Hey Nova!
November is here! How has the campaign journey been for you? I’ve seen my own vision for what God wants to do through us as a church expand considerably. I’ve been led to look outside of our Nova bubble to try to reallysee the neighborhood around us. And I’ve begun to look differently at all of you. As our vision and mission expand, the need for every gift and every ability and every personality becomes more and more obvious to me.
This month, as we focus on Discernment, I want to invite you to open yourself up to God, trusting him to bring you to a new level of faith. Put aside a little extra time each day to be quiet, to get to know the voice of God. Get in the habit of asking God questions; write down the things you sense he might be answering. Invite God to dream with you, to plan with you, and at some point you will realize that he has actually invited you to dream and plan with Him.
One more thing: God hasn’t designed us to do all of this listening, questioning, dreaming and planning alone! I want to challenge each of us to reach out to one another and pray together. Find a friend or a group that you can open up with, asking them to walk with you throughout whatever life is giving you right now. And offer that gift back to them.
With Love,
Amy Martin
Sunday, October 29
Is it God?
William Barry and William Connolly share this helpful criterion for discerning whether an experience is of God: Compare it to another experience that you are sure is of God. Do the two conflict in any way? If so, what is different, and which of the two are you going to accept as from God? “Many people have a touchstone experience of God. Any other experience that seems to run counter to that touchstone they look upon with suspicion. God can be so manifestly present to them during such a touchstone experience that they cannot doubt it any more than they can doubt their own existence.”
This is not to say that every time you experience God’s presence, voice, or guidance you will have the same emotional response or the same level of external confirmation. The point of assessing these “touchstone experiences” is to get to know the qualities of God’s ways of acting and speaking to you personally.
Monday, October 30
James 1:5. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
Have you ever come across a situation where you can’t seem to settle on the correct answer? How do you typically go about making the final decision? The Lord says that all we need to do is ask for wisdom and He will give it to us. When we cry out for wisdom, the Lord will give it to us because He is generous and gracious. He wants us to be fully reliant on and trusting in Him, and the humility to ask for guidance is a clear sign that we believe we cannot do it on our own. There are various times throughout the Bible where the Lord calls us to ask him for the right answer and trust that he will find and provide it. I don’t know what your current circumstances are, but I do know we can always be praying that the Lord gives us wisdom and discernment to act according to His word and His plans each and every day.
Lord, give us wisdom. Allow us to humbly accept our limitations and rely on Your great power and wisdom. Amen
--Lance Capel
Tuesday, October 31
Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
No one has to convince us that we live in ominous times. Insanity seems to be everywhere. In all that chaos and insanity we are constantly called to make discerning decisions: on truth and falsehood, fake and true news, good and bad movies or tv shows, and even how much to give by faith to the Open Campaign of Nova Community Church.
It is into that chaotic environment that God gives us some practical advice in Proverbs 3:5-6 that is key in making discerning decisions.
- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart”--bet your life on God’s truth and wisdom.
- “Lean not on your own understanding”--give up trying to figure out everything on your own.
- “In all your ways acknowledge him”--make God a vital part of everything you do.
Notice that the word all appears twice. God can’t stand half-heartedness (see Revelation 3:15-17). He wants our trust and acknowledgment to be wholehearted. He wants all. When the allis in place in our daily lives, God gives this promise: “[I] will make your paths straight.” A life of straight paths means peace and calm when there is turmoil and chaos around us. His path is “living a life beyond amazing” (Dr. David Jeremiah’s descriptive term).
Dear Heavenly Father, there are times when the turmoil all around me and sometimes in my personal life cause me to say, “Lord, I don’t understand.” Help my faith. Help me to follow Your path to a peaceful and calm life--a life that is beyond amazing. In Your precious Name I pray, Amen.
--Ron Graff
Wednesday, November 1
Hebrews 5:11-14. We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Just as an infant is trained to grow beyond drinking milk to eating solid foods, so too must a Christian’s spiritual maturity grow through a process of effort and experiences. Spiritual maturity doesn’t have anything to do with age, but more in developing the ability to put our faith to practical use and sharing that faith with others.As we mature we learn from and use our greatest tool, the Word of God, to aid us in our discernment and understanding of who God is. The end result is a person who can distinguish between good and evil. Our discernment can only be as good as our understanding of God’s Word and His ways.
We can grow if we do not become ‘dull’ in responding to opportunities to learn and understand more of God’s Word. How is your path to learning? Are you ok with being content sitting around drinking only milk and not wanting to move on to solid foods? Imagine if an NFL football player drank only milk all the time; I’m sure he would not last very long in a Sunday night football game.
Accept the challenge! Move on, grow and feast on the solid food of God’s Word so you can be ready to play in the big game. Listen to God, understand His Word and put into practice His principles that you read in the bible. When we do this we will be able to tell others the good news of who Christ is in our lives!
Lord, thank you for your Word and your will in my life, help me not to be content to drink only milk but to feast on these words so I may have the ability to discern what is good and what is evil. Lay these words on my heart so I can grow and share you with others.
--Jackie Austel
Thursday, November 2
Ephesians 5:15-17.Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
It’s difficult to not be distracted by the things and ideologies of this world, particularly in a society that tells you to do “whatever feels good” and whatever is “best for you”. The lines can become blurred between what is good or allowable and what is best, especially when something may not be inherently evil. For those of us who follow Christ, we’ve been given incredible tools to help us make wise decisions and to understand the will of God. When Jesus ascended to heaven, He did not leave us empty-handed or without direction; instead, God gave us His Word and His Spirit so we can know and understand Him and His will better.
As believers, we have the assurance of being able to go to the Lord in any and every situation. When trying to determine God’s will or faced with life’s challenges and decisions, no matter how big or small, seek the Lord through prayer and supplication, and turn to scripture. His Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) and true. It does not change, just as He Himself does not change. Although we are not able to see the bigger picture the way God does, He has given us access to His will through scripture and the Holy Spirit. We need to make the most of every opportunity given to us to check that our thoughts, actions, words, and desires align with His.
Father, help me to look to your Word and to trust in Your Spirit for guidance. Protect me from buying into the views of this world that will lead me astray and never provide full satisfaction. Help me to use the tools you have given me to discern and follow Your will.
--Natalie Pitman
Friday, November 3
Galatians 5:22-23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
When it comes time to make a big decision, many people wonder how they can be sure they are choosing according to God’s will. If you genuinely desire God’s will, you can be sure that the Holy Spirit will help you and guide you. The evidence that the Spirit is present in your decisions is the presence of peace. Sometimes that peace is like a deep well: at the surface of your heart and mind is the tumult of feelings, and thoughts of pros and cons that are part of the context of the choice before you, while the peace lies down deep. If you press in--through prayer and fasting, worship and praise, times of silence and times of weighing the options--a moment of clarity will come. There will be a time ripe with peace and joy, or perhaps peace and tears, and you will know (in the unique way that you know things) that this is the right decision. Perhaps it is a call to love another, or a call to be faithful where you are at, or a call to be self-controlled, or an invitation to step out in faith. Make a note of what you experience during this time and the decision you make. Tell it to an impartial friend so that they can encourage you and remind you later on why you made this important choice. Because, inevitably, God will allow the peace to leave you. And then, during those times of anxiety, fear, and doubt, it is so important that you stand firm in the decision you made. “If my decision was made prayerfully and in peace, I should never change it while in turmoil or depressed or discouraged.” (Thomas Green, Weeds Among the Wheat)This is the most important rule for making good decisions. When you experience dread, confusion, or regret, reach through the fog to the memory of the clarity you once possessed. Remind yourself why you made the decision, and stick with it.
Father, thank you that you have given me the Holy Spirit to guide me into your best path for my life. You haven’t left me as an orphan, but delight in me as a Father of an adult child. Help me to truly desire your will, your values, and your mission in the world above all else so that I can make every decision with your help and your peace.
--Amy Martin
Saturday, November 4
Matthew 4:1. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be temptedby the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
The first act of the Spirit in Jesus’ ministry was to lead him into the wilderness and to expose him to Satan’s testings. Under the Spirit’s leading Jesus prepared himself for this testing by fasting. “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days . . .” The Spirit of God willed that the Son of God be tested on his way into the ministry, and he willed that Jesus triumph in this testing through fasting. It must not go unnoticed that Jesus triumphed over the great enemy of his soul and our salvation through fasting.
It seems to me that this story should shake us. Here is Jesus, standing on the threshold of the most important ministry in the history of the world. On his obedience and righteousness hangs the salvation of the world. None will escape damnation without this ministry of obedient suffering and death and resurrection. And God wills that, at the very outset, this ministry be threatened with destruction—namely, the temptations of Satan to abandon the path of lowliness and suffering and obedience. And of all the hundreds of things Jesus might have done to fight off this tremendous threat to salvation, he is led, in the Spirit, to fast.
If Satan had succeeded in deterring Jesus from the path of humble, sacrificial obedience, there would be no salvation. We would still be in our sins and without hope. Therefore, we owe our salvation, in some measure (not to overstate it), to the fasting of Jesus. This is a remarkable tribute to fasting. Don’t pass over this quickly. Think on it. Jesus began his ministry with fasting. And he triumphed over his enemy through fasting. And our salvation was accomplished through perseverance by fasting.
--John Piper,A Hunger For God
Sunday, November 5
Making a Choice
When making a decision, it’s always a good idea to start with logic: gather information, weigh the pros and cons, get advice from those with knowledge and experience, search the scriptures. But what if you are still stuck? You need to tap into your heart—your emotions, desires and imagination—as you are guided by the Spirit. Many Christians have found Ignatius of Loyola’s spiritual exercises helpful in discernment. The following are just three of his ideas.
Ignatius’ imaginative exercises for use in times of decision-making:
1. Imagine someone coming to you, asking for advice about the same decision you are facing. What advice would you give them?
2. Imagine yourself on your deathbed. Looking back on your life, what choice would you wish you would have made?
3. Imagine standing before God after you die and giving Him an account of your life. What decision would you wish you would have made?
You might think, as I have often thought, ‘That’s too easy! It’s obvious what I would like to have chosen! But it doesn’t help with the real life obstacles and limitations I am facing right now!’ This is precisely the point of these exercises; they help you distance yourself from your current situation, bringing perspective and clarity. Knowing the decision you would like to make can help you dream and plan creatively, strategically, and faith-fully.
--Amy Martin
Monday, November 6
James 3:13-17. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.
James mentions four sources of wisdom from which I can obtain knowledge:
Earthly – worldly – from other people – the constant barrage of communicated suggestions which hit me from every angle from people, books, newspapers, radio, television, etc. Bit by bit they push, press, chisel and invade until I am conformed into a composite of their messages. We should test every message by the Bible’s standards. The Bible warns, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” (Col. 2:8)
Unspiritual – sensual – the part of me that is controlled by my senses. The Bible tells us “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9)
What I feel and what I think don’t always line up with God’s word.
Demonic – of the devil – from the enemy – Satan is known as the Father of lies. He comes to steal, kill and destroy, but he comes disguised as an angel of light. He is subtle, planting seeds of doubt, “Did God really say…” (ex. Gen. 3:1), twisting scripture, causing confusion. The Bible commands us to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1).