Life in Relationship

Ministry Talks 9 - Ministry Talks: Finances and Budgeting

Psalm 24:1

Matthew 25:14-30

Matthew 25:24

How do we see God? How do we see God in relation to money?

we know him to be an abundant God, but that can be hard to live in

careful of separating flesh and spirit

How are we giving?

 - Looks different for everyone

 - Where has God brought us from in giving (money, time, grace) and what is He doing now?

Luke 12:16-21

Where are we building barns to make us feel comfortable?

1 Peter 4:7-11

In what ways are we practicing hospitality?

God works His glory when we don’t even see it.

Resources:

Dave Ramsey

https://www.daveramsey.com/?snid=home - find a class, curriculum for middle school, high school, families, homeschool, etc. 

Howard Dayton

https://www.crown.org/MoneyMap

Asking how can I give more?

Rachel Cruze - Love Your Life, Not Theirs https://amzn.to/2EZs9zK

http://buildingastorybrand.com/episode-28/ - Storybrand Podcast with guest Rachel Cruze... focused on giving

14 day money finder challenge -https://www.rachelcruze.com/

Use apps or the envelope system

Making budgeting pretty

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ATime4Everything

“Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.”

Ministry Talks 3 – Church Work Children

Opening the conversation for our children and families about church work and faith life

Church as a Safe Place

• Developmentally children have a hard time with abstract concepts of grace, mercy, and the big ideas we want them to learn
• We teach them in many ways around the Word with words
• but primarily children understand faith and God’s work through the Word with experiences and relationships

Church can feel like a dark place at times, even though it “should” be light-filled and darkness can be scary.

• This is confusing for children
• Need to talk about it openly, address it kindly, without gossip, but gentle honesty
• 1 Peter 1:9 – God is working mercy in the places we don’t even know
• Ephesians 5:8 – he is growing us as people of Light

Deuteronomy Living

• 6:4-9 in Gospel
• The same God is Lord over our homes, our families, and our churches
• Helping kids see God in our homes, as well as at church
• Not knowledge that saves us
• Not our work, even church work that saves us
• Talking openly about God’s Word intentionally, so children know it’s not just our job, but our love for Christ
• Balancing home and ministry
• Let them talk about the joys and the hard stuff too

Questions at the table

            What is the Gospel/God doing in our family?

            What has the Gospel/God done in our family?

            What is the Gospel/God doing in our church?

Ministry Talks 5 – Discouragement in Ministry

Where have you felt discouragement in life? In the Christian walk? In ministry?

The power of normalizing and naming it

- Discouragement is normal and not shameful

- Apostle Paul and discouragement

John 16:33

 ESV - tribulation

 NIV – trials and sorrows

 Greek = thlipsin/thlipsis = pressure, that which rubs

http://biblehub.com/interlinear/john/...

What tensions do you have in ministry or at your church?

Where do you experience the pressure or stress internally?

How do you “let it out”, whether positive or negative?

Discouragement - Encouragement - Courage/Take Heart

Psalm 27:14 – waiting and discouragement

Psalm 31:24 – take heart, be fed

How does God feed you?

1. 1 – the experience of shame
2. 2 – when or where have you needed rescue, received rescue
3. 11 –feeling outcast, less than, unwanted

 v.12 – the weight of your own brokenness and the weight of brokenness in the world

  What is discouraging to you in the culture around you?

Work through Psalm 31 and write down all the references to Who God is and how He is at work.

He is faithful. He gives courage.

Please share when you have been encouraged by God or His people!

“Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.”

Ministry Talks 2 – Intersections of the Ministry House

Foundations for our homes

Psalm 127:1 – No labor you do is in vain. The Lord is at work- in your home, your ministry, and anywhere you are in your community.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do ministry in “God’s House,” the church, but also in the other areas of our lives. Ministry within our home is not “less than” ministry at church or with people from our churches/communities. Our families need us also and God works in that and calls it ministry.

1 Timothy 3:1-5 We do not have to “have it all together.”

God works in grace. He works in the prodigal children. He works in our mess-ups both in our homes and our ministries. What does it mean to manage a household well – studying the Word together, coming before Him in prayer and sorting it all out for your family together.

Systems Chart –  Understanding all the places our lives intersect

Draw your house or a box to represent your house. Note around it all the interacting places and spaces that intersect in your life. Which ones bring energy and life to your family? Which ones are more of a challenge for you or your family members? Where are more boundaries needed? What places bring you joy?

More resources on family and ministry intersections…

http://ilovemyshepherd.com/2017/08/truth-children-adults-mental-health/

Ben Freudenberg and the Concordia Center for the Family

http://www.concordiacenterforthefamily.org/content.cfm?page_content=downloads_include.cfm&download_id=3

Luther on parents’ ministry to children/family

http://www.prca.org/resources/publications/articles/item/5021-martin-luther-training-children-in-the-home

Tweet: Ministry Talks, Episode 1 - The Intersections of the Ministry House... God is at work between our homes and our churches. Share your thoughts and comments about your ministry and family context!

Ministry Talks 4 – Freedom in Ministry

Foundations for Freedom in this life:

Galatians 5:1

John 10:10

Roadblocks to Freedom in Ministry Life

Status v. Weakness

Forgetting the Sinner/Saint duality

Expectations

Our Worth

“God’s Will”

What expectations have you felt the weight of in ministry?

What expectations have you put on yourself?

What expectations have you felt from other people?

Which roadblock to freedom have you struggled with or have you seen people struggle with in ministry?

Ministry Talks 7 - The Dark Side of the Church

6 realities that can make the church feel a little dark at times…

John 17:13-19 - foundation of light and dark, world and God’s people

Reality #1 - It will always be a challenge to help the world understand the church.

• not a distraction, part of ministry
• inherent to being in the world, not of the world
• In the world is a good thing, from God
• The Light of Christ and the Lighthouse of the Word
• Compassion in knowing a world disconnected from God and His love

Reality #2 - The church itself exists in the world not outside of it.

            -  junk of the world will be in the church

            - we will see both light and dark in the church

            - joy (v. 13)

Reality #3 - People will struggle with sin in the church.

            - we will see relationship issues, addiction, sexual immorality, gossip, hatefulness all around us

            - we are not better people

            - we will also see sin at church - need for boundaries

            - sin of language is so common

            - How do people yell, accuse, make fun of, fail to include? What else can you add?

            - How do we repair the hurts and bring light with the Word?

            - polarity of family and institution aspects of the church

Reality #4 - Spiritual warfare is most often experienced in relationships, especially deeply spiritual relationships.

            - Colossians 3:9-15

Reality #5 - We really, really, really want to play favorites.

            - James 2:1-4

            - money yes, but also times, special groups of people, founders, members v nonmembers, worship preferences, knowledge, etc.

            - how do we expect children or youth to be something they are not

Reality #6 - Everything feels so darn personal.

            - 1 Thessalonians 2:9-12,19-20

            - joy and life is better than the cerebral version, even when it’s dark and hard

Resources:

Built on the Rock - https://www.amazon.com/Built-Rock-Congregation-Ted-Kober/dp/0758658060

Simple Church - https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Church-Returning-Process-Disciples/dp/0805447997

Total Church - https://www.amazon.com/Total-Church-Radical-Reshaping-Community/dp/1433502089

Dangerous Calling - https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Calling-Confronting-Challenges-Pastoral/dp/1433535823

“Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.”

Ministry Talks 1 Intro

Welcome to a new series from I Love My Shepherd - Ministry Talks!

Are you in part-time or full- time ministry? Do you have a ministry degree or background? Is your husband or your wife in ministry?

This video series is intended to share insights around the Word about the unique joys, as well as the unique challenges to ministry life. We'll talk about the tensions of all that is good and hard in ministry, talk about the ministry's impact on home and family life, and encourage one another.

The series will always be grounded in the Word of God, while sharing psychosocial and systems concepts that are useful when considering how our lives interact within the church, our families, and our communities.

Here is a list of upcoming topics:

*Intersections of the ministry house

Wisdom for the ministry household

The influence of ministry wives and women in ministry

Friendship in ministry life

Boundaries in ministry and the ministry family

Expectations and the ministry family

Brokenness and the ministry family

God's calling and the ministry family

The unique testimony of ministry life

*Freedom in ministry life

Needs, wants, and ministry life

Financial wellness in ministry life

Spiritual deserts and spiritual mountaintops in ministry life

Difficult people and ministry

Please share your thoughts and ideas for topics in the comments.

I hope you'll join the discussion, gain some insight, and be encouraged.

Ministry Talks 8 - When Ministry Needs a Resurrection: Waiting, Rest, and A Fresh Start

Go through 1 OT account of resurrection, 2 NT account of resurrection, and I’ll give you a few psalms to consider and take with you to contemplate. All have unique insights for when ministry just really needs new, fresh, and something more, a resurrection.

4 sections to today’s study:

            Admitting when all is not well

            Connecting the pieces of Grace, freedom, and joy

            Easter Saturday Ministry

            Rest and RESToration

1) Admitting when all is not well

2 Kings 4:18-37

• when “everything is alright” is your mantra - v. 23, 26
• admitting it is the hardest part, first step, satan wants to keep you in isolation
• sometimes admitting just means saying, “this isn’t what I thought it would look like”
• considering unsafe people v safe people - v. 27

2) Connecting the pieces of Grace, freedom, and joy

John 19:38-20:3

• grace comes in and with it there is a new freedom to these disciples
• Jesus’ body is cared for by people, this is the work of the church
• let people care and bring healing to you
• disciples running to the tomb, Jesus love is just that big that we don’t even think and I think sometimes we lose the awe of that
• often in ministry we lose the awe, effects our hope, that what God is doing is bigger than this world David Paul Tripp - http://amzn.to/2HyxGyU
• lose the ability to be playful - look at disciples trying to outrun each other
• Brene Brown, Daring Greatly, foreboding joy; waiting for shoe to drop - http://amzn.to/2FGxdKp
• back to disciples running - running together, this is a clue, when ministry needs a resurrection we need running partners now more than ever

3) Easter Saturday Ministry

            - ministry in the waiting, unsure where you’re going, Ben Rector Sailboat (God knows)

• waiting can feel as devastating as the mocking
• feels a touch sad, a touch lonely, a touch set aside, devalued, humiliating
• God is not uninterested
• vinegar and oil prayers (Present Over Perfect) -http://amzn.to/2FQS551

4) Rest and RESToration

There are 3 Days in the “Holy Weekend” account - 1 = Sabbath

• seems significant
• God values rest and what it accomplishes, even when we don’t fully understand it

4 principles of rest in Vantage Point: A New View of Rest, Rhythm, and the Work of God by Brenda Jank - http://amzn.to/2pbtMVT

Psalm 119:105-112 - concept of inclination in rest

Psalm 51 - create, restore, and joy

Psalm 126 - weeping and thanksgiving, how does God daily, weekly, yearly, eternally restore joy?

- sleep, day off elsewhere, vacation, sabbatical, something new

Ideas from the trenches

Sleep

Day off elsewhere

Day trip

Vacation

Sabbatical

Something new

long walks

daily Scripture reading

prayer

specific prayer: Help me see them as You see them, Lord.

talking with a friend in ministry life

reading new resources and ideas

journaling

grumbling to God

Repeating to self- it doesn't have to happen right now

a women's or men's Bible study group

connecting with friends long distance intentionally

praying for humility

exercise

using oils with prayers

connecting with a mentor

finding an organization that has ministry insight

work outside of church for ministry spouses

talking to your mom

sitting in or getting some sunshine

“Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.”

For when ministry just really needs new, fresh, and something more, a resurrection.

4 sections to today’s study:

            Admitting when all is not well

            Connecting the pieces of Grace, freedom, and joy

            Easter Saturday Ministry

            Rest and RESToration

1 - Admitting when all is not well

2 Kings 4:18-37

admitting it is the hardest part, first step, satan wants to keep you in isolation

sometimes admitting just means saying, “this isn’t what I thought it would look like”

considering unsafe people v safe people - v. 27

2 - Connecting the pieces of Grace, freedom, and joy

John 19:38-20:3

Jesus’ body is cared for by people, this is the work of the church - caring for one another

When we lose our awe

losing the ability to be playful and foreboding joy

3 -Easter Saturday Ministry

waiting can feel as devastating as the mocking

feels a touch sad, a touch lonely, a touch set aside, devalued, humiliating

God is not uninterested

vinegar and oil prayers

4- Rest and RESToration

There are 3 Days in the “Holy Weekend” account - 1 = Sabbath

For further contemplation:

Psalm 119:105-112 - concept of inclination in rest

Psalm 51 - create, restore, and joy

Psalm 126 - weeping and thanksgiving, how does God daily, weekly, yearly, eternally restore joy?

Ideas from the trenches

Sleep

Day off elsewhere

Day trip

Vacation

Sabbatical

Something new

long walks

daily Scripture reading

prayer

specific prayer: Help me see them as You see them, Lord.

talking with a friend in ministry life

reading new resources and ideas

journaling

grumbling to God

Repeating to self- it doesn't have to happen right now

a women's or men's Bible study group

connecting with friends long distance intentionally

praying for humility

exercise

using oils with prayers

connecting with a mentor

finding an organization that has ministry insight

work outside of church for ministry spouses

talking to your mom

sitting in or getting some sunshine

Resources:

Dangerous Calling by David Paul Tripp - http://amzn.to/2HyxGyU

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown - http://amzn.to/2FGxdKp

Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequest -http://amzn.to/2FQS551

4 principles of rest in Vantage Point: A New View of Rest, Rhythm, and the Work of God by Brenda Jank - http://amzn.to/2pbtMVT

“Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.”

ILMS 61 - The Truth about Mental Health: REST

Special Guest: Brenda Jank from Run Hard Rest Well

Marva Dawn - Keeping the Sabbath Wholly

Misconceptions about keeping the Sabbath

- Brenda’s, ours, the worlds

- mangaling God’s gifts

Personal retreats

• rest well
• listen carefully
• produce nothing

The intentional work of tasting rest

• the gift and challenge of children
• the gift of grace over guilt
• permission from our loved ones to rest
• transitions and our need for rest

4 Rhythms of Rest

The Rhythm of Sleep

- deep emotional, physical, and relational need for sleep

The Rhythm of Sabbath

- relational rest

- time to pray and play

- reconnecting with God

- reconnect with the people we love

- as a family, having a rhythm and stop doing what consumes our focus for 6 days

- acknowledge the difference between entertainment and rest

Ask the question: What will refresh us?

The Rhythm of Stillness

The Rhythm of Solitude

Vantage Point: A New View of Rest, Rhythm, and the Work of God

Teaching our children to rest

Guilt and Ministry -

Mark 1

Spirit led not guilt driven

Ezekiel 20

Psalm 92 (espeically verse 14)

runhardrestwell.com

ilovemyshepherd.com

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd0fe9BbadMkIZwWx-esd-g

Facebook - @ilovemyshepherd

Twitter -  @ilovemyshepherd

Instagram - @ilovemyshepherdministries

ESV Bible translation - Copyright © 2001 by Crossway,

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

All rights reserved.

ILMS 60 - Ten Minutes of Courage

My small obsession with Sherlock

“I think that you know me well enough, Watson, to understand that I am by no means a nervous man. At the same time, it is stupidity rather than courage to refuse to recognize danger when it is close upon you.” ~ The Final Problem by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 

Ten Minute Truth #1 - God does not condemn us for our fear.

Ten Minute Truth #2 - Sometimes we need to “take” courage.

Mark 15:43

• sometimes courage looks like taking the bull by the horns when we’re shaking in our boots
• where do you see God working courage around you?

Ten Minute Truth #3 - God works in the fringes with courage and gives us courage to work there.

• where are people “looking for the kingdom” but disconnected from the truth?
• look for Love Brave, the fall I Love My Shepherd study, which deals with this topic more
• God may see courage where we may not

Ten Minute Truth #4 - We know our work is never wasted.

1 Corinthians 15:58

• we are vessels, He’ll bring the courage

Philippians 1:21-22

• the day to day of life takes courage

ilovemyshepherd.com

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd0fe9BbadMkIZwWx-esd-g

Facebook - @ilovemyshepherd

Twitter -  @ilovemyshepherd

Instagram - @ilovemyshepherdministries

ESV Bible translation - Copyright © 2001 by Crossway,

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

All rights reserved.