by Caleb Gordon | May 9, 2018
Over the past two years, I have been thinking — and sometimes that is a dangerous thing to do. I’m really trying to flesh this thing out. It’s been something that I’ve seen in my own life, and I’m struggling with it. So hang with me as I write this out.
I know so many men and women who are a part of multiple Bible studies. They go to studies on Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights, and some even go to another midweek study. women’s Bible studies, men’s Bible studies, couples Bible studies – the list goes on and on. There honestly is no shortage of Bible studies we can attend.
The thing that blows my mind is that you’d think that with all of those Bible studies that we all are involved in and all of those hours we spend together, pouring over and talking about the Scriptures, we’d begin to see some type of really big change in our communities because of it, right? Well, why then are we not seeing a difference? Let me explain further.
A majority of people who attend church are just as angry and bitter as lost folks. We have husbands and wives who are not loving each other like Christ loves the church. We have children who are disrespectful to any type of authority that it’s just sickening. All the while, we have so many of these people ‘plugged into’ a Bible study of some type. So what is the problem?
The problem is not needing Gospel-centered Bible studies; it’s that we are replacing action with consumption. We think that if we just sit for 30 minutes to an hour listening to the truths of Scripture then that should be enough. Check this verse out:
“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” James 4:17.
If you know that you as a husband should be loving your wife as Christ loves the church and you’re not, you are actively living in sin. If you know that loving your enemy is a mandate that was handed down from Jesus Himself and you do not, then guess what? You’re living in sin.
What is happening is that we are living in a replacement mentality. We are actually replacing DOING what God has called us to do for just reading and studying about it and thinking that is good enough. We spend tons of time sitting in group Bible studies talking about how we should live as Christ followers. What would happen if we started to have Bible DOINGS and actually living out the mandates of Christ?
Let me give you an example.
What would it look like if we, instead of doing another Bible study over “Not Being Ashamed To Share The Gospel,” actually went out to the local public square and actually share the Gospel? Engaged people and talked to them one on one.
What would it look like instead of having another couple’s Bible study that you planned a couples MISSION trip in your city or state to go and actually do something together as a couple? If couples focused on a COMMON MISSION you don’t have time to fight. If you’re both LIVING THE GOSPEL OUT TOGETHER, you won’t argue. You’ll find ways to help and encourage one another.
Please don’t get me wrong. I’m NOT saying stop doing Bible studies. What I AM saying is that if you’re studying the Bible and you’re NOT DOING what you are studying then there is a problem. I’m saying that if you do the study, it should not just get a head nod, an amen and that’s it. Studying the Bible should push us to action, not just agreement. If we AGREE with what we are studying then it should result in action.
Stop just agreeing and start doing. Move in a direction and get out of your comfort zone.
Stop just HAVING BIBLE STUDY and start BIBLE DOING!
by Caleb Gordon | Apr 17, 2018
The ONLY reason America is different and is exceptional is that of the principles upon which we were founded. The “Mayflower Compact” was signed on November 11, 1620 onboard the Mayflower shortly after she came to anchor off Provincetown Harbor.
Look at the REASON these men and women came here. Here are some of the opening lines from the Mayflower Compact:
“Having undertaken for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith and Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the First Colony in the Northern Parts of Virginia…”
That’s why this country was great! The moment we moved away from this, as our focus, was the moment we stopped being a great nation. And consequently, this is the moment God’s wrath began to be unleashed upon us.
George Washington said in his farewell address: “Religion and morality are necessary conditions of the preservation of free government.”
The only way the insanity of our world is reversed is repentance. And I’m not even calling the lost world to repent. I’m calling on the CHURCH to repent.
Without repentance, we are wasting our time. And no catchy political phrases or political parties are going to make any difference.
Jesus is the only One who can make the difference, and if our country refuses to walk down this path we are in deep trouble.
So my plea today is that you and I fall on our knees and repent. It’s the only thing that will matter in 10,000 years. What did you do with JESUS? That’s the question that is looming before every human being on the planet.
by Caleb Gordon | Mar 13, 2018
The world in which we live really is insane. We’re more connected now than we’ve ever been, yet it seems like most everyone around us can’t stand each other.
Research has shown, in the last couple of years, if you get a phone call from a friend it actually causes us anger, not delight. You would much rather receive a text from a friend than a phone call because you can answer a text on your time. Because we are viewing our time as more important than someone else’s time.
Do you see how self-centered and narcissistic we’ve become as humans? Our world, in spite of all of the advances in technology, has regressed when it comes to actual community.
Take notice, the next time you’re sitting with a group of friends, what are almost all of them doing? We (and include yourself because you’re guilty too) are not engaged in a meaningful conversation with each other. Rather, everyone is glued to a phone.
The next time someone interrupts you while you’re phone or device, take note of your reaction. Are you angered when you have to be pulled away from that screen, or is there grace given to the person wanting your attention?
Most often we’re angry. Why? Because we view our time as far more important than the other person’s time. I’m guilty of disconnecting from reality and plugging into the matrix to escape. So know I’m writing to me as much as I’m writing to you.
It should not surprise or shock us that children are degrading each other. If we as a society are inconvenienced, even a little bit, we fly off the handle at each other. Students say some of the cruelest things to one another all in the hopes of making a funny meme out of it. We’ve created the monster, and we are have given it a place to live in our houses.
I’m not blaming phones for our problems. They are simply barometers that tell us what’s going on in our hearts. Our hearts are the problem. So I have diagnosed the problem, what’s the answer. In short, it’s living in a Gospel-centered lifestyle. What does that look like?
- Be Present With One Another. Put someone’s desires over yours.
“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4).
When you are with friends and family, be with them. Engage with them. Ask questions that require more than a YES OR A NO.
When you begin to put someone else in front of you it really does transform so many things. When you’re looking at helping someone else’s cause, rather than just your own, something truly incredible happens.
Zig Ziglar once said, “You will get all you want in life if you help enough people get what they want.” The next time you’re in a group of people, look at how you can put their agenda ahead of your own. Rather than telling people about all of the incredible things you’ve gotten done, ask about that other person’s accomplishments. See what happens.
- Use language that builds up rather than tears down. If you notice on social media people are quick to rip each other apart. Even if you are in a ‘Christian social media’ platform or room, people are quick to rip each other apart.
It’s very rare that people are trying to engage one another in order to see them reconciled, but honestly, we engage in the hopes of being proven right. Take a look at this verse:
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph. 4:29).
What would it look like if we purposefully used language with one another that always had the intention of building one another up rather than tearing each other apart? Prov. 18:21 says that there is life and death in our tongues. We really do need to make a conscious choice to use words that move us forward rather than drag us back.
- Outdo one another, in showing honor. We live in a world that loves to compete. We love to try and outdo each other. We attempt to top everyone else.
If you tell a cool story, I’ve got a cooler story that will make your story look like a child’s fairytale. But when we have a Gospel-centered view of life, we want to try to honor other people. We want to show respect.
The next time you’re with your crew, look for ways to honor someone or everyone in that group. See how it changes the atmosphere. And who knows? It might be so contagious that everyone might start living their lives that way.
Rom. 12:10 tells us this: “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”
Like I said, when we have a GOSPEL-centered view of life our priories change.
The Bible is full of stories of people who were engaged in their community with one another, and if you notice, when those people were present with one another, there was a sense of completeness. Because it was really not about them, but rather about JESUS the author and perfector of our faith.
Let’s live our lives out in such a way that it catches on like wildfire, and we start to see the KINGDOM in our communities!
by Caleb Gordon | Mar 1, 2018
What would it look like if people put just as much (if not more) energy, effort, resources and time into their local church as they do for other groups and organizations? What would our churches look like?
I believe in the church. I firmly think and believe what we are doing in our churches will matter in 10,000 years. The message that we carry is the most powerful message the world has ever seen. Yet, when it comes to people actually being committed to the church, it seems as if we BELIEVE (by our actions) that the church really is not important whatsoever. Look at the stats.
Fifty-one percent of churchgoing (professing) believers attend church ONCE A MONTH! And do you know what the number-one reason is for not going to church? “Because it’s hard to get there in the mornings.”
I’m just going to say this: We do what we want to do. If you wanted to get up and go hunting or fishing you would bust your backside to make that happen. I know men who get up at 3 and 4 a.m. to go do some type of hunting and fishing. Yet we struggle to make it church by 10:30 AM? I’m not buying it.
Christians today are not buying into the message of what the church is. Why? Well, there are a ton of possible reasons, but I’ll cut through all of the red tape and just say this: I think we don’t love and believe the message of Jesus. We do not LOVE the idea of gathering and worshiping with fellow believers. How can I say that? Because we do what we love to do.
We, as Christians, are a part of so many other organizations and activities, and we give our time and our creativity and our resources to make those places successful. What would those activities and organizations look like if we only showed up once a month? I think you can answer that.
So my next question is this: why do we only want to be a part of the church ONCE a month? Do you believe in the message/mission of your church? If the answer is yes then why not go all in at your church?
What would your church look like if you dedicated a good chunk of your time, money, creativity and self to make that place successful? Sometimes the church has some cranky stuffy folks in it. But so does Rotary and the Scouts, but we don’t give up on them. We keep pressing forward.
Like I said before, what we are doing in the church will matter in 10,000 years. If you don’t like how things are going at your church, GET INVOLVED AND HELP MAKE IT BETTER! They would love to have your input. They would love to get you on a committee. They want to hear your ideas.
If you’d like to see a study or activity happen then tell someone. Or even better, just jump in and start putting something together. GO ask your pastor, where can I get plugged in. What can I do? Pastors LOVE those questions.
I think that if we saw Christians who were members of our local churches start going all in for the things of Jesus and the mission of the church, our communities would look different.
by Caleb Gordon | Jan 16, 2018
So often in the church world, we are focused on getting people birthed into the kingdom that we can tend to lose sight of seeing them reach the finish line. Finishing strong is more important than starting strong.
In the book of Matthew, we are told, “but the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt. 24:13). Did you catch that? It did not say those who burst out of the starting gate will be saved. It said those who make it to the end will be saved.
We have a 73 percent “walk-away rate” in the church today. Why? Because we are messing with the wrong idea. We are so focused on ‘trying to get people into heaven’, that we are failing to ask an important question. Are these people actually saved?
Starting is important, but making sure folks cross the finish line is even more important.
How do we do that? We have to actually preach the Gospel. The Gospel is what transforms. The Gospel is what brings life. I’ve sat in camp and church gatherings and listened, and a majority of what I hear is morals being pushed up on a pedestal. Jesus is who needs to be put on a pedestal. “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32).
And once we preach the Gospel to the crowd, we keep the Gospel the center focus of their discipleship. Keep the focus as “falling in love with Jesus every day” as the main driving point (Rev 2:4-5). And when that becomes the drive and the focus, you win every time!
Keep the focus on Jesus and His Good News, and you’ll never lose. Even if your numbers in attendance are low, you still win.