Chasing Elephants Podcast

Brent walks through John 12:9-19

The story builds and even includes Lazarus in John 12:9-11. There is a plot to destroy any evidence that Jesus was the Messiah. 

If power is your ultimate goal, it will ultimately be your downfall. A line blurred is always a line crossed. 

Hosannah - give salvation now found in Psalm 118:25 

Main Takeaway: What you worship will either destroy you or it will deliver you. 

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What is Lent?

Lent is a 40-day period built around three traditional pillars: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It's a time of preparation for Easter when the Resurrection Jesus is celebrated. During Lent, prayer is made by studying the Bible, serving others by giving alms, and developing self-control by fasting.

It’s a 40-day period to commemorate the 40 days Christ spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, before beginning his public ministry.

Why is it observed in Christianity?

Lent is a period of self-discipline that is still commemorated by Christians all over the globe as a way to prepare us for Easter, which is considered the holiest day of the year as it commemorates Jesus's resurrection.

Living out Your Lent: 6 Perspectives of understanding the pillars of Lent

Perspective 1: Deception (Alms & Prayer)

[Jesus said in Matthew 6:1-6 NIV]  

• POINT: Lent is a time to take off our masks and come as we are. Who we are is enough.

• Q1. What masks do we need to remove?  

Perspective 2: Testing (Fasting, & Testing)

[Jesus was tested in the wilderness in Luke 4:1-13 NIV] …His responses to the devil:

1. “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone’.” vs. 4.  

2. “It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only’.” vs. 8.

3. “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”  

• Lent is a time to test our steadfastness to trust in God in all things.  

• Q2. What are we dealing with that is testing our trust in the OMNIS God?  

Perspective 3:Persecution(Pushing through Persecution)

[READ Luke 13:31-35 NIV – Jesus’ response to some Pharisees who told him that Herod wanted to kill him]

• Lent is a time to let go of our fear of people, the sin of comparison, or any other things that plague us.

• Q3. What’s that thing(s) that makes us flee from living out God’s purpose for us? 

Perspective 4:Repentance(Repentance is Essential)

[Jesus declared in Luke 13:3 & 5 NIV, “But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

• Lent is a time to open the intimate and dirtiest parts of our closets and let God clean it out.

• Q4. What are some ways we need to open the closets of our hearts, minds, and souls to God? 

Perspective 5:Sacrifice(Mary’s Costly Perfume)

[In John 12:1-8, Mary took about a pint of her expense perfume and poured it on Jesus’ feet and wipe his feet with her hair.]

• Lent is a time to willingly give all we have to God.

• Q5. What might we generously give to God. If it doesn’t cost you, it’s not a sacrifice. 

Perspective 6:Demonstration(Living it out beyond the 40-days)

[Psalms 118:1-4 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let Israel say, his love endures forever. Let the house of Aaron say, his love endures forever. Let those who fear the Lord say, his love endures forever.”]

[Continue reading Psalms 118:19-29] – When there is consistent Thanksgiving, in our heart and lips, we live like citizens of heaven, not just for 40 days, but for a lifetime.

• Lent is a time to evaluate the purpose of our lives.

• Q6.What might it look like for us to proceed with righteous intent?

Subscribe to The Wander Box  today!!

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What is Lent?

Lent is a 40-day period built around three traditional pillars: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It's a time of preparation for Easter when the Resurrection Jesus is celebrated. During Lent, prayer is made by studying the Bible, serving others by giving alms, and developing self-control by fasting.

It’s a 40-day period to commemorate the 40 days Christ spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, before beginning his public ministry.

Why is it observed in Christianity?

Lent is a period of self-discipline that is still commemorated by Christians all over the globe as a way to prepare us for Easter, which is considered the holiest day of the year as it commemorates Jesus's resurrection.

Living out Your Lent: 6 Perspectives of understanding the pillars of Lent

Perspective 1: Deception (Alms & Prayer)

[Jesus said in Matthew 6:1-6 NIV]  

• POINT: Lent is a time to take off our masks and come as we are. Who we are is enough.

• Q1. What masks do we need to remove?  

Perspective 2: Testing (Fasting, & Testing)

[Jesus was tested in the wilderness in Luke 4:1-13 NIV] …His responses to the devil:

1. “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone’.” vs. 4.  

2. “It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only’.” vs. 8.

3. “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”  

• Lent is a time to test our steadfastness to trust in God in all things.  

• Q2. What are we dealing with that is testing our trust in the OMNIS God?  

Subscribe to The Wander Box  today!!

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This year during The LIFT Tour, we got to peak around the curtain of John 11, taking the approach of a docuseries. 

Takeaways from the story:

•  The purpose of Jesus's miracles was not to make one person's life better, He worked so that there would be no doubt in anyone's mind that He is the Messiah. 
• When you're the storyteller, you don't have to be in a hurry. Jesus's response shows that He was someone who already knew the end of the story even when it was just beginning. 
• He is truly the Resurrection and the Life.
• Jesus's delay was everyone else's deliverance.
• Jesus is not so disconnected with us that He doesn't weep when we weep. He shows His compassion and humanity by sharing in the sorrow of these sisters. God can be found in our pain. 
• Jesus gets the final word, which shows us exactly how our salvation is worked out. 

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Pilgrimage is the healthiest paradigm of disciple-making and the journey we were created for. 

A pilgrim is one who wanders well towards the heaven country.  To live as a citizen of heaven, we have to understand the heaven country is our destination as we wander. 

The pilgrimage paradigm is healthy because...

1. it's all encompassing  
2. it guards our minds and hearts against faulty thinking  

Characteristics of Wandering: 

• endurance 
• specific tasks - know what the Lord has gifted you in these four categories: vocation, church, family, citizenship
• set your mind on the prize 

Subscribe to The Wander Box  today!!

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Brent and Jeff begin with a story of the last flowers that Dr. King sent his wife.   She was surprised to find they were artificial flowers and thought the florist sent it by mistake. When she asked her husband about this, he surprised her by say that is what he intended to send.   He wanted her to have flowers that would always keep.

Today the guys discuss ideas to help readers make Black History month something that should always keep. As it stays fresh in the American story, it should become something that is the overall narrative, not just one month – something woven into the fabric of America. 

So how do we keep it fresh, not old or stale? How do we honor the heart of Black History Month? 

Reflecting on the contributions of all people throughout history is a great place to continue your journey on this. 

The guys explore this through the categories of Books, Documentaries, Museums, and Historically Black Colleges. 

Books:

• Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America by Michael Emerson & Christian Smith
• Dream with Me: Race, Love, and the Struggle We Must Win by John Perkins
• Oneness Embraced by Dr. Tony Evans
• The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois
• Letters to a Young Sister: Define Your Destiny by Hill Harper
• Letters to a Young Brother by Hill Harper
• Roots by Alex Haley
• I Know Why the Cage Bird Signs by Maya Angelo
• Voices of Freedom: An Oral History of the Civil Rights Movement from the 1950’s Through the 1980’s by Henry Hampton and Steve Fayer
• Malcom X Autobiography

Movies/ Documentary:

• The Great Debaters
• Freedom Riders
• Selma
• Hidden Figures, Marshall, & 42
• The Hate U Give
• Amistad

Civil Rights Museums:

• The National Civil Rights Museum (Lorraine Motel in Memphis)
• Location of Dr. King’s April 4, 1968 assassination.
• National Center for Civil and Human Rights (Atlanta, GA)
• Fun Fact: Jeff’s oldest has a picture hanging in the museum
• Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (Birmingham, AL)
• Rosa Parks Museum (Montgomery, AL)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial (Washington, DC)
• Edmund Pettus Bridge (Selma, AL)

Famous HBCU’s: The lack of education was a form of oppression. Slave owners would edit Bibles. 

• Atlanta University Center (AUC)
• Spelman
• Morehouse
• Clarke Atlanta
• Howard University – DC (Thurgood Marshall)
• Hampton – Hampton, VA
• Xavier University – New Orleans
• Dillard – New Orleans
• North Carolina A&T – Greensboro, NC
• Florida A&M – Tallahassee
• North Carolina Central – Durham
• Morgan State – Baltimore
• Tuskegee – Tuskegee, AL
• Delaware State – Dover
• Jackson State – Jackson MS (Deon Sanders is HC for Football)

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Brent and Jeff take time to reflect on Black History Month, share what this month means to them and to unpack the history of this month. 

Understanding the History: 

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. President has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.

Carter Woodson chose February for reasons of tradition and reform. It is commonly said that Woodson selected February to encompass the birthdays of two great Americans who played a prominent role in shaping black history, namely Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, whose birthdays are the 12th and the 14th, respectively. More importantly, he chose them for reasons of tradition. Since Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, the black community, along with other Republicans, had been celebrating the fallen President’s birthday. And since the late 1890s, black communities across the country had been celebrating Douglass’. Well aware of the pre-existing celebrations, Woodson built Negro History Week around traditional days of commemorating the black past.

A Thought to Ponder: Brent and Jeff then play a clip from Morgan Freeman sharing his thoughts on Black History Month and then the guys share their thoughts on this. 

Want to continue to conversation?   Talk to your friends about what you heard today and join us next week as Brent and Jeff continue their journey through Black History Month. 

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As they continue to explore this topic, Brent and Jeff share some practical principles:

• Know Your Position: You need to know your theological position and have a healthy view of Scripture. Our view of theology cannot waiver based on what is the current hot topic in culture.
  • When you start with doctrine, you are not discounting people’s feelings.  We must be redemptive in our tone.
• Compassion Does Not Mean We Compromise Our Convictions: Jesus’s compassion for people was motivation to solve the very need He saw in people’s lives.
  • We have compassion with the hope of conversion, but we recognize this is God’s business.
  • We have to learn to disagree well with fellow Christians who hold different views.  Not everyone shares the same believe systems as we do. That does not mean we walk away from God’s truth.
• Don’t Chase Conflict and Don’t Avoid Difficult Conversations: As you engage, don’t look for points to argue.
  • Our willingness to avoid tough conversations communicates something about our faith  that is not truth.   The Bible is applicable to all areas of life.
• Let the Word You Teach Also Be the Word You Practice: Theology that is not applied is worthless.  Theology is God’s ideas put into word form.
  • Remember the Goal is Not to Win an Argument:   a great example in Scripture is the conversation with Jesus and the lawyer that leads up to the Good Samaritan parable (see Luke 10).
• Let Your Vision for Your Christian Life Focus on Being a Witness and Being Salt and Light
• When You Engage with Others, You Should Be Reinforcing God’s Views of Personhood
  • People have infinite value to God
  • There are real world paradigms God has created to help us understand our humanity.

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After praying deeply and listening intently, Jeff outlines several steps on how to view this issue:

• What this Conversation is Not
• Backstory and State of Current Culture
• View from a Macro Level
• Personal Perspective and Truth: Jeff’s Letters to White People and Black People

How Should We ALL Respond

1. PRAYER
   • Now, I’m sure, when I start there, most of my African American friends will say (and I understand & agree) … “We always respond to moments like this and talk about prayer. But we need more action.” Hey…I get it, but in the words of John Wesley, “Prayer is when action takes place.”
2. We Need Dreamers
   • So, after we pray, the truth of the matter is we need some leaders to step up and be leaders that believe in change.
   • We need Leaders/Dreamers who won’t just criticize the system or blindly defend the system…but leaders/dreamers who will imagine a better system and a better future.
3. We Need a Whole-Life Theology/Biblical Worldview
   • If we are going to live as citizens of heaven, then our biblical worldview should dictate and determine our response to all ethical/moral issues, as well as social/racial injustice.
   • We should have the same passion/compassion for the tragic deaths of George Floyd & Tyre Nichols, as we do with the overturning of Roe v Wade
   • All manners of evil should be punished, and people should be held accountable because they all have 1-preferred master (Satan).
4. We Need the Church to be Louder
   1. We need more applied theology, implied theology!
   2. When you think about the Apostle Paul, he dealt with and concerned himself with different social and secondary issues.
   3. He responded to social problems in Corinth.
   4. He was concerned that the afflictions, sufferings, and persecutions would be used by the tempter to shake the Thessalonians from their faith and to cause a loss of faith among them.
   5. He expressed disappointment in seeing the church in Galatia moving away from the Christian gospel .

Make sure you tune in next week as we pick back up and conclude our 3-part series on  “To Pronoun or Not to Pronoun” – That is the Question.

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Key Ideas Explored:

In Part One of this series, we answered “what does the Bible say when dealing with the question of Sexual Ethics?” Today we will discuss with how the Bible should inform our attitude and posture regarding this topic of sexuality.

• As Christians, we need to take the posture of Team Abraham, not take the posture of Team Brimstone (see Genesis 18-19).   
  • We are called to be salt and light. We are also called to lead by grace (see Matthew 5:13-16). 
  • As we experience freedom in Christ, we want others to experience that freedom as well. 
     
• We should approach this issue with a posture of a heavy heart. Sin fractures the human soul.  We need to be careful to not fall into sin when talking about sin. 
  • We should not take pride that we do not have feelings for the same sex. We should not be arrogant.  We should love the Lord our God, and we should love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12). 
     
• We need to avoid the posture of bumper stickers theology. Don’t use lightly such statements that put down peoples’ deepest darkest struggles. 
  • Guard your witness at all costs as it is how we can point people effectively to Jesus. 
  • Our church goers need to be honest about their sin. Can someone in our church be honest about their sexual struggles regarding to LGBTQ+ without feeling like they will be out of the group?
     
• Finally, let’s have the posture where we love the sinner and hate our own sin. The hope is that when you look at your own sin, you will feel more compassion towards others (1 Timothy 1:15). 
  • The closer you get to the light of Jesus, the more you see the dirt on yourself. 
     

As you explore these handful of ideas that inform our posture, you will see that if you don’t have the right attitude, it will lead you to the wrong places, and you won’t get the right answer. 

We will see you next week for Episode 3 of this series when we will tackle how to apply theology practically when someone identifies.
 

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