of people’s hands.

All-in-all, this is a great study. I’ve gone back and read (in my personal study time) the book of Philippians, and have found a greater depth and richness to my study after having gone through this series. This is really a 12-week immersion in the Bible. You hear it preached. You read it. You memorize it. You learn how to interpret/understand it a little better. You discuss it. You’re challenged to live it out.

Your small group needs to pick this study up.

Quit waiting

July 15, 2010 / Ben Reed / 0 Comments

Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant.

If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. (Ecclesiastes 11:4)

Change is difficult, no matter who or what you’re trying to change. We humans quickly habitualize (yep, I just made that word up), meaning that even changing things that aren’t “old and stuffy” is a big task.

Don’t find yourself noticing what needs to change, but paralyzed while you’re waiting for the “perfect” climate. Or the “perfect” new small group leader. Or having just the right amount of time. Or having enough resources. Or…well…the “perfect” anything.

And the moment you find the “perfect” situation, be ready…a storm is likely on its heels.

If you’re waiting for everything to line up perfectly, change will never happen.

Where things don’t line up “perfectly,” creativity, collaboration, and hard work more than make up the difference.

Leaders know what changes need to happen. And they go ahead and “plant.” Because if you never plant, you’ll never harvest.

What changes need to happen in your church? In your small group? In your life?

6 reasons not to use Twitter to bash your organization

July 13, 2010 / Ben Reed / 2 Comments

I posted this on Twitter the other day:

Church politics are stupid.

It was based on a conversation I had with a guy about his past experiences with local churches. He had been burned many times, and still carries some of those wounds. It wasn’t based on anything that’s happening in the church where I serve on staff.

I’m all about challenging my system. And I’d encourage you to continually evaluate the effectiveness of your system, too. Tweak it, hack it up, throw it out. Make your system do what you want it to do. Criticize it. Mock it. Stomp on it.

But if you’re a leader in your organization, don’t do it on Twitter.

Why not?

6 reasons to not use Twitter to bash your organization

1. It’s too easy. For me, wisdom doesn’t roll off of my tongue. Stupidity does. If I’m going to say something that’s dumb, it’s going to be because I don’t think before I speak. I just rattle off something without putting diligent thought to my words. Twitter makes it incredibly easy to post whatever you’re thinking. It’s as easy as a text message. And though that’s one of the beauties of social media, it can be one of the uglies when you don’t think before you update. (Which makes me so thankful that social media wasn’t a big deal when I was in high school…because I would have publicly said some dumb things)

2. There’s little accountability. You can fire off an update and then just let it ride. Although there’s the false sense of accountability because Twitter operates on the public sphere, it’s not really accountability. Because you can always wriggle your way out of what you said. “Oh, that was just what I said on Twitter…” And an @reply or a direct message (for you Facebook users, a wall post or a message) is much more easily ignored than a coworker sitting across the table from you.

3. All of the right voices don’t hear it. As much as we Twitterers would like to think, the whole world hasn’t adopted social media. Though it’s changed the landscape of information sharing, not everybody has bought in. And even for people who have bought in, there are varying levels of involvement. Some people check it once/week. Others check it once/hour. Lots and lots of information is shared…and lots and lots of information is never read. If you’ve got some scathing criticism to say about your organization, there are other key leaders who need to hear that…not just your friend from 2nd grade.

4. You’re limited to 140 characters. How would you feel if your boss came into your staff meeting and said, “Can’t believe the decisions our finance team is making! Hope they enjoy getting fired…” and then walked out of the room? You’d want a little more explanation, right? You want more than 140 characters to help you understand where you went wrong, and possible solutions to the problem. There’s too much left up to interpretation when criticisms come through Twitter.

5. You have little control over the conversation. If criticisms are introduced in person, they can be immediately addressed and explained in person. If they are introduced via Twitter, your words are stewed over, conversed, and twisted before you can ever fully explain yourself. It could be days before you are able to sit down with those you criticized, and in the meantime, your words have taken on a life of their own.

6. It could get you fired. Read the story about the Cisco employee HERE.

If you feel the need to be critical of an organization you don’t work for, that’s a different story. I’ve done that…and it’s worked out well. Read my story HERE.

But if you work for, or are a leader in an organization, and you feel the need to be critical, that’s fine…just don’t do it on Twitter.

Greatness isn’t Demanded

July 12, 2010 / Ben Reed / 0 Comments

Don’t demand an audience with the king
or push for a place among the great.
It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table
than to be sent away in public disgrace. (Proverbs 25:6-7)

Anybody can force their way to the “head of the table.” But being at the head of the table doesn’t guarantee you’ll have committed followers. Or that you’re a good leader. Positional leadership doesn’t get you an “audience with the king” (influence). It may get you a seat among the court, but having the ear of his audience takes time. And trust. And respect.

Building trust takes time and effort. When you earn the respect of those you’re called to lead (and don’t simply demand that they follow you), they’re willing to go the extra mile to help accomplish the vision. They’re willing to work hard for you. And they’re willing to give you grace when you fail.

I’ve seen this deficient form of leadership with younger leaders. By God’s grace, they’re given a leadership position. And then, instead of working to build trust among their team (which is made more difficult because, often, those they’re leading are more mature), they demand compliance. “Things are going to change around here. I’m the pastor/teacher/worship pastor/small group leader, etc. What you need to decide is whether or not you are on board. If you’re not on board with the changes, then you can leave.” In their zeal for change, they overlook wisdom. And they damage relationships in the process. They’re “sent away in public disgrace.”

I’ve seen this with older leaders, too. They’ve “pushed for a place among the great” and gotten it. They’ve forced their way into leadership, so when the direction they’re headed is questioned, they see it as a personal threat (instead of a suggestion for healthy growth) and become prickly and defensive. They don’t put up with new, fresh ideas. “Who are you to question my authority?” they say. “You just don’t really know what you’re talking about. When you’ve been around as long as I have…”

Followers who are demanded aren’t really followers. They’re workers. Hired hands. Slaves. And they end up frustrated, bitter, unmotivated, and underutilized.

Build relationships with those you lead. In time, you just might get an invitation to the head of the table.

Are you a leader prone to forcing your way to the table? Have you ever found yourself demanding that people follow you?

Feeling far from Christ

July 8, 2010 / Ben Reed / 0 Comments

Did you know that as soon as you pull the fruit off of the vine, it begins to die? Looking at these cucumbers above, you’d think they were healthy, right? They’re green. They’re huge. They’ve got the little prickly things on them. All evidence points to them being as healthy as any other cucumber. But notice the stem. It’s been pulled off of the vine.

Whether we pickle them or put them in a salad, these cucumbers are going to taste fantastic. They look fine and taste fine…at least for the time being. Wait a week, though, and they’ll look and taste dead. Nobody would eat them at that point. But for now, they look fine.

Since they’ve been removed from the life-giving vine, though, they’re dying. That process can be slowed by putting them in the refrigerator. Or even pickling them. But there’s no doubt that, over time, they’ll be completely dead and shriveled up. Though it’s not visible or tastable now, these cucumbers are dying because they have nothing that’s giving them life.

“I just feel like I’m not where I once was spiritually.”

Ever uttered those words? Ever felt like you’re just not as close to Christ as you once were?

Ever feel like that just came out of nowhere in your life? One day, you and Jesus were inseparable. The next, you felt like there was a wall between the two of you. One day, he seemed as real to you as the chair you’re sitting in. The next, he seemed as real to you as the 2010 pennant that the Cubs will win.

The reason you felt like it crept up on you out of nowhere is the same reason that the cucumber looks fine immediately after taking it from the vine.

It takes a while for it to look and taste dead.

Jesus said:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. -John 15:4-8

The Good News is that you can be grafted right back into that vine (Christ)! The death process doesn’t have to continue. It can end right now if you just ask (Matthew 7:7)

Have you removed yourself from the vine? When did you realize you weren’t connected?

How have you personally plugged back into the vine? What did you do that connected you back with Christ?

**you can see all of the pics of my garden on my Posterous site HERE

Fixers

July 6, 2010 / Ben Reed / 4 Comments

I was running the other afternoon. In southern GA. Along the beach. I’ve got my headphones in, and I’ve been running for ~1 mile. I passed somebody who was walking the other direction on the sidewalk, and she started trying to have a conversation with me. All I picked up was, “Did you know it’s hot out here?”

Nope. Had no idea.

I’ve had people ask me if I knew I had a sunburn. “You should put more sunscreen on.”

I’ve had people tell me that my child is hungry. Tired. Cold. Hot. Ready to go. Wants to stay. Isn’t happy.

I’ve met with other leaders who, the moment we sit down, want to try to diagnose my leadership woes…even though we’ve never spoken before.

Ever met those people who try to fix everything? I do.

It happens in small group, too. You know the person I’m talking about. When a request is shared, they’re they first to offer a solution…not necessarily the first to offer to pray.

And for a long time, that bothered me.

But I’ve got a different perspective to offer. I now see this “fixer” mentality as an extension of the cultural mandate (or creation mandate) given in Genesis 1:28:

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

In addition to God creating the earth, He gave man a directive: fill the earth and subdue it (this is what theologians refer to as the cultural mandate). Rule over the earth on God’s behalf. Bear the image of God by exercising dominion over the earth (just as God himself does). This involves protecting, preserving, repairing, and promoting the health and wellbeing of living things here. In short: make sure things work.

So when something is broken, it should bother us. Whether that’s our house, our pet, our landscaping, the system of government that we find ourselves in, the systems of our organizations, or relationships with others, it should grate against something innate within us when we see brokenness. Because it grates something within God himself. And we are His image-bearers. Which means that when we’re bothered by brokenness, our hearts are in alignment with our Creator.

The small group “fixer” has a heart that is beating like his Creator’s. He sees something that’s not right, and immediately says, “I don’t like that this is broken. Let’s fix it!” Maybe she doesn’t go about it the right way. Maybe he’s too brash in his desire to repair. Maybe she comes across as offensive and unhelpful. Probably their eagerness needs to be tempered with wisdom. Probably they need to exercise grace. Probably they need to be quicker to offer up prayers. Probably they should be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19).

But their hearts are in the right place. And we would do well to remember this.

Ever met a “fixer”? Are you a “fixer”?

How invested are you?

July 5, 2010 / Ben Reed / 0 Comments

Your organization has a mission, right? You’ve been a proponent of the direction that you’re headed. You’ve spoken from stage, written in emails, and shared with team members just how much you believe in the vision that God’s laid on your heart.

But how invested are you, really, in the mission and vision of your organization? To what lengths are you willing to go to carry out that vision? What are you willing to sacrifice in order to do what God’s called you to do?

Is what God’s calling you to do really worth everything you’ve got?

If it’s not worth everything, maybe you need to pray for a bigger dream.

But by the twenty-third year of Joash’s reign, the priests still had not repaired the Temple. So King Joash called for Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them, “Why haven’t you repaired the Temple? Don’t use any more money for your own needs. From now on, it must all be spent on Temple repairs.” So the priests agreed not to accept any more money from the people, and they also agreed to let others take responsibility for repairing the Temple. 2 Kings 12:6-8

Small Group Diversity

June 23, 2010 / Ben Reed / 0 Comments

I have a diverse group of folks in my small group. And by diverse I mean:

single
dating
married
newly divorced
engaged
in college
doctorate degree(s)
masters degree
jobless
no church background
legalistic church background
mature in their faith
not a follower of Christ yet
young
old
past (recent) addiction to drugs
soldiers
spouses of deployed husbands
spouses of church staff (that’s my wife)
poor
wealthy
business-savvy
relationally gifted
extroverted
introverted
white
black
well-connected
struggling to know anybody in the community
parents
grandparents
childless

I absolutely love my small group and the diversity of life that we represent. I’m able to learn from people who are further along in life than me…and from those who are a few stages behind me. I benefit from the life experiences of folks from both ends of the spectrum.

But I don’t think it’s a right/wrong thing if you don’t have a “diverse” group. Maybe your group is comprised of all married couples. Or everybody who likes to ride bikes. Or parents of young children. Or older people. Or people who are divorced. Or widowed. Or single. Or mature in their faith.

Maybe you do life together with those who are similar to you. They look like you. They make as much money as you. They talk like you. They live like you. They think like you. They go to the same soccer tournaments as you.

To me, that’s pretty vanilla. But maybe that’s what you’re looking for.

Regardless, you need diversity in your life. Read this:

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. (Titus 2:3-8)

Though we may be drawn to people like us, we need influence from people not like us. The early church recognized this. They saw the need for older women’s influence on younger women. Older women have worked through the issues that younger women are drowning in. And if older women don’t step up to the plate and begin investing in younger women, the younger will drown. We young men need to see older men living a godly life. We need to hear sound teaching. We need to be shown how a God-fearing man should honor his wife. And raise his children. And be self-controlled in the whole process.

Whether or not it happens in small group is of little consequence: you must build it into your life. Because we tend to be blind to our own shortfalls.

What’s your small group like? Is it diverse? Or are you a bunch of clones?

In small groups, do you prefer a diverse group of people or ones who are in the same life stages?

Snake Handling

June 21, 2010 / Ben Reed / 6 Comments

I’m currently reading Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia by Dennis Covington.

Before you’re too quick to write off snake handling, read this passage in Mark:

He [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mark 16:15-18)

What are your thoughts on snake handling? Is it really an expression of a closeness with the Holy Spirit, an unwavering commitment to the Great Commission, and a sign of the presence of Christ in a person’s life?

The way you answer that question says a lot about your hermeneutic.

Leave a comment below and I’ll send you a free, highly poisonous rattlesnake.