Don't Settle For Less!

A few years ago in the San Francisco school system, a principal called in three teachers and told them that because of their superb teaching ability and his recognition of their being three of the elite teachers in the district, they would be given 90 students with very high IQs, who would be allowed to learn at their own pace to see how far they could advance.

At the end of the year, those 90 students had achieved scores that were 20 to 30 percent higher than any of the other students in the entire San Francisco area. The principal called the three teachers in, saying he had a confession to make. He told them that they actually did not have 90 of the most intellectually gifted students after all. In fact, academically their students were average students, picked at random. The teachers (of course) immediately concluded that it must have been their exceptional teaching skills that helped the students excel. Again the principal made a confession: the teachers weren’t actually any better than their peers, their names were simply the first three chosen out of a hat.

So what happened here? First, the teachers were convinced that they were exceptional, and then they were convinced that their students were too. Then these “convinced” individuals were given a path to follow.

This not only works with positive influence, but also with the negative. Everyday, Americans are told who they are, who others around them are, and where “this” is all headed. In fact, if I hear one more commercial start with “In times like these…”, or “In these tough economic times”, I’m going to scream.

I remember seeing an old Candid Camera episode when I was young. The show’s creator, Allan Funt, had two people sitting in a doctor’s waiting room with nothing on but their underwear, reading magazines. When other people walked in for their doctor’s appointments, they walked through the door, saw these people, stopped for a moment, and then every one of them took off their clothes, sat down and started reading magazines, too.

This is exactly the kind of “blindly following” behavior that has started to cripple many people in this country.

I have always thought that of all of the things that hold us back — fear, lack of confidence, having a small expectation of the world — all these have a sort of arrogance to them. It is an idea that the person experiencing the emotion is absolutely sure that their emotion is accurate. They are sure that the label they put on the world, another person, or themselves is accurate. So many parents get upset about the label teachers put on their kids, but many have done the same to their children and even to themselves and “know” that they are right.

Start fresh with your children and with yourself. Think about the labels that are being placed on you and rip those labels off. Decide that you are going to be a healthy person and someone who adds life to everyone you meet, everywhere you go.

"Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith." Galatians 6:10

Don’t let some stupid commercial convince you that things are worse than they are. Don’t let the media hype over Swine Flu convince you that it is anything other than the flu. And don’t let either yourself or your kids settle for being anything less than the perfect creation of God that you are.

Just Ask Me!

I had lunch with Eddie Cox on Thursday, and we talked about a lot of things concerning his vision for Marathon, and the fact that we are, once again, on the verge of reaching another level with our ministry. Marathon is continuing to grow, but it is the relational connections that are being formed that are really making the difference.

You see, attracting a crowd to your church is fine, but it can not be an end in itself. The goal is to help that crowd become a church of growing believers who are worshipping, serving, and connecting in life-changing relationships. Our ability to help people make these relational connections will directly affect our ability to continue to grow a healthy church.

The trick is to avoid letting the methods get in the way of the purpose.

For instance, for several decades Sunday school was nearly universal in American churches. In its prime, more people actually attended Sunday school than their church’s morning worship services. Why? Because, it was where people connected; felt loved and accepted, and shared their lives. Then, over the years, the method replaced the purpose. In many churches Sunday school became just a time for Bible study, which is certainly a worthy endeavor, but not very conducive to the original purpose. Once they became classrooms, and were no longer engaging people in meaningful relationships, pastors and other leaders began to look for other methods to accomplish the purpose.

As a result, there was a huge shift to small groups, or home groups (we now call them Life Groups at Marathon). Where the people could meet together in the relaxed atmosphere of each other’s homes, which was certainly more appropriate than most class rooms to forming relationships. Some churches added small groups as an alternative to their Sunday school program. Others replaced Sunday school all together.

The thing that we have to always keep in mind is that the small group is just the method, and not the goal. The Bible doesn’t tell us that we are to get people together in small groups, it tells us that we are to teach people how to relate, how to grow in authenticity with others, how to help each other through the tough stuff in life.

Small groups have the potential to change lives, but it is only potential. They do not guarantee relationships, but rather offer an environment where those relationships might start, and to experience true Biblical community.

So, let’s talk…

Are you a member of a small group?

Does your small group foster lasting relationships?

What other ways are you working to build those close relationships with those around you?

Want some help? Just ask me!

Robert