Garden Living•26,246ft
“Put aside the ranger. Become who you were born to be.”
- Elrond to Aragorn in The Return of the King
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
Jeremiah 17: 8
Powerlessness Theme.
This isn’t just a minor theme in Jesus’ life. He shows a remarkable dependence on his heavenly Father. Notice that on the one hand Jesus is confident and bold with people, yet when he talks about his heavenly Father he is childlike and dependent.
Childlike Theme.
Notice the childlike tone of Jesus’ comment. Once when the disciples were arguing in Matthew 18:1-3, Jesus said they needed to be like little children. So Jesus both tells us to be like little children and models for us what it means to be a little child.
Faith.
What we’re seeing here is a description of Jesus’ faith. We think of Jesus as a model for love but not for faith. But Jesus models what faith feels and looks like! Faith feels like weakness with regard to ourselves.
Listen to these other comments of Jesus:
John 6:38. “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.”
John 7:28 “I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know because I am from him and he sent me.”
John 8:28 “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know who I am and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.”
In other words, this isn’t just a throwaway comment from Jesus. This describes Jesus’ whole life. Dependence—that is, faith—shapes and empowers honesty and compassion. The opposite is also true. Self-will twists and distorts our honesty and our compassion.
Jesus Says “No” To His Brothers
Read John 7 :1-9 — The Feast of Tabernacles
After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” For not even his brothers believed in him. Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” After saying this, he remained in Galilee.
Historical Background The Feast of Tabernacles
The feast that the brothers are talking about is the Feast of Tabernacles. There were three great feasts in Israel: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. During the three feasts the population of Jerusalem would swell to as much as a million according to Josephus (although most scholars question this high num-ber). This would certainly have been the largest concentration of Jews anywhere in the world. The Feast of Tabernacles, or Booths, was the greatest of the three feasts. It was celebrated to commemorate the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt and wanderings in the desert. The Jews would make little booths or “tabernacles” and live in them for seven days. Stricter Orthodox Jews still practice this today.
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They want Jesus to be famous.
Jesus’ brothers were giving him a lesson in basic marketing. Being in the spotlight at the feast would have been the first-century equivalent of getting the opportunity to go on Larry King Live. Jesus could greatly expand his market share by showing off his miracles.
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They assume he wants to be a public figure.
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Because that’s what most people want. Everyone else wants to be famous, to receive the cheers of the crowds.
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Those aren’t Jesus’ goals. He’s not motivated by the lust for fame.
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Glory, fame for themselves.
If Jesus becomes famous, his brothers might get some cushy jobs in the administration: head of the turnpike commission, for example. The state of New Jersey, in addition to the Department of Transportation, has a separate commission for the Atlantic City Expressway and another for the Garden State Parkway, each with its own highly paid commissioner. Why? The governor gives the jobs as rewards to his political cronies.
Historical Background Shame/Honor Culture
This natural tendency of the human heart is further reinforced by the shame/honor culture of the Ancient Near East, in which one’s identity was intertwined with one’s family. Individuals had no separate identity apart from family. Every social transaction accrued either honor or shame on the family. Honor has always been in short supply. If Jesus became famous, then his brothers would get free honor for themselves.
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These are all “no-name” places.
Historical Background Backwater Towns
The places that Jesus goes—such as Bethsaida, Nain, Nazareth, and Capernaum—are backwater towns. The biggest cities in Galilee, Tiberius and Sepphoris, aren’t even mentioned.1 He’s clearly avoiding the limelight.
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He says, “My time has not yet come.”
Jesus and Time
Time in the Gospel of John. John, in particular, records Jesus’ usage of this phrase. According to John, Jesus’ time is shaped and controlled by his heavenly Father. He does nothing on his own. All through the book of John, in almost every chapter, a clock is ticking. The clock stops at Jesus’ death when Jesus says, “It is finished.” The time when Jesus is on the cross—not some man-centered seeking of fame—is his time of glory.
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Since they aren’t submitting to God’s will, any time becomes “right” for them. They appear to be completely free.
Jesus is Controlled
It’s amazing to see Jesus’ response to his brothers’ Marketing 101 strategy. Jesus is the most controlled person who ever lived. While all of us hate anything that smacks of control, Jesus couldn’t imagine life without it. In fact, he doesn’t “do life” unless he’s completely in tune with his Father.
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They’re in bondage to their own lusts, their own desire for fame and glory.
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He’s freed from the opinions of other people. So he’s free to say “no” to others.
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As ignoring his family, disrespecting or bringing shame on his family.
Bondage
We have seen this Truth on Climb29. We see it most clearly walking away from Inner Circle forever. Paul the Apostle tells us that the person who sins is a slave to sin (Romans 6:20ff). We have all felt this bondage and why we fought so hard to break it.
The Praise of Men
John 5: 41-42
I do not receive glory from people. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.
John 5: 44
How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
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Jesus doesn’t live for (or care about) the praises of people.
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Jesus has the love of God in his heart. He knows God loves him.
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If we have God’s approval, then we don’t need the approval of other people.
Look at John 5:19 again.
Jesus is helpless only under certain conditions. Jesus would be helpless only if he were on his own.
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It would destroy love. His miracles would be manipulations for power.
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We’re constantly told not to be helpless, but to find power in ourselves. Jesus has no power in himself.
Could this be why our world is so powerless now? Could this be why our world has lost its way?
A Self-Will Story
Bob takes out the trash each week, but he forgot to do it last week, and then again this week. He’s usually good about taking out the trash, but Sue tells him, “Honey, you forgot to take out the trash again.” She says the word “again” with emphasis and a little irritation. This is a small, insignificant story, but most of our lives are lived in small moments like this. As with any story, there are two sides to it, but for the sake of this discus-sion, let’s focus on Sue.
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She wants to make sure he doesn’t forget.
Underlining his failure—that is, shaming him—might keep him from forgetting.
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God.
Her Frame of Mind
Her frame of mind is, “If I don’t say ‘again,’ then he’ll keep forgetting. If I don’t show him this is becoming a pattern, I’ll be doing the trash regularly.” Notice the underlying assumption: “It all depends on me. If I don’t show him, no one else will.” God is completely absent from her thinking. In the absence of God’s active intervention, she believes her husband must hear her words; otherwise it feels like she’ll be swallowed up by her husband’s forgetfulness. She speaks on her own, using the word ‘again’ to control her husband.
Self-will is like a skunk in the basement of a beautiful house. No matter how beautiful the living room, or how fun the party, the smell permeates the whole house.
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It’s fun to show someone else his sin. We look better because we weren’t bad, but the other person was.
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Saying the word “again” makes us feel good. It provides a foundation and security for our lives.
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Herself.
“For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.”
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It’s the exact opposite of “I do nothing on my own.” She’s using her words to achieve her will and make herself look good.
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It would shame him. It would anger him if shaming him were to become a pattern.
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Either change the tone of the word “again” or drop it.
Do some “beam research”—first asking herself if she had forgotten anything lately.
Quietly take out the trash on her own, without saying anything. This kind of silent love is always noticed by God.
Quietly forbear. Love doesn’t keep a record of wrongs.
None of this means that she couldn’t talk to her husband if his forgetfulness were to become a pattern.
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Share with the Climbers
In closing . . .
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Sherpa, write the answers everyone has said on a board for everyone to see and share.
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Sherpa, write everyone’s answers down.
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Sherpa, write the answers down for everyone to see.
6.1
Living in Dependance
“I can’t do anything by myself. I can only do what I see my dad doing.”
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Very trusting, and doesn’t have much confidence in himself.
Co-dependent.
Doesn’t have his own personality.
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Probably young. It’s a very youthful, childlike way of speaking.
Read this and respond as a group
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John 5:19
“I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”
John 5:30
“By myself I can do nothing…”
I’m Shocked!
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We don’t think of Jesus as being helpless or not having power.
6.2
Reinforce a Life of Dependance:
Living On Prayer
Resting in Truth
Let’s start today’s time differently. We are going be quiet, and pray silently before God. Let’s take some time and pray now.
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Sherpa, write the answers everyone has said on a board for everyone to see and share.
It went slowly
Felt like a long time
A little too long without any warning
It was hard to stay focused
I ran out of things to pray for -
Sherpa, write everyone’s answers down.
My head was wandering
It was hard to stay focused
I was ok for a little, but after a while, I started thinking of other things
Sometimes, when my head wanders and I’m quiet, bad thoughts can come. -
Sherpa, write the answers down for everyone to see.
Why is this taking so long
What is the point?
I’m a little bored
It’s nice to be quiet
Sherpa, compare what everyone said at the end of last week with what we just shared.
Put last weeks answers on the left, and the answers from today on the right.
< Last weeks asnwers
This weeks asnwers >
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Sherpa, write the answers everyone has said on a board for everyone to see and share.
There is a crazy disconnect
I love Him; yet I struggle talking to Him is nuts
It feels from this that I don’t know Him, but I know that I do. -
Sherpa, write everyone’s answers down.
Something needs to change.
I know this isn’t how I feel, but when I pray (talk with Jesus) there is definitely a disconnect happening.
Learning to pray is the first step of living in Dependance
When I stopped going Inner Circle, and I knew it was behind me, one of my first feelings was, “How am I going to remember everything I learned? How is this going to stay with me? How am I going to stay in the place of freedom and victory?” I had a panic, a real panic, that I knew, on my own, it would be a matter of time until I lost sight of what Jesus taught me and I would hear the voice of evil again pulling me back into my old ways.
It was then I learned how to pray.
I learned through, A Praying Life, by Paul Miller, that without help and structure my desire to pray would fade because I didn’t know how to approach living in prayer without help. I needed tools.
I pray all the time now. But not because I’m some great Godly man, no way. I pray because I need it. It’s water and bread to me. I can’t image not having my prayer cards and my quiet time with Jesus as a safe place to vent, scream, mourn, ask, take notes, breath, listen, remember . . . my prayer cards mark an amazing journey in my life and the more I pray and document, I see the Hand of God in my life. My faith grows. My muscles against evil have continued to grow and mature after the climb, not get weaker.
God uses my prayer time in a way where I covet that time and protect it. I went from no prayer life, to after seeing Jesus work in me on the Climb, a need for a prayer life.
If daily prayer and submission to God isn’t a part of your life, it’s only a matter of time until Inner Circle is a part of your story again.
Jesus’ Life Is Shaped by Prayer
Let us look now at how prayer shaped Jesus’ life and can shape ours as well.
Luke 5:15-16—Jesus Withdraws to Pray
But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
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If he were God, then we’d think he wouldn’t have to pray, but could just be in contact with God by osmosis. He would be hardwired to his Father.
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He heard from The Father
He was refocused
He found clairty
He could relax, be himself
It was a place of rest, often in pain
“If I don’t start praying, it’s only a matter of time until, years later, evil comes at me in the right place and time and I go Inner Circle again.”
John Miller’s Journal, 2016
Don't nobody wanna pray
Till they got something to pray for
NF, Dear God
Praying Tool: Prayer Cards
Prayer cards are very simple. They help you keep focused while you pray. They are simple 3x5 cards that:
Each card has a topic (wife, a child, work, something you are stressed about, etc)
Each card is simple. Just write or bullet what it is you want to bring to Jesus
Each card can have a verse, or maybe you have a verse that strikes you that you want to read everyday and pray through.
When Jesus answers a prayer you have, take notes on your card. Highlight the answer and write a date next to it, documenting God’s work in your story
As your needs grow and change, make new cards, add cards, replace cards. This is your story.
Each morning, read the cards as your prayer time. Read your cards to God, praying through them. Go as slow or fast as you want. Somedays, I move through my cards quickly. Other days, I move through them slowly or in different parts.
I have to protect my time of prayer. I don’t care when you do it, but choose the time and protect it. Don’t move it around. I find moving prayer times around makes it harder to protect. I wake up 30 min earlier now than I normally would. I use that time to get coffee and pray. I love it.
Examples of Prayer Cards
My First Prayer Cards
This is my first ever prayer card. I wrote it when I was worried about keeping the progress and hard work that I did in my own Climb29. I thought about all the things I learned in Climb29 and wrote these main points of what hit me the hardest that I needed to keep in front to me to hear Jesus in my story. This card, 10 years later, is a daily blessing and a kick in Evil’s pants. It’s precious to me. I will reach out and send LifeLines all the time because this card.
This prayer card is my second. On the left I wrote what I learned about how Evil has used my story against me. On the right, is what I learned about embracing, believing and following Jesus’ story for me. Evil’s attack on me is so real, that this card is a critical daily read for me. It’s humbling to remember where I came from. It’s wonderful to walk away from it everyday.
This is my first verse that I wanted to pray through everyday. Instead of going Inner Circle and living for myself, I am controlled by the Spirit and out of the Spirit comes the miracle of Love, Joy, Peace . . . what gifts! I am reminded of the J-Curve and that my flesh, passions and desires all need to die on the J-Curve. I’m reminded to keep it up, keep in step, and keep climbing any mountain God has me conquer.
Working Through the Desert in Prayer Cards
There are two cards here, both are for my wife Pam. My sister Ashley had just died. My sister was an amazing follower of Jesus and at 42 to begged God to save her from Cancer, to keep her life, her marriage, and above all as a mom, she wanted to see her three amazing kids grow up ages 16, 14 and 11. Pam’s faith was crushed as a mom watching God not answer Ashley. When Ashley died, a part of all of us died. For Pam, she was rocked to the core. I knew I had no words for her because I didn’t have them for myself. So I wrote this card. Then, I took another card, blank, and I put it in faith behind the painful card. I told God I would write answers to the prayer on the blank card. In 6 months the first side was full. The next 6 months the back of that card was full. I don’t pray them anymore. God moved. God worked. And these cards are still daily cards where I hear God whisper, “I am here. I am listening. I am working.” They are sacred.
Here is a prayer card for a young girl in my life. Her life has been hard. You can see a crazy list here I bring to God each morning for her. And when God answers, I update the card. It’s a great example of unanswered prayers in progress mixed in with lots of amazing answers.
My First Climb29 Prayer Card
My next Climb29 Prayer Card
All of my Climb29 Prayer Cards!
Types of Prayer Cards
A guide from seeJesus.net
SAMPLE STACK OF CARDS: This is a suggested list only. Customize your set of cards for your burdens and your life.
4-10 Family Cards (one card for each person).
1-3 People Suffering Cards.
1 Friends Card.
1 Non-Christian Card.
1 My Church's Leadership (pastor, elders, etc).
1-3 My Small Group.
1 Missionary, Service Work.
1-3 World Issues, Things that burden me.
1 Co-Workers.
1-3 Work Cards (projects or problems at work).
3-4 Repentance Cards.
3-4 Hope Cards.
Verses for Prayer Cards to Help You Get Going
A guide from seeJesus.net
BLESSING
3 John 2
CHILDREN, OBEDIENCE
Ephesians 6:1
CHILDREN, PROMISES
Isaiah 38:19; 49:25; 59:21; 65:23
CHILDREN, LOST
Isaiah 43:6; 49:12; 60:4
COMFORT
Psalm 23
DELIGHT IN ANOTHER PERSON
Philippians 4;8
I Thessalonians 1:2
Il Timothy 1:4
DIRECTION
Isaiah 42:16; 45:3; 52:12
DIVORCED, LONELY
Isaiah 54:4
GUILT
Isaiah 40:2; 44:22
Psalm 103:12; 130:3,4
IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS
Isaiah 41:10
Habakkuk 3:17-19
FAITH
Matthew 17:19-21
Mark 9:22-24
Luke 22:32
John 20:27
Romans 4:19,20, 11:20, 12:2
II Corinthians 11:3
Hebrews 11:1,6
REPENTANCE: SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS
I Peter 3:18
Luke 10:29
REPENTANCE: SELF-WILL
Psalm 19:13
John 4:34, 5:19, 6:38, 7:6, 16,28,
8:28,42, 12:49,50
REPENTANCE: WAITING
Isaiah 30:1,15
Proverbs 14:8
REPENTANCE, WAITING IN SUFFERING
Psalm 37:7
Lamentations 3:19-26
REPENTANCE: WORRY
Matthew 6:25-34
STRESS
Matthew 11: 28-30
I Peter 5:7, 10-11
SPOUSE
Micah 6:8
I Peter 3:1-7
Ephesians 4:22-32
FORGIVENESS, FORBEARANCE
Romans 15:7
Ephesians 4:2
Colossians 3:12,13
I Peter 4:8
LOST, UNCONVERTED FRIENDS OR FAMILY
Isaiah 52:7, 10
Psalm 57:5
MARRIAGE
Isaiah 62:4
MONEY/FINANCE
Proverbs 3:9-10
Proverbs 6:6-8
Matthew 6:19-24
Mark 12:43-44
Luke 12:15
Romans 8:32
2 Corinthians 9:6-11
PASSION FOR GOD
Psalm 27:4, 37:4, 63:1
PROMISE, HOPE, MERCY
Isaiah 42:6,7, 45:2,3, 55:1
Habakkuk 3:2
Romans 8:37-39, 15:13
PROTECTION
Psalm 32:6, 7; 35; 91; 121
Isaiah 43:2
REPENTANCE: ANGER
Proverbs 12:16, 14:29, 15:18, 19:11, 20:3,
Ephesians 4:26,31,32
REPENTANCE: APPROVAL SEEKING
Galatians 1:10
John 5:41, 42, 44
SUFFERING
Psalm 34:18
Isaiah 40:30,31
Romans 5:3-5
I Peter 4:12,13; 5:10
Hebrews 10:36
James 1:2,3,12
SICKNESS & HEALING
Isaiah 61:1-3
Psalm 116
WEARY, BEAT DOWN
Isaiah 40:28-31
WORK
Ephesians 6:7,8
Colossians 3:17,22-24
WORK, WORKING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE
Daniel 4:37
Teach:
Jesus is the last person we’d think would need the Bible. We half expect him to receive cosmic vibrations! If he were so God-connected, he’d be able to move on to deeper things. Instead, what we find is that Jesus was saturated with the Old Testament, with God’s Word. He was clinging to holy words when he was dying on the cross. Jesus was modeling for us how to be dependent on God. We do it by being saturated with the Word of God.
Garden Intimacy Turns into a snoozer
One of my main reasons for going Inner Circle was a feeling of rejection from my wife combined with pressures that I faced in life. There were times I went Inner Circle, feeling totally justified, thinking of myself being rejected by my wife sexually.
But when I began to change, I started praying and reading the Word. As I prayed more, I read the Bible more. And part of my prayer time started including verses that were sticking out to me more and more.
One verse was from 1 Peter.
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel.
1 Peter 3: 7a
One night, my wife and I talked about being intimate and were on the same page in a great way. As we got into bed, I asked if she wanted me to massage her back from a hard day of work. As you can imagine, she was excited and loved the tenderness and attention to her hard day. And as I massaged her, she fell asleep.
It’s these moments something really quick happens: I feel disappointment that what we talked about, Garden Intimacy, didn’t happen, but I was also reminded of the Scripture I had just read and made a prayer card. I could feel Jesus next to me say, “John, live with Pam in an understanding way, showing her honor”.
When she fell asleep, I pulled the blankets up, covered her, and went to bed. And when she woke up the next day, Jesus was still at work in me, freeing me to love her and not approach her in neediness. Pam was so used to “big baby John” the night after a disappointment, that when she woke up and faced a husband loving her and unconcerned about himself, she was free to be herself. Pam was free to feel rested and cared for.
Let’s also not ignore that Peter calls the woman, “the weaker vessel”. My wife is strong and wise, not a weakling at all. But what God is getting at is that in our man created bodies and personalities, when we don’t get what we want, we are overbearing, strong in bad ways, making our wives submit to serving us sexually because of our “needs”. We have the power to force our wives to “love” us; or we have the power to love our wives as God has called us.
This is what God’s Word is transforming.
The Word operates like a lens to help me see myself as well as the situation I’m in.
God’s Word:
live with Pam in an understanding way, showing her honor
V
Guidance from God
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We are stubborn
We want what we want
We run from pain normally
I don’t know what to do in a hard situation
We’re not sure what God’s will is, or how to find it out.
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Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn…” Jesus quoting Isaiah 61: 2,3
Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek…” — Jesus quoting Psalm 37: 11
Matthew 22:37 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” — Jesus quoting Deuteronomy 6:5
Matthew 22: 39 “Love your neighbor as yourself…” — Jesus quoting Leviticus 19:18
Matthew 27:46 “My God, my God…” —Jesus on the cross clinging to Psalm 22:1
As you can see, Jesus’ teaching was imbedded in the Old Testament. Jesus didn’t just mechanically quote Scripture; he interpreted all of life through the lens of his Father’s Word. For example, Jesus didn’t say we’re to love our enemies because it’s a nice thing to do. Rather, we’re to love our enemies because that’s what his Father does (Matthew 5:45).
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Since Jesus is God, we’d think he’d have a direct modem to His Father, and He wouldn’t need intermediaries like the Bible.
6.3
Reinforce a Life of Dependance:
Living in God’s Word
Feeding on Truth
Problem:
Pam fell asleep
V
My Thought:
Love Pam, understand Pam, show her honor as the weaker vessel
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Love:
Instead of Old John Anger, I am now free to love. I need to let Pam sleep, she needs rest, and I will be fine.
We are Programmed for Divine Words
The Bible.
Many look down on Scripture-reading today. Homes that do have Bibles often just keep them on a shelf. Our culture is no longer aware of the Bible. The intellectual and media elites who guide our country look down on the Bible as an old-fashioned hangover from a primitive society.3 But don’t all of us cling to words to give meaning to our lives?
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Celebreties
Social Media
News
Podcasts
Political Pundits
Scientists
Psychologists look to the writings of Freud, Jung, or whomever they follow.
Marxists look to the words of Marx.
Evolutionists look to Darwin.
College students/professors look to “the literature.” (University professors refer to “the literature” almost with reverence. The term is just short-hand for the current thinking—usually journal articles—in a particular field.)
“Human beings…dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible player.”
Albert Einstein
“Programmed by Holy Words.”
Linguists and anthropologists have come to realize that we’re pre-programmed for words. We’re not a blank slate, or tabula rasa, as John Locke thought during the 18th century Enlightenment. In fact, we’re programmed not only for words but also for authoritative words with which to shape our lives. We need words to make sense out of the chaos of this world.
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We clung to news - everything shut down as we looked for hope and meaning
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We hunger for meaning.
We need direction.
We’re easily swayed.
Events don’t arrive complete with their own meaning. They don’t come with a footnote on the screen explaining why they’re happening. Without words to define their meaning, events are meaningless.
Not only does Jesus soak in Scripture and let it shape his life, but he also contributes to the creation of the Bible. Here are some examples:
He claims the authority to write new commandments (John 13:34).
He overturns the Mosaic “an eye for an eye” with a simple “but I say unto you” (Matthew 5:38-39).
People marvel that he teaches as one who has authority, in sharp contrast to the rabbis who were constantly quoting other rabbis. (Matthew 7:28-29).
He puts his own words on par with Scripture. They are eternal: “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35)—an incredible claim by a first century Jewish peasant. His words are a prophecy that proves the Bible, the very power of Jesus’ words:
The Bible is the all-time best seller in the history of the world.
Every year the Bible is the best seller.
For the disciple John, Jesus wasn’t just an example of a man devoted to the words of God but a man who was the Word of God (John 1:1), whose life was an open door to understanding what God is like. Jesus’ words aren’t just good advice, but Scripture, divine words. Jesus, always the disrupter, refuses to let us be neutral about him—even now.
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Spend time sharing clear examples
Reading God’s word Shapes Your prayer Time & Your Prayer Time Shapes How you Read God’s word
The first thing I learned was that to keep evil away from my New Garden I had to pray. And as I prayed I saw my need to guidance from God and started reading the Bible everyday. And as I read the Bible, I would make prayer cards of verses that stuck out to me of things I was praying for.
The two are connected: Prayer and God’s Word. You have to do both.
When struggling to know how to love Pam better, I wrote down verses I felt God wanted me to hear and pray over Pam and I each morning.
When Pam, rightfully, pointed out my sin of anger, I added these prayer cards to help me slow down, fill myself with the Spirit and allow the Spirit to help transform my anger into gentleness.
When I was teaching Climb29 groups, I became so overwhelmed with God’s Word speaking into my story, I wrote this card and LOVE reading it everyday. Reading this card is a daily joy for me. A total reset.
When more Climb29 groups started adding I had two thoughts, 1) Praise God! and 2) What am I getting into! I hope this doesn’t fail! Thankfully, prayer is a wonderful place to take those concerns. Here is a prayer card I have for me and all the Sherpas. I love praying this card daily.
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Jesus, John 6: 35
Church is Messy
I don’t know many people who haven’t been frustrated, hurt and in some ways even felt used by the Church. I have felt this in my life too. As a Youth Pastor, Young Adult Pastor and a very involved volunteer over the last 30 years, I have seen and experienced a lot of pain and frustration myself.
Pain in small churches that are too ingrown and aren’t changing.
Pain in large churches that are too focused on how they look and people aren’t being discipled.
Pain of feeling used.
Pain of feeling unseen.
Christianity kept me from Christ. I have spent the rest of my life climbing back toward faith and climbing back toward Church.
- Philip Yancy
I relate to the church rather like a flying buttress: I support it from the outside.
- Winston Churchill
They pounded nails into his hands. After that, well, everyone wore hats.
- Anne Sexton
Even Paul complained!
1 Corinthians 11: 17
In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.
Discuss
What frustrates or has frustrated you about Church? What are some of your pains, disappointment and discouragements?
Mature followers of Jesus Surrender to the Beauty & Pain of the Local Church
The bottom line is that the Church is the body of Christ. Jesus died for the Church. He loved the Church. Jesus restarted the Church, through Him, to be spread throughout the world.
1 Corinthians 12: 12 - 20; 27
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Paul urged us not to give up meeting as a body.
Hebrews 10: 24-25
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
We should not give up on the Church
God is the ultimate judge of hypocrisy in the church, I decided; I would leave such judgement in God’s capable hands. I began to relax and grow softer, more forgiving of others. After all, who has a perfect spouse, or prefect parents or children? We do not give up on the institution of family because of its imperfections - why give up on the church?
- Philip Yancey
I started attending Church because the service was so horrible I knew there must be something else there to make people come.
- Flannery O’Connor
Whenever I abandon church for a time, I find that I am the one who suffers. My faith fades, and the crusty shell of lovelessness grows over me again. I grow colder rather than hotter. And so my journeys away from church have always circled back inside.
-Philip Yancey
So why Church? What was God doing?
A community of People other than your family, A diverse community (they aren’t all like you)
One of the best things about Church is that you don’t pick who comes. Because of this amazing diversity, people of all colors, classes, backgrounds and perspectives come together. One of my most beautiful experiences of this was at Living Word. They had started a Single Adult Ministry and a group of 40 of us attended on a regular basis. Of that 40, about 20 of us became very close. We would hold game nights at our homes. White color. Blue color. Young and single. Old and single. It was an amazing mix of people I never would have chosen on my own. They all showed me Jesus in new ways.
Church is Lead by an Ordained Person who knows what they are talking about
One of the beauty’s of Church is this amazing structure of seminaries that help educate and lead our pastors. I went to seminary for a year and dropped out because I felt it was useless for my story at the time. So much of it felt irrelevant to the work I wanted to do helping people with real problems. I totally get that our seminary system and the people who graduate don’t always assure us that they are ready to lead us through life’s challenges.
However, there is a profound beauty to leaders being on the same page Theologically through all the amazing various and different denominations that reflect the beauty of Jesus differently.
When my best friend Tim was ordained, it was a beautiful and Holy moment. Tim studied. Tim worked. Tim was tested. And Tim had to stand before the 4 C’s and withstand days of being checked, drilled and challenged to see if he was fit to lead a Church in the name of Jesus.
It was intense. And it was also beautiful. The Church is worth loving, protecting and caring for. Because of Tim’s hard work, he’s an amazing Pastor and his congregation is flourishing even though hard times.
The Core of the Church needs to be right
The main vision of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church is amazing. Essentials Unity, Non essentials diversity and all things charity.
Essentials unity
Does the body you attend all agree on the main essentials of following Jesus? Do they hold you accountable? Do they hold each other accountable? Are these taught and followed?
Non essentials diversity
Does the body understand what the non essentials are and they allow for differences? Do you as followers understand the freedom of diversity in non essentials?
All things charity
Does the body allow grace and truth towards each other?
The Church should be alive!
Church should look like a maternity ward if it’s healthy. Is your church healthy? If not, how is God calling you to help it change to become like Jesus? Could God be calling you to go to a different church that is alive if yours isn’t?
New life - A baby being born! Are people coming to faith at your church and being baptized on a regular basis? If your church is large, is the amount of people becoming followers of Jesus comparable to the size of the church?
There is a Doctor in the room. Does your church have a pastor, trained, educated, mentored and ordained by peers to lead a Church? This will become clear when evil attacks your church - are you trained and ready to defend the gospel, share the gospel and be transformed by the Gospel? Are people at your church growing and deepening their faith?
Clueless Dad - someone who doesn’t know why they are in the room. Does your church have people who want to belong, but are new to the faith and trying to figure life out? Is your church a safe place for people to be discipled and trained?
Nurses - trained professionals that support the work of the Doctor. Does your church revolve around your senior pastor? Or is there a healthy support system so it’s not all about the Pastor? Are there people at your church so invested that they are helping the Pastor move the mission of the church forward?
Janitors - people to clean up. Does your church have people that love others so much they are willing to get dirty and do the hard work of sharing and being the gospel to others? Are people willing to work at the cost of their own dignity?
Pain, suffering loss - not every birth lives. Does your church grieve loss with each other? Is your church a safe place to be sad and find Jesus in that sadness?
Joy - there is nothing greater in life than new life. Does your church celebrate life together? Is your church a safe place to rejoice, set back and have a wonderful feast with each other?
Eugene Peterson on Church
I find this clip below so beautiful, I pull it up from time to time just to hear it playing in the background. Please, relax and enjoy this amazing man of God share about Church and Transformation with Jesus.
6.4
Reinforce a Life of Dependance:
Church Community
Submitting to Truth
I want to be honest about one of my greatest concerns coming to the summit of Mt. Everest in Climb29. It’s about change.
My grandfather, Jack Miller, was a great man who did a lot of great things. Things I’m extremely proud of. Because of Jack Miller, Grace Theology was forever changed. Because of Jack Miller, thousands came to know Jesus and millions are growing as a result of Jesus at work through Jack Miller.
He started the New Life Churches in Philadelphia. He wrote 11 books. He started World Harvest Mission, now known as Serge. Granddad was a short but strong man. His legacy, love for Jesus, and his knowledge was just amazing.
When Grandad died in 1996, I remember carrying his casket with my cousins, seeing thousands at his funeral. I wasn’t one of the people who cried that day. I didn’t know him. Grandad knew and loved the church. One thing he did poorly was love his own grandkids. He never knew me, apart from short times here or there.
I was lamenting with my dad about it and dad’s comments have stayed with me as I struggle through what happens to men as we get older.
Grandad was an Atheist and became a radical follower of Jesus. That was change #1.
Grandad then discovered Grace and lead the Church in the 70’s and 80’s in a radical change into the Grace Movement. That was change #2.
Grandad was faced with his sin of Pride, Arrogance and his inability to love people around him in the same way that he loved the church. Grandad loved the Church, but struggled to love people, right down to his own family. But he wasn’t able to see this. Change #3 was too much for him.
My dad said to me, “I’m not sure how many radical changes that people are able to experience. Change #3 was too much for him. It’s sad. It’s also a reminder of our need for constant change. Do you and I have a limit of when we can no longer be transformed?”
This lesson was written with that in mind. What do we need in our lives to keep change front and center? Can we, at the end of our time, have people look back and say, “wow, this man used to be addicted to porn and masturbation, and after that change became real, he never stopped being transformed.”
This is my dream.
That we never stop transforming.
Living in Repentance
Where am I wrong?
We are on this journey because the Spirit was pulling us into getting help and turning from our sins. We call this repentance. Repentance is a word that we use in Church, but mostly we use it for people who start the journey of following Jesus. But our lives should be marked by constant repentance. As long as we are living this side of heaven, God’s Spirit is inside of us, pushing us out of darkness and into light.
We should never stop repenting.
We keep our hearts open to repentance when we are open to others, open to feedback, encouraging feedback, praying, studying God’s Word and living next to Jesus in a way where we are constantly facing our own shortcomings and going after them.
What sins in our lives does Jesus long to change? What sins are we aware of and aren’t doing anything about? What sins are we praying against? What sins are others praying with us against?
This journey should be the very start of radical change in your life. Not the only radical change.
2 Chronicles 7: 14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Living in Humility
Where am I weak?
Lasting victory is a strange thing. There is this tension I have felt between being proud of the work that God did in me, and being proud of myself. The only way I can explain this tension is in a story.
Each time Evil comes after me I am tempted to hide, downplay and keep the details far from my fellow climbers. Each time there is a battle, “Do I really open up about all of this? Do I have to?” and each time I open up I’m so thankful I did expose my own brokenness. God always meets me in my humility, but my humility never comes naturally. I feel like it’s so often a difficult choice.
Another thing is that I lead a lot of great groups of men, who because of what Climb29 is doing, have looked up to me on this journey. I openly and quickly share about God’s work and lead with little hesitation. And there are times when I lead too quickly. There are times when I take my own experience and blindly apply it to other men without asking questions. I am so quick to go into my own story and find advice and I am so slow to go to Jesus, slowly, and take my time with men on their own unique journey.
I struggle, all the time, with humility.
And being humble is where God meets us. It’s how we changed and how we will continue to change.
1 Peter 5: 5
In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
Jonathan Edwards
We must view humility as one of the most essential things that characterizes true Christianity.
Living in Death
Where am I Dying?
I wish dying to myself came natural. I wish J-Curves, in time, would get easier. Maybe they do. But so far, for me they don’t. Walking with Jesus in this life means we have to follow Him into death, again and again and again . . . forever. We will follow Jesus into J-Curves until we breathe our last breath on earth.
In J-Curves, we struggle to enter them willingly. That’s our first problem.
In J-Curve, after we choose to enter them (willingly or not), we almost always regret the choice as the death becomes harder and harder.
Then we wish we could go back to the top and ask why we entered this in the first place.
We should always be dying and rising with Jesus. This is our calling. This is where life comes from. This is how Jesus grows in us. Where is Jesus asking you to die? Where is your next Love J-Curve? Where are we living in the death and resurrection with Jesus?
This verse from Philippians 3: 10 is core.
This is us.
Philippians 3: 10
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Living in The Mirror
Where am I Weird? Where am I Gifted?
We spent so much time looking in the mirror, the temptation is that you feel like you saw it all. But we haven’t.
Each of us in this room is extremely gifted to do great things for the Glory of God. What are those things? Are you cultivating those things? Who is validating them in your life, or are you validating yourself?
Each of us in this room is extremely weird and full of obstacles that make the Glory of God a bit fuzzy when people see us. Are you addressing those things? Who is speaking into your life about these things? How are you addressing them?
We must never, ever, grow tired of looking in the mirror and doing the hard work of becoming like Jesus.
2 Corinthians 12: 7b-10
Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Living in The light
Where am I tempted to hide?
Hiding for all of us came so naturally. We’ve all been hiding for so long it’s second nature. This journey was the opposite of that. We brought it all out into the light.
Remember all the embarrassing things we shared? the kind of Porn you looked at? Sending a LifeLine after acting out? Sending a LifeLine in preoccupation? Praying over the space of your struggle? Everything we did was to bring us out of The Cave and into the Light. Into the Garden.
How is your Garden going to protect it’s light? How are you going to choose to maintain living in the light?
John 1: 7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Living in Christ
Where Is my identity?
There is no greater love than knowing Jesus deeper and deeper. And knowing Jesus means that we will know how much He sees and loves us. The two are inseparable. Each of us are going to leave and think we know Jesus without spending the same kind of intense time that we have been. How are you going to walk with Jesus, be transformed by Him and get to know Him even more?
What are you doing to cultivate this?
How are you going to realign your Identity to Jesus after this group stops meeting?
How are you going to cultivate knowing Jesus?
How are you going to walk next to Him?
Luke 3: 22
and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Living in Prudence
Where Will I always Stay away?
Now that we have gone through this experience, what fences need to remain or be built to stop Evil from coming back in? Now that we have almost reached the summit, what changes will be need to be lasting?
Limitations on phones? Entertainment? Types of entertainment? Social Media? What are you doing to know that Evil will do anything to get back in?
1 Peter 4: 7
The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
Proverbs 22: 3
The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.
Living in Change
Where is my next mountain?
What is your next mountain? This is one of the most important things we can ask ourselves again and again. Two things happen when we get to the top:
Change is actually possible. The Fruit of the Holy Spirit are REAL and ATTAINABLE!
What other mountains do you see that Jesus wants you to face?
Jeremiah 17: 7-8
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
“My own plans are made. While I can, I sail east in the Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I paddle east in my coracle. When she sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan’s country, or shot over the edge of the world into some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise.”
6.5
Reinforce a Life of Dependance:
A Life of Integrity
Living In Truth
The River Of Life:
The River goes Wide
Before we started this Climb29 this is where we all were: broken cisterns that can’t hold water.
Nothing makes us happy. Nothing works. Nothing changes us. This will never go away.
“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
Jeremiah 2: 13
Two things were wrong:
We walked away from Jesus, the real living water.
We made for ourselves a fake way of getting water, that in the end left us thirsty and alone.
The Prophet Ezekiel has a vision, a vision that stays with Israel deeply. This vision became a sign of healing that would come to Israel. At the Feast of Tabernacles, water was drawn from the pool of Shiloah and poured on the alter, along with wine, while people would sing Psalms.
The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side.
As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?”
Ezekiel 47: 1-6
This is a vision that out the Temple, comes water, a healing for Israel. There is no natural spring feeding this river, the spring IS the Temple. And this isn’t any normal river, every mile, the river gets deeper. Every mile it gets wider. It gets so deep and so wide that you can’t even cross or swim in it anymore.
It’s a majestic river.
The first person Jesus know that he is the Messiah is a woman marked by her whole community as so sexually broken that she can’t change (feel familiar?). Jesus tells this to her:
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 4: 10-14
What does Jesus offer her?
Living Water. A water so amazing that you will never be thirsty again. Even better… through this water a SPRING will show up in you!
Then, 3 chapters later, Jesus makes this even more clear at the Festival of Tabernacles.
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”
Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.
John 7: 37-40, 44
Earlier in John 2 Jesus says:
The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?”
John 2: 18-20
Jesus is the new Temple!
Jesus is the River!
Jesus is the source of Life!
By following Jesus, our broken cisterns aren’t broken anymore. They are healed. By the Living Water! By following in the Sufferings of Christ, we are healed! A river flows from Jesus into us! Because of the amazing work of Jesus, we are compelled to share it with other broken cisterns!
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
2 Corinthians 1: 3-7
We must share! The River keeps going and going! Miles and miles!
The First Challenge
Your River Grows Wider
As we experience this River, from Jesus, into our lives, we share in the same sufferings of Christ and our comfort abounds through Christ! He does this so we can comfort those who are also in trouble! We do this with the comfort we received from Christ!
After I experienced lasting change, I had to talk about it. In talking about it, God would open up doors left and right.
First it was a close friend.
Then a family member.
Then my pastor asked me help lead a book study on Porn addictions
Then someone in the class came up to me and asked for help
Then he told someone and I started meeting with 2 people.
Then a third man joined.
Then a college student in Tennessee wanted to meet with me
Then I put the papers online and came up with Climb29, just to help share documents with a college student
Then my family member invited a friend to join us
Then the college group grew to 7 young men
The River got wider and wider and wider.
Jesus wanted to use me, to love people as I was loved. Today, as I type this, there are 9 groups with 26 men on the Climb.
This is mind blowing.
Here is the first part that we stop and do some application. In order for your Garden to Grow, a river, the comes from Jesus, grows wider. The work doesn’t stop with you.
How is your River growing wider?
How is God calling you to “comfort those in any trouble with the comfort you yourselves received from God”?
How is God calling you to use your story of Redemption? This can’t stop with you.
6.6
Reinforce a Life of Dependance:
Discipling Others - Part 1
Spreading The Truth
The River Of Life:
The River Goes Deep
The Prophet Ezekiel has a vision, a vision that stays with Israel deeply. This vision became a sign of healing that would come to Israel. At the Feast of Tabernacles, water was drawn from the pool of Shiloah and poured on the alter, along with wine, while people would sing Psalms.
The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side.
As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?”
Ezekiel 47: 1-6
This is a vision that out the Temple, comes water, a healing for Israel. There is no natural spring feeding this river, the spring IS the Temple. And this isn’t any normal river, every mile, the river gets deeper. Every mile it gets wider. It gets so deep and so wide that you can’t even cross or swim in it anymore.
It’s a majestic river.
The Second Challenge
Your River Grows Deeper
One Level Deep
A mentor, who loves Jesus, that has been tested by time with years of experience can take you deeper than you could have ever gone on your own.
On this journey, someone poured into your life, through Christ. You are at this point on the Climb, because someone Climbed ahead of you, did their own work and wanted to help others experience the same freedom. This mentor, Sherpa, gave you years of their own time because you were worth the investment.
Someone poured into you. Someone taught you. You were under their wisdom and leadership and through that, you changed.
You were under someone. And through that, you met the Living Water. You experienced a new depth to the Living Water of Jesus.
Two Levels Deep
A close friend, who loves Jesus, that knows you, relates to you, shares a passion to run for Jesus with you, can take you deeper than you could have ever gone on your own.
But God didn’t want you to be on this journey alone. Climbing takes a group. Discipleship can’t happen alone with just one mentor. You needed friends. This group started with strangers, and it’s ending with life long friends, who know you more than most people ever got to know you. You needed to be on this journey with others.
There were times you were the one encouraging others.
There were times you were the one who needed encouragement.
None of us were designed to be alone.
Three Levels Deep
Friendships
Most men don’t have deep friendships. They might have hunting friends, gaming friends, sports friends . . . but do we have friends that we can share our struggles with? Our journey with? Do you have friends that listen to you, talk with you and share life with you? Do we have friends that push us towards climbing mountains and will walk with us on that journey?
Most men have friends.
Most men don’t have friends that help them climb new mountains that push us to become more like Jesus.
We need friends who are in God’s Word, who Pray, who are doing their own hard work on this hard and beautiful journey of knowing and becoming like Jesus. Do you have friends that admonish you and sing songs of thankfulness?
Colossians 3: 16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
When life gets hard, and as this climb comes to an end, what is your plan when life gets hard? What is your plan for LifeLines, from now, until the day you die and meet Jesus? How will find comfort and help when you feel the confusion of Evil?
Proverbs 18: 24
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
On this Climb we talked about what was unspoken and uncomfortable. We corrected. We listened. We challenged. We repented. We pointed each other to change. We needed to walk away from Evil and towards Jesus. We needed each other.
Proverbs 27:17
Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.Proverbs 13:20
He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.
This journey helped you walk away from going Inner Circle. But you are still a mess. You will always be a sinner in need of Jesus. Who are you going to keep in your life to call you out? Who do you allow to show you what you look like in the mirror? Who is challenging you as only a friend can?
Galatians 6:1
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
Porn is isolation. Masturbation is isolation. Everything hidden. Everything in the dark. This journey is about light, leaving the cave and growing our Resurrection Garden. What are you doing to make sure you don’t fall back into isolation? What is your friendship plan?
Ecclesiastes 4:9
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Let’s stop and do some application. In order for your Garden to Grow, a river, that comes from Jesus, grows deeper. This means having healthy friends in your life.
What makes a healthy friend that points you to Jesus?
What is the difference between friends and the kind of friends we are encouraging you to have?
How are your fellow climbers your friends? How has that friendship grown?
Are you praying for healthy friendships? Are you praying for your friends?
How does God want your friends to be used in your life?
Someone you are mentoring, who is struggling, can listen, wants to learn, longs to be challenged, and is ready to do the hard work of change but just needs a leader, can take you deeper than you could have ever gone on your own.
Every climber, at some point in the journey, is thinking of someone they wish was on this climb with them. A friend, family member, someone from church . . . someone who they know also needs help facing Unwanted Sexual Behavior.
When God does something amazing in our lives we have to share it. This is a sign of you being a healthy follower of Jesus! You comfort, because you have been comforted.
The desire to teach others as you have been taught, someone following your lead, is a new and exciting chapter.
A Healthy Follower Of Jesus has these three things
Mentors. Friendships. Followers.
Mentors
You followed a good example. The person you learned from had gone through a lot of suffering, and God used that suffering to transform them. That suffering was used to help you experience lasting change. It’s John’s hope that you found hope in his own suffering and the suffering of all the Sherpas to make this journey possible.
1 Peter 5:3
Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
You were led. You didn’t know how to practice self-control. You weren’t able to change on your own. You didn’t know so much about Garden Sex, your story, your own addictions, your need for help and others. You needed someone to practice with you, following Jesus.
Philippians 4:9
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.Proverbs 9:9
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.Proverbs 13:20
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
You agreed to this climb because you were like the Ethiopian in this story. You knew what you were doing was wrong. You knew Jesus offered something greater. But you didn’t understand your story, God’s story, God’s design, Evil’s destruction of God’s design. Like the Ethiopian, you needed help. You needed someone who was listening to the Spirit, and willing to slow down, come and sit next to you and share the Good News of true lasting Healing.
Acts 8: 27-31
And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Let’s stop and do some application. In order for your Garden to Grow, a river, that comes from Jesus, grows deeper. This means always having a mentor in your life.
Who is a mentor that you have now, or had in the past?
Are you praying about who God wants to you mentor from?
Is there someone you feel you can ask to meet with on a regular basis, for mentoring? Could be 1x a quarter, 1x a month . . . don’t pressure yourself into frequency. Focus on the person you feel the Spirit leading you to learn from.
What would you want to learn from a mentor?
Followers
It’s with great excitement we get to talk about this now . . . YOU becoming a Sherpa. You leading someone else. If you got this far, God has done a deep and powerful work in your life. 2 Corinthians clearly says, “comfort as you have been comforted.” God doesn’t change lives so you can hide His work in your life. You are a miracle! You were lost, and now you are found. There are people in your ife, who are lost and need help.
Men with addictions. Men with anger. Men with anxiety. Men who are afraid to come forward and tell you the truth. There are men in your life who are dying of thirst, and you know the living water.
You have understanding now. You have an experience. You have a story. You can help draw them out.
Proverbs 20:5
The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
You were lead. Someone gave to you. It’s your turn now to give the same freedom and understanding to others.
Hebrews 13:7
Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.
You might have doubts about leading. You don’t have time. You don’t know what to say. Here’s a major truth that we have learned: no one has time, no one has confidence, but this is something you need to do. Why? Climbers who graduated and didn’t lead others with what they learned, in time, didn’t keep mentors, friendships and choose not to lead others, ended up forgetting the amazing truths of the journey. Some have gone back to Inner Circle.
But those who kept going, kept learning, praying, sharing God’s work . . . those men who kept it fresh, stayed fighting Evil.
Men who still connect to their first Sherpa (mentor), fellow climbers (friends) and are also leading (following) are men who have built their house on Jesus that can handle life’s storms. It’s made them stronger. Not indestructible. But stronger.
God is with you. This is His work.
God wants to use you to CRUSH Evil. Will you join him?
John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Let’s stop and do some application. In order for your Garden to Grow, a river, that comes from Jesus, grows deeper. This means having followers, people you hare helping, in your life.
Who in your life needs help that God wants to use you to reach them?
Could you lead a Climb29 group or something similar?
How is God calling you to share your story with others? How is God calling you to walk with others?
Do you see how God uses you teaching others to keep you strong against Evil?
The Depth you experience being mentored.
The Depth you experience being mentored & on an authentic life changing journey with friends.
The Depth you experience being mentored & on an authentic life changing journey with friends and at the end of that journey, you now want to lead others into the same freedom you now experienced.
6.7
Reinforce a Life of Dependance:
Discipling Others - Part 2
Spreading The Truth
