Session 3: Being His People (3/4)

3) Reading the bible

Read the bible, don't just listen to someone else talk about it.

They devoted themselves...to the apostles teaching...

When it comes to interacting with scripture I have another whole workshop series on it but I'm just going to say this today: don't simply rely on listening to other people talk about the bible, actually read it for yourself. Read it voluminously, repeatedly, persistently.

When the perspectives of our faith are inevitably tested by the thorns of Satan, you're going to have a hard time standing strong if what you fall back on is the authority of a John Piper youtube video or a Wayne Grudem textbook. Trust me, Satan is smart enough to talk circles around those guys when he attacks you.

Christian media is, for the most part, well intentioned, and many of them are really edifying, but something you might not have realized is that often you're actually making it harder for God to speak to you and reveal things to you if you continually fill your mind with other people's impressions of God. You start internalizing their biases, divisions, hurts, and fears and it ultimately skews, unbalances and filters your relationship with God.

So the question isn't to find the right one to listen to, none of them are totally right all of the time, very few of them represent the whole picture, but let’s pursue hearing God ourselves, and get to know our good shepherd's voice.

The best way to do that, the best way to hear God through the scriptures, is to read through it prayerfully yourself.

I have a lot more the share with you on this but for now I challenge all of the DGs to read through the bible in a year. Which sounds daunting, but if you let go of this very asian, and quite frankly presumptuous and prideful idea that you should understand every verse along the way the first time you read it, it then only takes 40 minutes a day.

Remember, this habit we're building for a lifetime is way more important than the novelty of learning new things at this point.

OK, so far, meet together, pray together, read together. Not rocket science right? I did say this was in order of easiest to hardest. So here comes the harder bits. Not that they're complicated, but they do require more boldness and gentleness.

4) Sharing life

Go deep about you, not abstract scriptural theories.

Acts 4:32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul.....

Walking with God, being His disciple is not some third person theological idea that you can attend classes for and study up on. It isn't about information, it’s about transformation.

It's not about what you know or what you say or even what you manage do on the outside, it's about you, who you truly are on the inside, often when you think no one is looking.

Let me illustrate, what percentage of your life's triumphs and struggles do you share with your closest confidant? 60%? 80%? How many have someone they're at 100% with?

What I've learnt working with people over the years is that the last 15, 10, 5% that doesn't get shared is usually the part of one's life that needs God the most.

Whether intentionally covered up, or subconsciously hidden, the ideas, agendas, and motivations that don't see the light of day are usually the ones that really needs God's light. Regardless of how Godly a life you manage to piece together around it, that little chunk of habitual darkness or that little piece of your past that you can't bear to face will eventually consume you if left festering.

Story: "a brother in Dan's DG practice group"

Real transformation, real discipleship, requires authenticity, that what you say is truthful, and openness, that you don't hide anything.

If you want to keep your darkness to yourself, why bother walking with people? Why try to pretend to grow if you are not willing to open your dark spots to God's redeeming light? DGs are to be a place free of gossip, that confidential and safe place, where we help each other start unpacking and letting God’s light face our demons.