Category Archives: Ministry

I have often said that among the first steps of discipleship is “learning to be with Jesus”. It is by “being” with Jesus that we become more like him. Attempts to skip over the “being” part of discipleship will result in our “doing” things in our own power and effort – a sure path to disappointment or burnout.

This week in the Red Letter Challenge, a 40 day emphasis we are sharing together at First Baptist – Columbus, our focus is on the words of Jesus that have to do with “being”. Consider just a few of these “being” messages:

“Abide” (dwell/be) in my word.” – John 8:31
“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
“Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest for a while.” – Mark 6:31

You’ve probably heard it said that we homo sapiens are misnamed? Instead of being called “human beings” we might better be called “human doings”. But, as we’re learning in the Red Letter Challenge, our doing flows out of our being.

The following faith practices might be helpful as we reconsider how we are “being” with Jesus:

• Prayer
• Worship
• Study
• Fasting
• Celebration/Feasting
• Keeping Sabbath
• Retreat/Rest

I invite you to join us this Sunday live (9:30 a.m.) or via live stream as we take up the topic “being” and further reflect on Jesus’ words.

Author’s Note: This post concludes a 3-post set offered in companionship to a 3-part sermon series I preached in August titled “Distracted”. You can view the series here, as I preach from 3 of John’s 7 Letters to the Churches in Revelation 2 and 3 to talk about the distractions of busyness, the fear of missing out, and complacency. Thanks for reading.

There is an old fable about a frog who was put into a kettle of tepid or lukewarm water. He was quite comfortable in the water and so stayed there. Gradually, however, the water temperature was turned up until it came to a boil. The change was so incremental that the frog did not perceive the danger and he was cooked to death.

Perhaps that fable is an illustration of complacency and the dangers such a condition poses to our faith. The living Christ describes the Church at Laodicea, in Revelation 3:14-22, as “lukewarm”. He wishes they were either hot or cold, but because their spiritual condition is lukewarm, he threatens to spit them out of his mouth. As a coffee drinker I find I can relate to the illustration. I like my coffee hot or cold (iced coffee being a relatively new enjoyment). When it’s lukewarm? No thanks! Yuck! In fact, I think I have spit it back into the cup before.

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