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Milton Vincent presented a workshop entitled, “Resurrecting a Shattered Faith” that was illustrated by Luke 24. He explained that often the prodigal will ask, “Where was God when I suffered?”  How can you respond?

Many prodigals are those who have been sinned against and feel deep hurt:

• They feel that God abandoned them
• They have been hurt by a church leader
• They can’t square what happened to them with what they think about God
• They can’t reconcile someone else’s sin
• Their biggest disappointment is in themselves because their faith in God has not changed them the way that they thought or they are not as spiritual as they thought they would be.

Prodigals need a friend or counselor who can nurture them back with grace and truth. 

What does that look like? Jesus modeled it.

If you think about it, Jesus’ most devoted followers are the very profile of prodigals. They are disappointed that their Messiah let Himself be killed and crucified. They have been hurt by the religious leaders who murdered Jesus. They themselves had failed Jesus. They thought they had grown so much in three years, but then, they had abandoned Him. They felt they had committed the worst of sins --- they felt they were even more wicked than before they had met Him. Jesus was abandoned by God Himself! He even said so on the Cross!

But their loving Messiah pursues His prodigal followers and nurses them back.

First, He presents them with an empty tomb. Note Luke 24:1 – they do not expect the resurrection. The women are there to embalm Him, they are not expecting to greet Him. They were not there to proclaim the first Easter, they were mourning, they were perplexed.

But He sends angelic messengers to tell them the truth by reminding them of His prior predictions of His suffering and resurrection. (Luke 24:6-8) The women DO remember and rush back to report to the assembled (24:9)!   In 24:11, though, the men do not think these women are simply mistaken, but stark raving mad. Faith is not restored by their report. The men even go to the tomb, but still do not believe.

The most miraculous, history-altering, heaven-shattering event has taken place and yet, Jesus does not come down in fire and fanfare. Instead, He comes to His disciples as they walk away and listens to their story of shattered faith.

He is so loving! In their state of unbelief, they feel they have no reason to stay in Jerusalem (24:13). They talk of His death, their sorrow, and the crazy women (24:14). As they walk in unbelief, Jesus walks with them. He asks them what they are feeling.

What can we learn from this? Prodigals too have a story to tell. Ask them, repeatedly, and listen. They need the truth very badly, but first they need someone to listen to them.

And guess who is interested in their story of disappointment? Jesus!  He could have skipped this part and just revealed Himself, but He takes the time to listen to them. They are hurt by the religious leaders whom they should have been able to trust (24:20). They have lost hope (24:21) and are not convinced the women really saw angels (24:23). They are sad they did not see Him. And He listens.

Do we stop and listen when we see the hopeless?

Along with His presence, Jesus brings them the healing Word. He explains the Scriptures to them, what they reveal about Him, and then reveals Himself to them.

He listens, He draws them out sympathetically, and He speaks truth to them (24:25). Hard truth that they need to hear, and we must do the same. We must help each other understand suffering – both His and their own.

When faith is too small, disappointment is great.

Notice that Jesus takes hurting people to Scripture.  From Genesis to Malachi, Jesus does a Bible Study with them. He does the spade work of the heart. This is the essence of soul care.

You may think that you are not equipped or have what it takes to be a biblical counselor, but the truth is, we are all called to it. Do you feel you want some training on how to walk with a brother or sister in their dark seasons? Please join us November 9 & 10 for One to One Soul Care Conference. Click here to register or contact Elizabeth for more information.

Why attend a church picnic just hours after going to church? Aren’t these the same people you just shared a pew, and maybe coffee, with in a different setting? Didn’t you already fellowship before and after service with these people? Or maybe you said a brief hello and shook hands during the welcome? That all may be true but something different, something more, happens at a church picnic. It is a special opportunity for a deeper fellowship and unity, and it’s fun! Just look at the photos from our 2017 Church Picnic!

Church picnics give us time to sit, listen and enjoy one another in a completely different setting; play music, volleyball or soccer; and give us time for real, relational fellowship to happen naturally. And let’s be honest, relational fellowship takes time, it’s an investment and sometimes even the most devout Christians just forget to make that time on Sunday mornings. We may be running late, rushing off to teach children’s church, lead worship, or set out coffee for fellowship. For many of us, Sunday mornings are busy. A church picnic gives us the chance to slow down, together.

Here are some reasons why you might want to attend the MCC Church Picnic this Sunday:

• It’s eye-opening to see people, some of whom you’ve known for years, in a different environment. Competing against a Deacon in volleyball feels very different than having a theological discussion with them during Bible Study! Let’s get to know our church family on every level, not just the “dressed in our best Sunday morning” level. Let’s laugh together, compete together, and enjoy each other’s company!
• Extended conversations happen far more organically when we can relax, without the pressure of time. Real relationship takes time and focus, let’s make it a priority.
• It is a good chance to meet someone new! Someone who attends 1^st service if you are a 2^nd service regular! Someone you’ve seen but haven’t had the time to introduce yourself to yet.
• You might learn something new about a fellow church member that you may not have known other-wise. Did you know that Larry Beatty plays the harmonic and Jake Gray plays the guitar? I didn’t until seeing them play at last years’ picnic!

Church picnics give us a chance to get to know another one another on a different level, at a slower pace, for the simple purpose of building relationship, with a little healthy friendly competition thrown in! 

We hope you will join us this Sunday, September 23^rd from 1-5pm at Embudo Hills Park in Albuquerque for MCC’s End of Summer Picnic! Bring your family, food & drinks, chairs/blanket and lawn games! Water bottles and dessert provided. We will have some friendly competition, great conversation and maybe even some music!

We’ve moved six times in the 13 years we’ve been married, and have another move on the horizon. This aspect of our military life is not for the faint of heart, but it draws us near to God again and again. Throughout the years and moves, one of the things I’ve held fast to is our ‘forever home.’  It’s a term I’ve coined for the place we will have ‘after retirement.’

It’s a home that I’ve dreamt about, waited for, planned for, and looked forward to with great expectation. I know the kind of tile and hardwood I want on the floors, the classic white subway tile in my kitchen. I’ve considered the layout, the large hearth that will anchor the living room and the beautiful kitchen where my family will gather.

I’ve seen, in my mind’s eye, exactly what my barn will look like, the horses that would fill it, the animals that my kids will raise for the fair, and the lessons that will be learned from a life in the country. I’ve dreamt of the garden with a white picket fence, the type of flowers that will line it, what I will grow and the work and labor that will be poured into that garden. 

I’ve wondered about the friends that would sit our kitchen table, what Thanksgivings and Christmases would feel like in that forever home. How my children would grow and eventually come back to this place. I’ve prayed that we would remember to give thanks to the Lord in all things in that home.

I’ve dreamt of how we will have verses inscribed on our doorposts just like it says in Deuteronomy 6: 6-9:

“These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart…….You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Perhaps the verse will be Joshua 24:15:

 “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”

or maybe Jeremiah 29:11:

"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I’ve imagined driving up and seeing it for the first time. Marveling that this is where the Lord has us, it’s the place we’ve been waiting for, the place where we will live the rest of our lives. It’s a good dream….

But in the imagining and waiting the Lord has whispered a sweet, gentle reminder to me: “Have you pondered nearly as much the home that I have created for you in Heaven (John 14: 2-4)? Have you thought about the streets of gold (Rev 21:21) and the room that I’ve lovingly prepared for you? Because I’ve promised a place for you. I’ve made a place for you….have you thought about it nearly as much as this earthly home that will certainly gather dust, be eaten by moths and simply grow old? Have you dreamt about your home in Heaven? About the day you will see Me and I will show you the place I’ve prepared for you?”

And the hard answer, the one no one wants to give, but for too many of us is true……is that I just haven’t, not nearly as much as I should have.

So, I am handing the Lord my “forever home”. I’m placing this dream in His trustworthy hands. I am handing Him my plans for that house. Knowing that wherever that “forever house” might be, whether on the plains, the mountains or tucked in the pocket of a hill with a stream running through it or if we might become missionaries and live far away, He has the best plan for us. And even if that forever house doesn’t have the view I wanted, the big hearth in the living room, the wraparound porch or cool bunkhouse for my someday grandkids…if it’s not all I thought it would be, His plan is still good, his promises are still true. No matter what my home looks like here on earth, in Heaven, it will be beautiful beyond imagination, more than we could have hoped for or dreamt of. And we will know true joy when we see him waiting.

What is it that you are dreaming of here on earth that the Lord has already prepared for you in heaven? What are you yearning for, or put in a place of something that He has already given to you? There is much…today can you earnestly hand him just one of those things and see all that He does with it?

 ^“I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siege-works against it. But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard. The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.”  Ecclesiastes 9:13-17

Zack Eswine shared his painfully powerful testimony intertwined with this passage at the Loving the Wayward Souls Conference. He was vulnerable and transparent in his desire to protect us from seeking after the things of the world. Here are some of his thoughts on how can we keep from, or turn from, being the wayward fool?

Note the repetition of the word, “great” in this passage.

What seems great to the proud king is worthless compared to the saving wisdom of the poor man.

The foolish king is large, fast, and famous. He is all about speed and emotions. But though the words of the wise are only heard in the quiet, they save the city.

Do we take the time to listen as Jesus reaches into our frenzied schedules and whispers to us to behold Him?

On the one hand, the foolish king brings war for the sake of conquering and he does not protect the people under his care. Meanwhile, the poor man delivers the people from the onslaught and remains unknown.

How do you see people? Too often it seems we see people simply as resources used to improve our reputation. Do we consider how to best love others when we tweet, take selfies, and post on Facebook?

Instead, let us turn our back from foolishness and turn toward wisdom.

• Remind yourself who our Deliverer is. Christ is not interested in our efficiency or advertising, but in our holiness. He does not bring about immediate relief, He is about the business of sanctification. He delivers in the quiet wisdom of His Father. He doesn’t consume His sheep but protects them as He shares His Presence.

• Are we willing to offer our presence to the people the Lord has placed in our lives? How do we comfort others? Do we cry, eat, laugh, and live ‘with’ them? These things take time and resources. They are not for the faint of heart or for those who live in a rush.

• Does it matter to you if you are ignored by people of power, influence, and wealth? The poor wise man was not called upon by the powerful king. Can you be overlooked in order to love others? To love someone, we must commit ourselves to do small things, things that are not noticed or appreciated, and we must do them repeatedly, for a long time.

• Our culture tells us that we must always be busy, be on the move, always a foot on the next rung up. What does God tell us? Are you willing to be bored in the place that God has you? Do you appreciate the beauty of where you are at right now? Adam longed for more than the Garden. You, too, are given a place to be, things to do, and people to love. These are the things that glorify God.

Mr. Eswine ended by reminding us, “Your great hope is not in being remembered. Your hope is found in knowing that the Lord remembers you.” This is the Lord Jesus who prayed for you, you are already desired by God. Your identity is established before you even walk out the door.

These notes were taken from Zach Eswine’s talk, “A Fool’s Story: From Simple-ism to Hope”. You can listen to this here. If you feel that you are in a season of foolishness, please let someone pray with you. Contact me if you would like some resources.

I am a conservative, a news junkie, a history fan, and, at the time that I was invited to join a Men’s Bible Study in September 2014, I was hungry to learn more about the Bible, Jesus, and God the Father. Not every man who attends a Men’s Bible Study at MCC is exactly like me; that’s part of what makes it unique. While we are all men in search of God, the similarities seem to end there. We each have different hobbies, careers, family situations, and life experiences.

However, those very differences strengthen the group. There is a sense of refuge that, as diverse as we are, we also share this walk. We may be in faith-hostile work environments or in-between jobs. We may be praying for study members’ or their family’s health, safe travels, and most important of all – salvation. In looking back over the past four years I can see the Lord has clearly answered many of these prayers and more.

Bible Study has more than fulfilled my expectations about learning from God’s word and walking in fellowship with other believers. Most importantly, though, the Lord’s word led me to discover what I am supposed to be doing with my life.  It was a revelation that I didn’t expect from a Bible Study.   

Over the past four years, the Bible Study I attend has studied Revelation, John, Romans, and four of the five books of the Pentateuch (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). These studies have made me appreciate the continuity of God’s Word across Old and New testaments, always pointing toward the inevitability of Christ.

Although I had read and studied parts of each of these books in years past, I am regularly surprised at how much more the Lord reveals to me by hearing the meaning and significance of the sections to others. Reading God’s Word with other men, hearing their insights and understanding, and discussing the scriptures as a group, provides me a whole new understanding of God’s Word.  

Ultimately, I have two great take-aways from my time in Bible Study.

First, we are called to share the gospel with as many people as we can. This is the imperative for what we do with our lives. We never have to fear speaking or sharing the gospel, as we are promised that the Holy Spirit is helping us find the right words.

Second, the Lord directs, repeatedly, to neither add nor take away from His Word in the Scripture. For me, this is a great help in discerning what others are saying or how they are interpreting the Bible.

Just go back to the original word and the Lord will help us understand it.  For me, His help has come in the form of Men’s Bible Study at MCC.

MCC has two Men’s Bible Studies beginning in September; Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) and Christianity Explored (CE).  BSF will study of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles.  CE examines “What is Christianity?” and seeks to answer deep questions Christians and non-believers have about the faith.