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I’ve been trying to teach math to a young man I met at the Soifer Math Olympiad back in 2018. He didn’t do well this year despite staying for the whole four hours. Until Saturday, we’ve been exchanging emails, and the results haven’t been that great. Even when he would finally stumble into an answer or insight I was looking for, I had a sense that he didn’t really understand.

So we met by phone, and what a difference! I could see what he didn’t understand and explain as many times as necessary until he did understand. Proving once again that telling is not teaching and listening is not learning.

The same is true in disciple-making. I strongly believe in the power of a good sermon, and when I speak, I want to do the best job of communicating that I can. However, until I sit down one-to-one with someone, I don’t know what they’re picking up. And I certainly don’t know what they’re putting into practice until they tell me. And the good news is that anyone can teach this way: you don’t have to be a public speaker!

Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” (Mark 8.14 – 21, ESV)

And every day, in the temple and from house to house, [the apostles] did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus. (Acts 5.42, ESV, emphasis mine)

[Paul] withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus…for two years. (Acts 19.9, 10, ESV)

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I wrote yesterday that Matthew Kelly’s observation on why people don’t read the Bible is that they believe that the Bible will transform them, but they don’t want transformation. It occurred to me while reading The Passion Translation of Psalm 23 that we often think of transformation as negative when it’s really positive.

He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss. That’s where he restores and revives my life. He opens before me pathways to God’s pleasure and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness so that I can bring honor to his name. (Psalm 23.2, 3)

Isn’t restoring and reviving a form of transformation? And who wouldn’t want that? It’s to our advantage to be transformed!

O that my people would once and for all listen to me and walk faithfully in my footsteps, following my ways. Then and only then will I conquer your every foe and tell every one of them, ‘You must go!’…But I will feed you with my spiritual bread. You will feast and be satisfied with me, feeding on my revelation-truth like honey dripping from the cliffs of the high place.” (Psalm 81.13 – 16, Passion Translation)

And God’s primary method of positive transformation is his Word!

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. (Psalm 19.7, 8, ESV)

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I frequently teach (and write about!) how to have daily time with God, and although the method is easy, it’s always been a puzzle why more believers don’t take up the habit. I’ve tried various means to motivate people but without widespread success. I even came up with a list of reasons that people might not develop this most important discipline:

• We don’t start small enough: God would rather we spend 15 minutes than NOT spend one hour. As we get into the habit, the time might grow.
• We don’t see far enough: growth and love for the Word occur over time. (Please see Mark 4.26 – 28)
• We don’t want to: we won’t want to do something until we’ve first done it when we didn’t want to! (Please see Hebrews 12.11)
• We just don’t!

Now I’ve learned a possible rationale for the last one, and it’s disturbing. It’s from my new favorite book The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity by Matthew Kelly (where the Holy Moments concept I wrote about recently came from). After discussing the typical reasons why people might not read their Bibles, he writes:

But in a deeply subconscious way, the main explanation for why we don’t read the Bible more is diabolically profound: We know and believe that the Word of God has the power to transform our lives. That’s right. You didn’t misread. It’s not that we don’t believe; it’s that we do believe. We know the Word of God has the power to transform our lives, and the uncomfortable, unspoken, and often-avoided truth is that we don’t want our lives transformed. (Chapter 14)

And neither I nor Matthew Kelly knows a cure for that other than repentance.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind… (Romans 12.2)

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3.18, ESV)

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I met recently with a young man who had a final interview that day with a large Christian organization in this area. He was very excited at the possibility of working for an organization where the first requirement of candidates was “a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” I hope he gets the job.

At the same time, I hope his expectations aren’t too high. For example, he told me he wasn’t as disciplined in his daily time with God as he wanted to be, and he hoped that would change if he was hired. I don’t know why it would unless he asks his supervisor to make time with God consistency part of his job!

As one who has been on both the secular and sacred sides of what Mark Greene calls The Great Divide, I offer these simple observations, especially for those believers who dream of working for a Christian organization:

• If all believers worked for Christian organizations, there would be no one to fund them! It takes at least 10 tithing believers just to pay the salary of one paid Christian worker and that doesn’t count buildings and other overhead.
• Most people who work for Christian organizations are doing whatever they would be doing if they were working for a secular organization: bookkeeping, computers (my friend’s field), building management, etc. Not even everything pastors do is “ministry.”
• Working for a Christian organization is very much like working anywhere else. Some are well run; others not. Some colleagues are competent and pleasant to be around; some not. The difference is that one goes into a Christian organization with higher expectations!
• If all Christians worked for Christian organizations, there would be no one to reach unbelievers at their workplace. One pastor in our area rightly analyzed that when a large Christian organization moved to town and hired 1300 people, in the short term, Christian influence in the city would go down.

I write a bit more about this in my book The Disciple’s Work, which is designed to encourage believers in “regular” work–not “paid Christian employment.”

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3.23, 24, NIV)

But Daniel, brimming with spirit and intelligence, so completely outclassed the other vice-regents and governors that the king decided to put him in charge of the whole kingdom. (Daniel 6.3, MSG)

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Sometimes I need to read my own stuff!

Last month, my friend Father Hanh challenged me to “go deeper” with the metaphor of Luke 5.4:

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” (NIV)

But between last month and now, I didn’t feel as if I went deeper. I completed three house projects, preached twice, meditating on indifference and Psalm 1.1-3 (fruitfulness through meditation), and helped June host two families of kids and grandkids! 

I studied Luke 5.4 again, but I didn’t feel that I got a lot out of it.

When I shared all this with Hanh, including the story I posted yesterday and the six types of fruit/holy moments, he observed, “You did go deeper. You served your family by completing the projects and loving them during their visit. You served your community by sharing the Word with them.”

June reminded me that my rocking a sleeping 8-month-old while his parents packed to leave was a holy moment. 

Do I believe that God is in the ordinariness of life or not? 

Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19.13, 14, NIV)

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June and I were discussing “holy moments,” the concept I wrote about yesterday from The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity by Matthew Kelly.

Can you go out tomorrow and create just one Holy Moment? Not a holy life or even a holy day…just one single Holy Moment…A Holy Moment is a moment when you open yourself to God. You make yourself available to him. You set aside what you feel like doing in that moment, and you set aside self-interest, and for one moment you simply do what you prayerfully believe God is calling you to do in that moment. That is a Holy Moment. (Chapter 7)

We weren’t even thinking about the list I presented recently on fruitfulness or “How can God use me today?” I think Matthew Kelly’s concept of holy moments and fruitfulness are related, and here’s the list as suggested by Mark Greene in Fruitfulness on the Frontlines.”

• Model godly character
• Make good work
• Minister grace and love
• Mold culture
• Be a Mouthpiece for truth and justice
• Be a Messenger of the gospel

Anyway, as June and I were talking, we both jumped up to do something—to create a “holy moment.” She went to the kitchen to start preparing for dinner for six. I went to use the weedeater on some unsightly growth at the edge of our yard. We were both “making good work”!

But I got a bonus: the garbage guys came by as I was on my way to use the weedeater. I love the garbage guys: they do very important work, so whenever I see them I tell them so. David, the garbage guy, lit up. We shook hands and chatted for a minute about how valuable his work was. So I “ministered grace and love” while on my way to “make good work.” Another holy (fruitful) moment.

By the way, I did NOT create such a moment when we were at a restaurant a couple of weeks ago, and our order arrived much later than I thought it should have…

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. (John 15.8, ESV)

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22.36 – 39, NIV)

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Matthew Kelly wrote in The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity that the Greatest Lie is: “Holiness is not possible.” Many of us were raised with this concept, that since we can’t be holy, Jesus died to make us holy (in the next life). There is some truth in that, but it is also true that God desires holiness now.

For this is the will of God, your holiness… (1 Thessalonians 4.3, ESV, alternate reading)

To those of us who protest that we can’t do what God has clearly commanded, Matthew Kelly offers a proof that is mathematically elegant in its simplicity:

Can you go out tomorrow and create just one Holy Moment? Not a holy life or even a holy day…just one single Holy Moment…A Holy Moment is a moment when you open yourself to God. You make yourself available to him. You set aside what you feel like doing in that moment, and you set aside self-interest, and for one moment you simply do what you prayerfully believe God is calling you to do in that moment. That is a Holy Moment. (Chapter 7)

If we can do one holy moment, we demonstrate that holiness is indeed possible. 

I’ll give a practical example tomorrow! In the meantime, think about it!

But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1.15, 16, ESV)

It’s one of the biggest Father’s Days we’ve ever had: three of our four children, and seven of our eight grandchildren. Here is Taylor, 25, the oldest, and Caleb, 8 months, the youngest.

It happens fast.

From my childhood you’ve been my teacher, and I’m still telling everyone of your miracle-wonders! God, now that I’m old and gray, don’t walk away. Give me grace to demonstrate to the next generation all your mighty miracles and your excitement, to show them your magnificent power!(Psalm 17.17, 18, Passion Translation)

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I wrote recently about being careful where we abide and listed a few potential problem areas, including sports. One morning as I was reading one too many sports articles on the ESPN app (Clemson football was in it!), I came across this sentence:

By now, you’ve dutifully studied three-year projections for quarterbacks, offenses, and defenses.

We have? Dutifully studied? 

There are guys who may not have read a book since college. Who, if they are believers, may protest, “I don’t have time for daily time with God,” or “I can’t memorize scripture.” But ESPN expects that they will have “dutifully studied…” sports statistics—not even statistics—projections! Or maybe it’s politics or cars or fashion or something else. 

There are distractions out there, and we all need to be on guard. I speak to myself.

But the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. (Mark 4.19, NIV)

Be on guard! Be alert! (Mark 13.33, NIV)

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I spoke last Sunday and am speaking again this Sunday. In both cases, my goal is not to tell folks things they don’t know, but to lead them in applying the scripture to life. Jesus was clear:

But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. (Matthew 7.26, MSG)

James echoed it:

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1.22, NIV)

My job as a teacher is to make applying the Word easier for people. Andy Stanley in his marvelous book Deep and Wide talks at length about “practical teaching” in chapter 7:

Jesus taught for a response. He taught for life change. He didn’t come to simply dispense information…Remember the first time you were challenged at that level? Remember how interesting the Bible suddenly became? You sat on the edge of your chair. The time flew by. You took notes…Your faith intersected with his faithfulness and your confidence in God got bigger. Practical teaching that moves people to action is one of the primary things God uses to grow our faith...That being the case, our messages and lesson preparations are not complete until we know what we want our audiences to do with what they are about to hear. To grow our congregants’ faith, we must preach and teach for life change.

Andy is blunt with us teachers on this score:

As long as you are dishing out truth with no “here’s the difference it will make” tacked on the end, you will be perceived as irrelevant by most of the people in your church, student ministry, or home Bible study. You may be spot-on theologically, like the teachers of the law in Jesus’ day, but you will not be perceived as one who teaches with authority. Worse, nobody is going to want to listen to you…You will end up with a little congregation of truth seekers who consider themselves superior to all the other Christians in the community. But at the end of the day, you won’t make an iota of a difference in this world.

The good news is that if the goal of teachers is to help people apply the scripture to life, we can all fill our God-given role as teachers!

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, … (Hebrews 5.11, 12, NIV, emphasis mine)

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom … (Colossians 3.16, NIV, emphasis mine)

Ezra had committed himself to studying the Revelation of GOD, to living it, and to teaching Israel to live its truths and ways… [and King Artaxerxes said,] “Anyone who does not know the Teaching, you teach them.” (Ezra 7.10, 25)