89 Days with Jesus

The sheriff and I were on a plane from Atlanta talking about the problems of our society, and this southern sheriff said to me, “The creation of our problems today is because we don’t have no Jesus.” What he said to me that day on the flight was like the message of God directly into my brain: we have a Christology problem. We have not anchored ourselves in the life and teachings of Jesus. We have become members and leaders of the Church without being deeply committed to the one who created the Church. It’s time for us to get back to Jesus.

We need a revival in America. While Christianity is growing in Africa and South America, it is declining in the US. However, if we had a revival, I’m concerned that no one would come. Maybe we ought to do the simplest thing and just immerse ourselves in the story found in the New Testament, told by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; it’s time to spend some time with Jesus. The best way to do that is by reading His story. A group of Christians in Tulsa and I have made a commitment to read through the life and teachings of Jesus in 89 days. There are 89 chapters in the Gospels, and we’ll take 89 days to read through them, one chapter a day. I have provided study guide material, and if you’ll join those of us in Tulsa who are doing it, we’ll begin a movement across the Church. I challenge those who read these words to pass it on. Let’s spend the next 89 days with Jesus and read the Gospels all the way through. The materials are an outline for reading, prayer, and action. Send me your request for the materials; I will email them to you at no cost. In this time of elections and social turmoil, let’s get back to Jesus. Now is the time!

A Christyle Community

For centuries, people have been defining Christianity and what it means to be a Christian. Today in our very secular culture, a lot of people describe church members as hypocritical, dishonest, arrogant, manipulative, and irrelevant. Many of us grieve over those descriptions, knowing that they are descriptions of our sins but not of our identity. So many times, when church members attempt to define themselves, they do so in terms of a particular program, denomination, type of baptism, or style of music. But Jesus describes us (Christians) simply as people who would follow Him. That statement is found in all of the Gospels; He just asks us to follow Him. Peter explained it in 1 Peter 2:21: “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”

In our struggle to be Christian, the best definition is in our behavior – what we do. James said it very clearly as he reminded us that faith without works is dead (2:20). Our real identity is what we do. Jesus described what we do very clearly in the Great Commandments found in Luke 10 – we are to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and body and love our neighbors as ourselves. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says that if we don’t have love, we have nothing. It’s just doesn’t count – all of our membership, baptisms, and church activities don’t count unless we do what Jesus taught.

Today, many people are rethinking what it is to be a Christian. One of Dan Kimball’s books is a great resource on this – They Like Jesus But Not the Church. It’s time for us to create communities of people who are committed to behaving in the way that Jesus taught. I have called that a “Christyle Community” – a community of people, imperfect but trying their best, to live a life that follows the teachings of Jesus. Certainly, belief, commitment, and other parts of the church’s life are important, but behavior is the true test.

In Tulsa, we created a community like this; all of us want to follow in the steps of Jesus. It’s called “The Christyle Community.” We meet on Thursday nights at 7:00. Everyone is welcome. For more information, click here. 

How Do You Share the Faith?

Today in the secular culture in which Americans find themselves, sharing the faith becomes a significant issue. Most Christians are not excited about sharing the faith – being an evangelist, witnessing. We have seen this practice of evangelism done with guilt, arrogance, manipulation, and so much inappropriate behavior that we realize that it doesn’t work; it turns people off to Christ rather than on to Christ. So how do you share the faith? At the Great Commission at the end of His ministry, Jesus tells us to go unto all the world, share, and teach. So how do we do this?

I have struggled with that question throughout all of my ministry. I have tried many things, and the answer I have come up with is best expressed through the word TELL:

T – stands for the truth of Jesus Christ in our lives

E – reminds us that we must explain a lot of things about our faith

L – stands for living it; we show our genuineness through living out Christ’s teachings

L – reminds us to lead by encouraging, inviting, teaching, guiding, helping

Many of the actions associated with evangelism in the past are a part of leading after we are sure of the truth in our own lives, are willing and capable of explaining and living it fully. Then the leading is easy, natural, and powerful.

I have written about this by the name TELL. If you would like to order a copy, please click here for more information. I am doing conferences on evangelism; if you would like more information on these, click here.

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People Really Matter

We see crowds of people at a football game or watching the fireworks, and it’s more people than we can imagine. We hear of deaths in battles in Afghanistan or the death of a child in Orlando, and we are hurt and grieve. Yet, sometimes we become insensitive. Do people really matter?

As Christians, we know the answer is a resounding yes. The scripture of John 3:16 makes it clear that God so loved the world – that’s all of us! – that he gave Jesus. That concept of how important you are – that you are loved and matter – is a concept that can make so much difference in your personal life.

We have a Bible Study on Thursday nights at our home, and anyone in the Tulsa area is welcome to come. One thing we emphasize is that you matter to God. In a sense, it is a self-esteem Bible Study. Mike has called it a “God-Esteem Bible Study”. It helps us see that we’re okay; God loves us. It may be hard to understand that He loves you and me and everybody else, but that is the beauty of God’s love. Click here for information about the Bible Study.

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Loyalty and the Last Supper

Churches all around the world will celebrate the sacrament of the Holy Communion this evening. It is the night of the Last Supper. The night when Jesus was so close and clear with his friends. It is also the night that he was captured and they ran away. So much in our world has to do with loyalty. Loyalty to value and purpose. The story of Jesus’ crucifixion is about his loyalty to his calling from God and the response of many of his friends and followers is a story of their struggle with loyalty. I believe the church today needs to reconsider our loyalty. The powerful message of Jesus is a call to loyalty.

What training does the church need the most?

What training does the church really need the most? This is a question I have asked all across the church as I have traveled speaking at different places. I have asked it of Bishops, local church staff, lay leaders, and other clergy - what does the church need? There are all kinds of different answers. From a lot of people I get two topics: one the church needs training in evangelism. We need to reach new people for Christ and do it effectively. Secondly, we need better preaching. A lot of church leaders describe contemporary preaching today as ‘terrible’. I don’t know if it is necessarily that bad, but there is a lot of criticism of the worship and preaching that is happening.

 We are presenting an Evangelism Conference and Preaching Academy in Arlington, Texas right after Easter on May 2-4. We have fantastic speakers including John Ed Mathison, Jim Moore, and many others. The problem with training is that, although we need it, it is hard to admit that we do need it.

Though there are books written and workshops, and conferences offered we are so busy, or we do not have the income to purchase a book or attend a conference, we don’t do the training and the effectiveness does not improve. Sometimes it seems like we have to go through a crisis to make the changes that we need to make as simple as they may be sometimes.

Maybe the crisis the church is going through is a result of us not knowing how to do the work of God’s church in an effective way. I believe we must do what is necessary to serve God in the most effective way possible!

Practical Paul

Paul is such a great leader for Christians. Most of the New Testament was written by him. He is a great theologian and in his writings many of the significant doctrines of the church implemented and explained. As a leader that started so many of the early churches, he coached them in what it means to be a church. With all of this, we oftentimes forget how practical his teachings are. He teaches things that everyone needs to know, like how "love is patient and kind, not jealous or boastful" 1st Corinthians 13:4. Wow! What a basic understanding! Moreover, Paul writes "I can do all things in him who gives me strength" Phillipians 4:13.

We are leading a Bible Study on Practical Paul and we are looking at the practical teachings of this great leader of the church. We would love to have you come! It will really make a difference. You will get some practical ideas about living your life that are priceless. I'm teaching Practical Paul at our Bible Studies, which have been convening for the past three years at our home every other Thursday night. You are welcome to join us!

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-Bob Pierson