"My 6 yr old is learning how to hear the Holy Spirit."

Apprenticeship Rhythms One and Two: Weekly Learning Assignments and CO2 (or CO3)

Here's another wonderful report of a household (with young children) functioning as a church.

John

"(The assignments in) Week 7 was awesome! We use sashet here at home with our 6 year old boy and 2 year old girl. Helps them identify emotions and helps them feel like we hear them and their heart. My 6 yr old is learning how to hear the Holy Spirit. Looking forward to this week's assignments and learnings."

Writing on through the tears

Each week in the Apprenticeship, there are four Learning Assignments. These Assignments involve watching a video or reading a short article and then dialoguing with the Lord about the content. Then, people post what they heard on their cohort's online forum. Often these conversations with the Lord are quite powerful.

Here's one example...

"Checking in as happy after having a powerful encounter with our Father. After watching John's "Spontaneous Church" video, Assignment #1, I asked God how do I get to the place where I'm only doing what I see Him doing? I wrote what He said in red, which I thought was a really cool assignment....He said

"Lay aside your schedule, your plans, your urgings, and come to Me, you who are heavy laden and concerned with many things. Come be with Me and enter into My rest me. Let Me wash over you with My presence and My love. Let Me show you things to come. Let Me share My secret, let Me open My heart to you. Let Me heal your heart...so you can see what's important to Me. Then just follow Me, follow where you see Me going. Maybe we won't go anywhere today, maybe we'll just be together in My rest. Enjoy just being with Me, I love just being with you. I love you."

Well, by then I was blubbering and couldn't even see the page I was writing on through the tears. But I can tell you that after a while of just being in His presence, my heart is healed from some very painful things that happened today. His love reached down into the hurt places of my heart and washed it all out. Then He filled me back up with His joy. That's exactly how it happened. How powerful our God is."

A Message from John to the Apprenticeship

As we enter the Fourth Week of the Apprenticeship, I have an important message for everyone who is on this journey. Please watch the video below and discuss it on your cohort forum this week.

I also want to encourage you with just a few of the many excellent postings from the various cohorts. Thanks so much for the time and effort you are investing!

John

"I am learning to talk to the Holy Spirit during this Apprenticeship. Never done that before so much. But, it feels refreshing to ask questions to the right person. I really like the concept of seeing the Holy Spirit as The Coach."

(After watching the interview with Mark Virkler) "God is using this man and the revelation about hearing God's voice through tuning into the flow of spontaneous thoughts and journaling to radically change people and bring them into intimacy with Himself. I am one."

"Listening and tuning into flow has become a part of my day as naturally as relating to my own family. I cannot go a day without touching base with Jesus, it is so natural to listen now... I want to recognize His voice each day even in the most mundane activities. It still thrills me each time I journal. It is a miracle!"

"Checking in tonight as excited because I just had a conversation with Jesus. I watched the last three videos for the week and really liked what Marty said about making the switch from "missional" to "incarnational". I asked the Lord what that looks like to really have His word in me and living that out in my life. I felt like He said "I just want to live My life with you, in you and through you. It's simple really. You don't have to make it hard, you don't have to make stuff up. Just listen to what I have to say and then let that lead you throughout your day. Don't stop talking to me or listening to me just because you get busy. I'm right there with you in the middle of your life. Don't stop the conversation. I'll keep talking to you, leading you. Pay attention to the still small voice inside you and you'll see Me at work throughout your day, your week, your life." I look forward to what He's going to say tomorrow, or even tonight while I sleep. Good night to my fellow God-listeners."

Eight year old: "God will never talk to me!"

The Luke Ten Community is committed to restoring the church to the home. Part of what this means is that family members learn how to pay attention to and talk about their hearts. (Did that happen in the family you grew up in?) And, then, it also means learning how to hear God's voice. We believe that children can hear God just as well as adults can.

Yesterday you read the story of how this way of thinking about church is being worked out with a mother and her 16 year old daughter. Today, in the video below, I want you to hear a wonderful story about Desi Starr's 8 year old son.

Imagine what would happen if this way of being church began to spread.

Our motto: Transforming cities one household at a time.

John

"Forging ahead with lights and sirens"

One of the Learning Assignments last week for the Apprenticeship was reading a quote from Brother Yun, the Chinese house church leader, on the importance of hearing God's voice. Dean Cross, a battalion chief for a Fire Department in Sacramento, posted this great comment (see below) on Brother Yun's quote in his cohort's online discussion group.

John

As I was responding to a fire call today with multiple units responding, one of my duties is to make sure that all the fire units are on the same radio channel and so I do a roll call. If a unit does not respond to the roll call as I call them off, that typically means they are not on the tactical channel and are missing all the radio traffic that is associated with the incident. Although it was a false alarm today, one unit never did switch his radio to the right channel. He missed the fact that it was a false alarm and although the unit was cancelled, he continued to blaze to the address with lights and sirens.

I met the officer of the unit there and emphasised the importance of switching over to the assigned tactical channel for roll call and to hear what is going on with the incident. It reminded me of day nine in the CO2 e-book where Brother Yun talks about how if you aren't tuned in to God's fresh voice (channel) everyday you will be left behind as the children of Isreal were when they didn't follow the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. How many of us have been forging ahead with lights and sirens in our spiritual journeys when the call was cancelled because we weren't listening to what God is up to currently and preveniently. God is talking, but we are on the wrong radio frequency to hear His voice and so we forge ahead without Him. I'm glad I'm learning how to quiet myself, switch to the right radio channel and listen.

Here's the quote from the CO2 ebook...

Brother Yun wrote The Heavenly Man which is the amazing story of Godʼs work in China through house churches. Hereʼs his comment about the importance of hearing Godʼs voice…

"Another important thing every follower of Jesus must learn is that God's methods and strategies are never exactly the same in any two situations. It is futile to use a strategy God gave a hundred years ago, or last year, or even last week. He is not some kind of machine. He is a personal, intimate God, and His mercies are new every morning!

After the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, they were led by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. The children of Israel had to follow the Lord whenever the cloud or fire moved. If they were too slow, they would be left behind. We must hear His voice and receive His guidance everyday. When we do so, we will be amazed at the number of opportunities that open for us to share His love with people." Brother Yun, Living Water (p. 135)

10:2b - From Eastern Europe to central Texas

The fourth of seven practices that the LK10 Community is committed to is obedience to Jesus' command in Lk 10:2 to "beseech the Lord of the harvest to send forth workers". Jim and Cathy Mellon (as well as many others) have been praying this prayer for the Killeen area of Texas. See http://storiesfromtherevolution.blogspot.com/2010/09/102b-virus-1.html

So, what does it look like when the Lord of the harvest answers that prayer? See the video below for Wade Adams' (thank you, Wade!) interview with Roger Russell. Here are some of the things that jump out at me...

1. Roger is an experienced, mature "worker". (Sometimes we ask that God would send us people who are "fully formed".)

2. Roger has undergone a "radical personal transformation" from "strategic planning" to listening to God.

3. Roger is clear that God has called him to central Texas to plant churches. He has a vision for that region and then the whole country and the world.

What jumps out at you in the interview?

Note: Roger and Wade and Jim are part of an MRT (an apostolic team) that meets at a Starbucks every week to listen for God's instructions re church planting in their part of Texas.

John

"This new partnership of CO2"

Dean Cross is the Battalion Chief of the Folsom (CA) Fire Department and a member of Tim Pynes' cohort in our LK10 Apprenticeship. Dean reported this wonderful CO2 story last week on the cohort discussion board.

John

Yesterday, My new CO2 partner Daniel and I had an amazing few hours together. Daniel came to my place of work and road along with me as he also is looking into a fire service carreer. We many time respond to animal and pest concerns if the incident is immediately hazardous. A woman called into the business line and was getting attacked by wasps at her front door. Normally, being the Battalion Chief, I usually assign these types of calls to an engine crew, yet I now know it was the Lord that was telling me to go take care of this problem myself.

The resident ends up being a very prophetic prayerful sister in the Lord in her 70s that I knew years ago from a church we attended. So she invites us in and I begins telling both Daniel and I amazing stories on hearing God's voice and His going before us to battle. I felt the Lord nudge me to have her pray for Daniel and I in this new partnership of CO2 and we all felt the Spirit of God rush over us as she prayed the most amazing prayer for me and Daniel that I have ever heard. She ended the prayer by quoting Matthew 28: 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

I have experienced this twice this week and it is like I hear God saying, there is power when two or three are coming before His throne praying for each other and for God's heart and passion to know us intimately. I just wanted to share this mountain top experience with all of you and yes we did take care of her wasp problem without getting stung. I believe God used this to bring us all together in the first place. She also agreed to continue to pray for us in this area of Luke 10:2b. She knew the passage before I could even tell her what it said. Nice knowing there are older and wiser saints out there being prayer warriors for us.

Apprenticeship: Week Two (1)

One aspect of the Apprenticeship is that each cohort has an online discussion group. In this context, the members of the cohort interact with the learning assignments, ask questions and share what they are learning. I thought I would share with you some of the posts from this week. Very encouraging to see what God is doing in only the second week!

John

I'm checking in today as excited. I think I'm finally starting to get this listening thing... Tuesday I felt the Lord urging me to get up in the mornings to spend intentional time with Him; so that's what I did Wednesday morning. Wednesday around noon I found myself responding to some frustrations differently... more Christ-like.

...if you would have told me a year ago that I'd be able to literally quote what God was saying to me, I would have said you were nuts (or that I went nuts).

I had a revelational conversation with someone earlier this week, and it really opened my eyes to the ideas this group is trying to teach - having an "intimate conversational relationship" with the Holy Spirit. I have been viewing scripture through the lenses that I was given growing up, and it is amazing what you can see when you are given new lenses.

I feel like this is the first time in my life where I actually turn to God first when I need Him and it has brought a great amount of peace to me as I do. It's really been an amazing experience amongst the turmoil in my life.

This journey is definitely something I have needed to be a part of. Especially right now in my life I am experiencing lots of distractions just with how busy things have recently gotten. Having some type of structure and a CO2 partner like this will help me to seek God's heart in clearer ways and a more disciplined way.

I too have learned to appreciate Scripture much more since learning to hear directly from the Lord. I would also add that Scripture means more to me now that I'm regularly checking in with my own heart. Scripture was always meant to interact with the real-life struggles, fears, and joys of the heart of the believer. Divorced from interactions with the real workings and condition of the heart, Scripture becomes a lifeless book of rules.

Apprenticeships (1)

A growing number of people have been asking for training in the basic practices of the Luke Ten Community. Our sense is that we are to offer 12 week Apprenticeship training groups this fall. This training is designed to deepen your personal relationship with God. In addition, it will increase your capacity as a spiritual leader.

The training will take place in small virtual communities (called cohorts) of 10 people. Two cohorts have already been filled and we have space for only 10 more people in a third cohort.

I'll be saying more about the Apprenticeships over the next few days but here's an overview of what will be involved ...

1. Weekly learning assignments designed to deepen your understanding of our first three practices. (Listening to God on my own, listening with one other (ie, a CO2) and listening with a spiritual family) These assignments will expose you to the best articles and videos on these foundational spiritual rhythms.

2. Learning in the context of a small virtual cohort (weekly online discussion forum, monthly conference calls). We believe the best learning takes place in community. And, these small communities will give you the opportunity to get to know and learn from 9 other people who are on a similar journey.

3. Two individual phone sessions each month with a trained LK10 coach. This individualized help will assist you in paying attention to the specific things that God is addressing in your life.

Again, we have only 10 more spaces available for the fall session of the Apprenticeship. If you are interested in learning more, email me as soon as possible at DenverWH@aol.com Just say, "Send me info about the Apprenticeship"

John

Church Flows from Listening

My approach to this blog is that I don't post anything unless God gives me something. (Think John 5:19) And, recently He hasn't given me much to post. But, my sense is that this is about to change.

See below for an interview with Robbie James who is a church planter in Brighton, CO and who is part of the Denver Leadership Team. This is another great story of a church (and churches) that is learning to listen to Jesus as the Head of the church. I especially love that they are developing what they call "a culture of honor". You will also get a sense of the spontaneous church multiplication that is occurring north of Denver.

John

10:2b Story (Part Three)

Great comment from Carolyn Spence (Clovis, NM) in response to Mike Deaton's interview in yesterday's post:

OK, agreed! We need the opportunity to see it practised. My mother (89 years young) cried to experience the very tiny taste of our gathering in Clovis with MRT members from Albuquerque and Colorado saying, "now I see what you mean"... If you are going to spread a virus, personal physical contact works best... Carolyn

Today, we have an interview with JoEtta Deaton. She tells a similar story. To paraphrase: "By visiting some of the house churches in Brighton (CO), I experienced a whole different paradigm of church. What I saw was church that flowed out of listening to Jesus. This was transformational and I want to begin to try this out when we go back to Virginia".

(JW: This is the third of seven LK10 Practices. Church = a spiritual family focused on listening to Jesus.)

Now, listen to JoEtta tell the story in her own words below. Share with us your response to what she has to say.

John

10:2b Story (Part Two)

As Hobby and his apostolic partner, Robbie James, began praying the 10:2b Prayer (see yesterday's post) the Lord of the Harvest began arranging divine encounters. In the video below you will hear about one of those encounters with Mike Deaton, a professor at James Madison University in Virginia, and his wife JoEtta. (More from JoEtta tomorrow.)

Notice that Mike and JoEtta were already committed to planting house churches. But, two years of very limited success had made them hungry to learn. We have found this to be true for people who are answers to the 10:2b Prayer. In every situation, God has worked in their lives to prepare them. They have been "thrust out" by the Lord of the Harvest and are already motivated. You might say that "God does the heavy lifting" in preparing these church planters.

See what else you hear in Mike's story.

John

City Networks and Listening

We've talked about the idea that "church emerges out of listening". What this means is that we really believe that Jesus is the Head or Leader of each individual church and that, as we listen to Him, He brings the agenda for each meeting.

This same thing is true on the larger level. The house churches in Denver are connected in a relational network. Jesus is also the Head or Leader of this expression of church, and, as we listen to Him, He brings the agenda for the network as well. Church, at every level, emerges out of listening.

See below for two encouraging examples of what people in the Denver Network are hearing. One has to do with connecting women across the city. The other has to do with helping people, especially new believers, learn the Bible.

What a concept! Jesus really is the Head of His church on every level. And, He really is expert at building His church on every level (Mt. 16:18). Our job is not to do a great job of figuring it all out but to do a great job of listening to Him.

John

From Christal Haner: One of the amazing benefits of house church is the close community that we share within our own house churches. One of the more difficult areas of house church is the lack of that broader sense of connectivity within the body of Christ. For a couple years our network (ASPEN) has been putting together a semi-annual women's retreat. So far it has just been about 16 of the women from our network coming together to check in and worship together over a weekend. While I was praying about it for the Fall retreat, I felt a strong need to open up our women's retreat to the entire Denver house church network. So, we would like to invite all of the women in your house churches to be a part of our women's retreat this fall.

From Sean Hyatt: I am writing to ask for your help in praying and listening about a project/vision I feel the Lord has put on my heart. I've chosen to send this email to you specific guys & gals because I am close to you and I trust you to pray and truly listen to what the Lord might speak to you on this. Thank you ahead of time for reading this lengthy email :))

I would like to write, illustrate, and produce a new full-color home Bible study chart. We used to use these as an evangelism and soul-winning tool in the denomination I grew up in. They are designed so that you can teach an individual, family or group for about 12 weeks, an hour or two each week, in the comfort of their home or somewhere out in public in their territory. It is basically like Bible 101. Someone who is interested in learning more about the Bible (or who is simply hungry for God) can go thru this home Bible study with you and learn all about the Bible and all the major stories and themes in the Bible, including the gospel message. It is a powerful soul-winning tool for an individual or a group, and a powerful discipleship tool as well.

Before, when we taught weekly home Bible studies to seekers, at the end of the 12 or so weeks when the study was finished (since all we had to offer them was traditional church) we basically said, "Congratulations! Now that you're saved, you get to come to our church, sit on a cold pew, stare at the back of peoples heads, and marinate for a decade or so" :) ... but now that we understand organic church planting, once the study is done we can simply keep meeting weekly in their home (or the coffee shop or workplace or park or wherever), and a new church is planted with their oikos. A much better situation after the Bible study is done.

There was a time when I was a teenager and a young adult that I was teaching multiple ongoing weekly 'chart' Bible studies in multiple homes, and winning multiple sinners to Jesus...it was a very exciting and fulfilling time. Colorful chart Bible studies also are great for teaching children or teens or young adults (or anyone without a basic biblical foundation) all the basics about the Bible, Jesus, the gospel, and the kingdom of God.

Any and all feedback or ideas, positive or negative, are welcome (truly!). I just want to get some further direction from the Lord before proceeding...

Sarah Young (3)

Here's an example of the devotional reading from August 3 in Jesus Calling. As you read it, you will see that it's something Sarah felt the Lord spoke personally to her.

This is valuable to those of us who are learning to hear God's voice because it gives us an example. It helps answer the question that I've heard many times, "So, what kind of things does God say to you when you listen to Him?" For those of us who were trained to believe that God only speaks today through Scripture, these examples are quite important.

Seems to me that this same sort of thing can happen in CO2s (churches of two) and in our simple churches. That is, we can help each other by sharing the kinds of things we are hearing from God.

Share with us your impressions about what Sarah wrote below.

John

From Jesus Calling on August 3...

Watch your words diligently. Words have such great power to bless or to wound. When you speak carelessly or negatively, you damaged others as well as yourself. This ability to verbalized is an awesome privilege, granted only to those I created in My image. You need help in wielding this mighty power responsibly.

Though the world applauds quick-witted retorts, My instructions about communication are quite different: "Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry." (James 1:19). Ask My Spirit to help you whenever you speak. I have trained you to pray - "Help me, Holy Spirit" - before answering the phone, and you have seen the benefits of this discipline. Simply apply the same discipline to communicating with people around you. If they are silent, pray before speaking to them. If they are talking, pray before responding. These are split-second prayers, but they put you in touch with My Presence. In this way, your speaking comes under the control of My Spirit. As positive speech patterns replace your negative ones, the increase in your Joy will amaze you.

Sarah Young (2)

Sarah Young continues describing a turning point in her spiritual journey. The year is 1993 and, although she had been a Jesus follower for many years, she now begins listening for God's voice.

My journaling had changed from monologue to dialogue. Soon, messages began to flow more freely, and I bought a special notebook, to record these words. This new way of communicating with God became the high point of my day. I know these writings were not inspired as Scripture is, but they were helping me grow closer to God.

...This practice of listening to God has increased my intimacy with Him more than any other spiritual discipline, so I want to share some of the messages I have received.

Sarah's daily devotional, "Jesus Calling", is simply 365 short examples of the messages she has received from the Lord. I'll include one of them tomorrow so you can see what it's like.

What I want to emphasize today is that this "practice of listening" is at the heart of our Luke Ten Community. This is a "community of practice" where we are...

*sharing what we are hearing as we listen as individuals

*sharing what we are hearing as we listen with one other person (CO2)

*sharing what we are hearing as we listen with our spiritual family (simple church)

The whole thing is pretty simple, isn't it.

John

Sarah Young (1)

For the first time in a long time, I've begun reading a daily devotional book. I'll tell you about the author, Sarah Young, and you'll understand why.

Sarah writes that in 1993 her relationship with God changed dramatically...

I had been writing in prayer journals for years, but that was one-way communication: I did all the talking. I knew that God communicated with me through the bible, but I yearned for more. Increasingly, I wanted to hear what God had to say to me personally on a given day.

I decided to listen to God with pen in hand, writing down whatever I believed He was saying. I felt awkward the first time I tried this, but I received a message. It was short, biblical, and appropriate. It addressed topics that were current in my life: trust, fear, and closeness to God. I responded by writing in my prayer journal.

Many of us in the Luke Ten Community have been on a similar journey. Longing to hear what God might say to us personally on a given day. Feeling awkward when we first begin. But, being aware of "spontaneous thoughts" and writing them down. Finding that they are often both biblical and appropriate.

Take a minute and, in the comments below, share what this journey has been like for you.

More from Sarah tomorrow.

John

CO2 - The Hyatt Family (3)

There's lots of talk these days about "the missional church". The thinking is that the church needs to stop being so inwardly focused and become concerned about the needs of the world. We are told that this is accomplished by exhorting believers to change their focus and become more concerned about the lost and needy.

In the short video below, Sean tells a story that illustrates the alternative approach that LK10 takes towards becoming missional. Being missional is certainly a good thing. But, how this comes about is the critical element.

We believe that Jesus followers become more missional not by focusing on mission and trying harder but rather by focusing on listening to God. In other words, mission is not the starting place but rather the by-product of hearing God's voice. This kind of mission is natural, spontaneous and joyful.

So, two questions to ponder as you watch the video...

1. Imagine if there were hundreds (or thousands) of households in your city who were doing what the Hyatts are doing. What kind of learning would be going on in the hearts and minds of the children in those families? Doesn't this kind of "Christian education" beat what goes on in most Sunday School classes?

2. And, imagine the cumulative effect of hundreds (or thousands) of small family-centered "mission projects". How would that impact your city or region?

Your thoughts?

John

CO2 - The Hyatt Family (2)

In today's short video below (3 minutes), Sean explains two things that might seem impossible to those of us who have spent our entire lives in traditional church.

First, he explains how he has trained his two boys (aged 7 and 10) to facilitate the family's daily CO2 (CO5!) time.

(Observation: children and teens often "get" CO2 more easily and more quickly than adults who have been in the current religious "system" for years.)

Second, he tells a story that illustrates that worship flows spontaneously out of listening.

(Observation: Simple church (CO2) is built on the belief that Jesus is really present when we meet in His name and that He is a great "worship leader". Worship is no longer something that we have to "make happen". It emerges naturally out of listening to Jesus.)

Love to hear your comments about the video below.

John

CO2 - The Hyatt Family (1)

A CO2 (church of two) is simple. Two people committed to two practices as close to daily as possible.

But, the CO2 concept is also highly adaptable. Sean Hyatt has applied it to his family. (Since he has a wife and three young children, it's now a CO5!) The result is a simple way that families can function as churches (think "church = vibrant family of Jesus".

Over the next four days, I'll be sharing an interview with Sean where he tells how this has worked out in his family. Today, Sean explains that this is a model that has been sustainable over time and that he loves what it has produced in his family.

Two things for you to think about. First, what would happen to the church in America (or wherever you live) if this practice became normative for every family? Second, is there anyone you need to pass this on to?

John

Please share your comments below.

From Denver to New Zealand

What if there were small groups of Jesus followers meeting weekly to connect with one another and to listen to God for their city or region. And, what if these groups were so simple that they could multiply rapidly?

That's what an MRT is. The initials stand for Missional Resource Team. MRTs form around two practices or rhythms that allow for structure without hierarchy. In addition to six groups in Denver, the concept has spread organically to many other locations.

In the video below, a Denver MRT shares what they are learning and sends greetings to a group in New Zealand.

John