4 Childlike Traits That Every Christian Needs To See God Work Through Prayer

by Jed CoppengerBible, Christian living, Church, Ministry, Practical Ministry, Prayer, UncategorizedPosted on No Comments

God can do more in a moment than we can do in a lifetime. Whether creating the universe with a word, splitting the Red Sea for the Israelites, enabling Daniel to walk out of a lion’s den unscratched, raising Lazarus from the dead with a word, walking Peter out of prison the night before he was supposed to be executed, the Bible portrays a God whose power and love is unstoppable and unending.

That’s why we pray. Or, at least, that’s one of the reasons we pray.

Unfortunately, most people don’t have a daily prayer life. The reasons for this lack of prayer are many, but the proposed solution to it usually includes something along the lines of “I’ll try harder” or “I need to be more disciplined.”

But I’ve found over the years that a change in prayer life won’t happen in any lasting way by simply trying to be more disciplined. I’ve had more success in my own prayer life and in helping others with theirs, in trying to be more childlike, not more disciplined.

It’s interesting that when Jesus taught on prayer, he didn’t start by telling us to be more disciplined, he said to be more childlike. When he teaches us to say, “Our Father,” he is teaching us to think of prayer as a Father-Child conversation. Jesus didn’t call people to a higher, more sophisticated spiritual level to pray differently, he told them to act like children.

As I’ve meditated on this truth over the years, it’s radically changed my prayer life from a “once in a while” prayer life to an “every day, throughout the day” prayer life. This change hasn’t happened because I’m strong, but because I’m more aware of my weaknesses. The more you grow up in Christ, the more childlike you become. And I’ve found that there are four childlike traits that every christian needs to see God work through their prayers.

Childlike Faith

Just about every child has a moment or a stage where they think their parents can do anything. That’s the feeling Jesus wants us to have about “Our Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:9). Because he is “in heaven,” he is unstoppable. Jesus is connecting the Father we speak to in prayer with the God “who is in the heavens and does whatever he pleases” (Ps. 115:3). Why is this so important? Because your view of God determines your practice of prayer. If you think he can help you today with your work, relationships, finances, or whatever, you’ll ask. If you don’t, you won’t. Battle the specific sin of unbelief that says, “God can’t really make a difference in my life enough today for me to ask him for that help in prayer.”

  • What does your prayer life say about God’s abilities?

Childlike boldness

Most kids go through a long season where they don’t think twice about barging into their parents’ room in the middle of the night. Whether it’s a bad dream, they can’t find their blanket, or something else, they never apologize for the disruption. That’s a boldness that no one else could get away with. And that’s precisely what you need to have, especially once you understand the greatness of God. God’s power is matched by his love. That’s why we can ask the amazing God who “is in heaven” to give us “daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). Because he’s “our Father” we can approach his throne like a child, boldly (Heb. 4:12).

How can we, an unholy people, approach a holy God? Because Jesus bought our access with his blood. Our childlike boldness is a blood-bought boldness. He took our place on the cross to secure a space for us in his family. Because of this, we can be bold as we talk to God, asking God anything and everything.Do your kids get organized before they talk to you? Hopefully, not normally. Do they only talk to you about subjects that are “proper”? Nope. When you’re bold like a child, you feel the freedom to talk to God about what’s really going on in your life.

  • What does your prayer life say about God’s love? Do you have a high enough view of God’s love that you think he will help you today if it’s best for you?

Childlike Specificity

The older I get, the more I struggle to come up with “gift ideas” for Christmas and for my birthday. It didn’t used to be this way. When I was a kid, I could throw out all kinds of worthless things I was dying to have. My kids are the same. Most are. I believe God uniquely loves specific prayer requests from his kids. Why? When we get specific with our requests, we give the invisible God an opportunity to become visible in our lives in a way he wouldn’t be able to without that request. Specificity leads to visibility. Don’t know what to get specific about? Pray your problems. Pray your plans. Pray your Bible. Fight the “vague prayer syndrome” and write down specific enough prayer requests that you’d know it, if God answered it.

  • If God answered every one of your specific, written prayer requests, what would be different for you, your loved ones, your church, and the world?

Childlike Trust

“Ouch! I’m telling!” I heard my youngest son say, just before he made his way into the kitchen. After he told me what happened, I said to him, “I’ll take care of it.” With that, his countenance changed and he joyfully walked right back where he came from. I overheard him self-righteously say to his sibling, “Dad said he’ll take care of it.”

He didn’t, of course, know “how” or even “when” I’d take care of it. Frankly, shout out to imperfect parents like me, he didn’t know “if” I would take care of it. He simply knew “who” would take care of it. Because he knew who would take care of his problem, he walked out of that conversation without the burden he brought into it.

That burden-relieving, peace-producing, change-you-right-where-you-are-from-the-inside-out kind of interaction in prayer only happens when there is an unshakable trust in the one to whom you just presented your problem. That’s childlike trust. That’s wrapped up in the “your kingdom come, your will be done” (Matt. 6:10). If you have a God who is great enough to do something about your problems and plans, you have a God who is great enough to have a better way forward that you don’t understand. That’s why you have to trust God to do what’s best with your request. If you don’t trust him, you won’t rest. You won’t experience the “peace that transcends all understanding” (Phil. 4:6-7). Thank him for doing what’s best with your request before you know what he’ll do with it because you know WHO you’re talking to, not HOW he’ll handle it.

  • Is there any area where you need to trust God to do what’s best for you, even if it’s the thing you most fear?

How different could this year be, if we started asking the God who can do more in a moment than we can do in a lifetime, to help us everyday? How different might our relationships, work, inner sense of well being, churches, country, world, be if we starting acting like children who have a Father in heaven who does whatever he pleases?

3 Sentences Worth Celebrating

by Jed CoppengerChristian living, Church, Evangelism, Genius, Homepage Slider, Ministry, Missions, Practical Ministry, Prayer, UncategorizedPosted on One Comment

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In Mid-TN, where there seems to be a church on every corner, a Bible on every bookshelf, and Jesus in every heart, it’s easy to forget that 85% (ish) of the people here don’t have a relationship with Jesus. It’s common to assume that everyone has “arrived” spiritually. It’s not unusual for people to think there are no more new steps of faith to take.

This type of thinking isn’t accurate and it isn’t harmless. I believe it represents one of the most successful lies of the Enemy, causing people to ignore the everyday opportunities God gives them to advance his kingdom. The people in our area aren’t just from our area. In fact, it’s very rare to meet people in Mid-TN from Mid-TN. Our city attracts people from all kinds of families, regions, and more. And like all of us, they’re broken, living in a broken world, looking for an eternal, satisfying life. We believe Jesus is the life they’re looking for. And we also believe that people typically find Jesus and follow Jesus through the church’s Spirit-empowered, imperfect efforts.

One of the greatest parts of being a pastor is the opportunity to hear so many life changing stories to capture both the great need for Christ that exists and the great progress that is happening. One of the worst parts of being a pastor is the challenge of communicating so many life changing stories to so many people. It’s easier to hear and celebrate them than it is to pass them on in a way that does justice to them.

With that said, I’d like to share a few stories, imperfectly, that I can’t keep to myself! All of these happened in the last week. I’ve removed sensitive details, but I want you all to know that God is at work in our midst!

“You have no idea how much of a miracle it is that they are coming!” Recently an RCC couple pulled me aside and told me, that someone they invited has been coming to RCC worship gatherings consistently for the past few months. I knew who they were talking about, but I didn’t know much about them. And the RCC couple told me with an excited seriousness, “you have no idea how much of a miracle it is that they are coming.” I had no idea. Turns out there is quite a history there. Praise God he’s allowing RCC to be the people amongst whom God is working this miracle!

Perhaps there are people around you right now in your neighborhood, at work, or some other well worn path in your life that God wants to work a miracle through your invitation?!

“For the first time, I’m asking God to show me something ‘big’ that he wants me to do.” Recently a couple was invited to a group for the first time. They went and God changed their life! They said as they listened to the group talk about following Christ, it made them realize that they hadn’t been including God in their lives in a significant way. So they started asking God to show them something “big” God wanted them to do with their lives! In the next couple of days, something “big” came along and they acted courageously and took the step out of their comfort zone. Praise God he’s using Groups to change lives!

Perhaps there are people around you right now in your neighborhood, work, or maybe at the worship gatherings, who you can invite to your group and see God change their lives?!

“Thanks for the invitation to grab some coffee. I’ve been waiting for you to ask.” A guy that had been hanging around RCC on and off for the past couple of years was recently asked to coffee by one of the people that saw him the most frequently. And the guy immediately said he’d love to and that he’d been waiting for someone to ask him! How many people is God preparing for our invitations?

Perhaps you could ask God to show you someone that you can invite to grab a cup of coffee and see God work?!

The people of Mid-TN need Jesus. And Jesus loves to use his imperfect church to advance his perfect, miraculous purposes in places like this. I’m praying that God would allow everyone of us to play a meaningful part in helping people start a relationship with Jesus and grow in their relationship with Jesus. Are you making yourself available to him and his purposes today?

Life After Your Short Term Mission Trip

by Jed CoppengerChristian living, Church, Evangelism, Missions, Prayer, Southern Baptist Convention, UncategorizedPosted on No Comments

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Life after a mission trip can be difficult, especially when it was your first trip. It’s difficult to make sense of what you just saw while handling all of the responsibilities that have piled up. But with a little forethought, life after your mission trip can be a powerful, life-changing season. I’m praying that God would use these 12 insights to help you advance further, faster into the mission of Christ. In the last post, I offered up 6. Here are the remaining 6.

Remember what it’s like to meet God outside of your comfort zone – There are a lot of places mission teams go around the world. Rarely, if ever, does this list include a “comfort zone.” God’s mission pushes outside of our comfort zone. It’s important to remember that God offers his children special blessings outside of their comfort zones, not in them. This is true when you head back to “normal life.”

Remember what it felt like to be an outsider – Most mission teams feel what it is like to be an “outsider.” For many, feeling like an “outsider” is a first. We typically stay in circles where we feel like “insiders,” especially the older we get. Yet, on the mission field, we feel strange. When we go to the worship gathering or the work site, we aren’t in control, we don’t know everyone. We’re outsiders. Remembering this experience will help us do a better job following Jesus’ example and reaching the “outsiders” around us back home.

Remember what it’s like to be on guard – Mission teams know that they encounter strange situations and pressures when they decide to join Jesus on mission amongst the nations. So they put up their guard. Often times, people let their guard down when they get back to the states. Unfortunately, the Enemy often works harder to stop the kingdom momentum generated by the Spirit on these trips. Stay on guard when you’re back in “normal life.”

Remember what it’s like to be flexible – Flexibility is the name of the game on the mission field. You have to learn “to hurry and wait.” Plans change quickly and often. But most mission teams understand that God sets the agenda on the mission field, so they face their changes with expectancy, not anxiety. The same God is setting the agenda at “home.” Face your unexpected problems with expectancy, not anxiety, when you get back to “normal life.”

Remember what it’s like to be a missionary – Most mission teams are made up of people who see “missionary life” for the first time. Often times, people are both inspired by their example and encouraged by their normalcy. Missionaries aren’t the super heroes that we often make them out to be. They are regular sinners, like you and me, following Jesus in normal, grace-dependent ways. By God’s grace, you can live more like one where God’s placed you.

Remember what it’s like to be saved by grace – I’ve never met a person that followed through perfectly on their post-mission trip commitments. So many of them end up struggling from what I call, “post-mission trip guilt.” You experience this when you don’t feel like you did on the trip, don’t change like you hoped you would, or don’t _______________. Remember that you are saved by grace, not by your works. Jesus is the only one who has ever performed perfectly. So expect to be imperfect as you take new steps of faithfulness. Rest in his grace, even as you reach for more.

I hope these have been helpful. I’m sure I’ve left some off. What would you add?

4 Ways Every Christian Can Join Jesus’ Evangelistic Mission

by Jed CoppengerChristian living, Church, Evangelism, PrayerPosted on No Comments

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I know a lot of Christians who wish they were more evangelistic. They long for the day when they’ll experience the great joy of leading someone to Christ. They hunger to be like the Apostles and the early church who saw unbelievers from all walks of life give their lives to Christ.

The desire to be evangelistic isn’t near as rare as actually being evangelistic. I don’t know a lot of Christians who share the gospel regularly. Fewer are those who have actually led someone to Christ. And every study that I’m aware of says that my experience isn’t unique. Most Christians never share the gospel with lost people.

So what’s at the heart of our evangelism problem? Why don’t we share the gospel? Most Christians know that Jesus came to “seek and to save the lost” (Lk 19:10). Most know that we’re called to make disciples of all nations, a command that requires evangelism (Matt. 28-18-20). So if we don’t have a problem understanding that we should be evangelistic, what is our problem?

The reasons, no doubt, are many. Some people are probably scared of the responses they’ll get, whether that’s a fear of being made fun of, having tough questions thrown at them, or something else. Perhaps others find that they just forget to make it a priority because they’re so busy. I’ve come across a lot of Christians that simply don’t know where to start. For this last group, I’d like to offer 4 ways that every Christian can join Jesus’ mission to save the world.

Pray For The Lost Regularly – Only God is powerful enough to change our hearts. He alone is able to give life to dead hearts. That’s why evangelism starts with prayer. Ask God to save the lost people you encounter throughout your day. Ask him to show you a few lost people whose lives you should invest in. Evangelism starts with prayer because our confidence is in God not our evangelistic efforts.

Invest In The Lost Consistently – Most people need to belong in some way before they believe. They often need to get to know who you are before they’ll follow the God you worship. While it’s true that many people become Christians as a result of a gospel presentation from a stranger, most conversion stories I’m aware of include a part where a Christian has invested relationally in their lives. Together they hung out, worked out, shared meals, coached, or something else like this. Invest in the lost people in your life so that there’s a relational bridge strong enough to invite them to take a step towards Christ.

Invite The Lost Repeatedly – Christians are called by God to be an inviting people. No, that doesn’t mean we’re supposed to be “nice” when unbelievers come. It means we are called actually to invite people to come toward or to Christ. When you invite an unbeliever to a meal, a worship gathering, a group, or something like this, you’re inviting them toward Christ. You’re inviting them to take a step toward Christ that isn’t exactly the same as inviting them to Christ. When you share the gospel with someone and invite him or her to trust Christ, you’re inviting him or her to Christ. Both types of invitations are significant kingdom advancement actions. The Enemy hates both types of invitations and will try to discourage every believer that attempts them. Satan wants to take one of the greatest kingdom advancing actions, a believer inviting an unbeliever towards or to Christ, and use it to discourage you. Negative responses to your invitations don’t change the fact that God loves you and celebrates every imperfect invitation you extend in his name. Keep praying, investing, and inviting.

Connect The Lost Strategically – Christians are called to be connectors. We’re called to be a part of connecting unbelievers to the family of God, the body of Christ, and the temple for the Spirit. When unbelievers respond to your invitation, whether that’s towards or to Christ, do your best to connect them relationally. If they respond to an invitation to come towards Christ and show up at your house, worship gathering, or group, connect them with those they’ll have the most in common. If they come to Christ and surrender their lives to him, connect them to potential disciplers. Every born-again Christian needs to be parented again. Don’t just worry about how you’re connecting, help others connect to Christ, his body, and his mission too.

I’ve had the privilege of leading people toward and to Christ. Without question, these moments have been some of the most exhilarating moments of my life. Even as I write this, many of their faces are running through my mind, causing tears of joy and gratitude to run down my face. I’m praying that every believer would experience the unique joy that is available to those who follow Jesus as he “seeks and saves” the lost in their city, country, and world.

3 Reasons I’m Praying For More Ethnic Diversity At RCC

by Jed CoppengerChurch, Diversity, Prayer, UncategorizedPosted on No Comments

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I love Franklin, TN. It’s an amazing city. Everything you could want from a city, small town, and country is just within a few minutes. There are great schools, people, and events. It’s the heart of Williamson County, which is one of the wealthiest counties in America. Since I’ve lived here most of my life, it’s filled with incredible memories too.

But it isn’t a perfect city. For instance, many people new to Franklin are surprised to hear that life in Franklin isn’t great for everyone in Franklin. There are food shortages in Franklin. Yep, that’s right. Food shortages. There’s poverty. Drug abuse. There’s homelessness in Franklin. There are deep divisions in Franklin. An “Historic Franklin” that has some “must see” plantation homes that survived the Civil War means that the mixture of pride and pain in this city isn’t new.

Thankfully, Franklin has some fantastic men and women working to make this amazing city even better. Elected officials, school administrators, business leaders, churches, and many other types of people of goodwill are leaning into the complex problems facing our city. I’m grateful that God allows me to pastor a church, Redemption City Church (RCC), that has invested a great deal of time, money, and energy in serving our city.

But I want to see more. I believe we can see more. I want to see changes in our city that far exceed our abilities. That’s why I’m asking God to help RCC serve our city in a way that adorns the gospel. Out of the many ways we are trying to do this “adorning,” I’d like to ask you to pray with us as we pursue a more ethnically diverse RCC. I’m praying that RCC will be a church marked by greater ethnic diversity than we see in our historic city. And I’m asking you to join me praying for and pursuing this for the following reasons:

I’m Praying For More Ethnic Diversity At RCC Because The NT Church Prioritized It – One of the greatest evidences of grace in the early church was the uniting of diverse and divided peoples. Nobody could get the Jews and Gentiles together in Ephesus, but the Apostle Paul insisted that the Ephesian church use the gospel to make it happen (Eph. 2:11-22). He told the church in Corinth, a church ministering in a divided city, that their ministry is fundamentally a ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18). This emphasis shouldn’t come as a surprise, since, after all, Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer” asks God to unite his people—a people made up from all nations (Jn. 17:21; Matt. 28:18-20). Christ’s church has always made uniting diverse peoples a priority. In light of this, the question really becomes more of a “how could we not pray and pursue greater ethnic diversity,” than “should we?” That’s why I’m praying RCC becomes more diverse ethnically.

I’m Praying For More Ethnic Diversity At RCC Because God Says The Church Will Be Ethnically Diverse In Eternity – There’s a lot that God hasn’t told us about heaven. Thankfully, He’s not completely silent. He’s revealed the most important aspects, one of which is the fact that people from all over the world will be united in Christ (Rev. 5; 21-22)! What a glorious sight that will be. I can’t wait. So, if that’s where Christians are headed and that’s how God defines “Heaven,” why not work towards it now? If Redemption City Church is going to become more of a preview of the coming Redemption City (Rev 21:1-6), we’ll need greater ethnic diversity. If this aspect of the coming of God’s kingdom is going to be a visible reality, we need to pray for it.

I’m Praying For More Ethnic Diversity At RCC Because The Power Of The Gospel Shines Brightest When It Unites Diverse People – Ancient Philippi was divided. In Acts 16, we learn that it was divided politically, socioeconomically, and ethnically. And yet, unbelievably, a church was started with people from each of these diverse groups! How did the Apostle Paul get Lydia, a slave girl, and a Roman jailer together? The gospel. The gospel was powerful enough to bring these diverse people together. And it still is. That’s why I’m praying that the diverse and divided people of our city will be united in Christ at RCC, revealing the unbelievable power of the gospel.

I want to be a part of a church that is a shining example of what the power and grace of God produces with the gospel. I’ve been in enough conversations and read enough about this to know that God alone can produce what I want to see. Join me in praying that the God of the impossible will do the impossible in our church, in our city, and in our day.

Prestonwood, The ERLC, And The Cooperative Program

by Jed CoppengerPrayer, Southern Baptist ConventionPosted on 2 Comments

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Last week Southern Baptists learned that one of their largest churches, Prestonwood Baptist Church, is going to push pause on Cooperative Program (CP) giving. For those who know the role CP giving plays in SBC life, this announcement is a big deal. CP giving is often a key standard by which leaders and churches are judged. The CP is significant in SBC life because it is the funding mechanism for almost all of its cooperative ministries—a list that includes the largest missionary force in world history, several of the world’s largest seminaries, colleges, universities, mercy ministries, and more.

But the CP isn’t perfect. When over 50,000 Southern Baptist churches cooperate for the advancement of the Great Commission, it’s reasonable to expect consistent frustrations and disagreements. That’s why Southern Baptists have always and will always have discussions about how best to handle the monies given to the CP. Disagreements are the norm. But the action taken by Prestonwood isn’t. Whether you think Prestonwood’s actions are justified or not, I think we can all agree it’s unusual.

How should Southern Baptists respond to this action? Should they follow suit? Should they speak out against it? Based on my conversations over the past few days, the plans for how best to deal with the current Southern Baptist problems and divisions are just about as varied as I’ve ever seen. If you’re not new to these types of disagreements, you know it’s simplistic to act like the problems are only on one side of a divide. They’re almost always more complex than is immediately obvious. That’s why, in the midst of all of the problems, I’d like to ask you to consider praying the following 5 prayers with me.

I Pray That Southern Baptists Pray More For Unity – Jesus prayed that his followers would be united (Jn 17). The Apostles prayed that their followers would be united (Eph. 1; Phil 1). They prayed for unity amongst God’s people because unity amongst God’s people won’t happen without God’s help. Division is what happens when we’re left to ourselves. It feels more natural to us. We need God’s help to be unified. I love the way the SBC president Steve Gaines and the SBC president before him, Ronnie Floyd, have led our convention to be a people of prayer. The church I lead, Redemption City Church, is currently going through a #30DaysOfPrayer, not because we’re disciplined, but because we’re desperate. We’re desperate for God to bring about the outcomes we want to see, that we know we’re unable to control. Let it be said of Southern Baptists, that through all of the conflicts, we became more of a people of prayer than we were before. Let’s be like Jesus and the Apostles and pray for unity.

I Pray That Southern Baptists Pursue Unity Where It Is Most Difficult – Unity isn’t just difficult, it’s impossible. Because we all will be wronged enough to have “good” reasons to avoid pursuing unity, while feeling like the victim. Thankfully, the Spirit of God loves to use the gospel to unite people that are “impossible” to unite. No doubt people thought it was “impossible” to unite Jews and Gentiles in the Ephesian churches. But the Apostle Paul wanted them to understand that the gospel isn’t just meant to unite people that have small disagreements. It’s meant to unite the most deeply divided peoples. Ken Sande was right when he observed that peace doesn’t just happen, it’s made. A gospel that is glorious enough to reconcile a holy God to unholy men and women, is certainly able to reconcile unholy men and women to each other. I’m praying that Southern Baptists will pursue unity where it is most difficult. I pray we see more moments in SBC life like we saw last year at the SBC when Steve Gaines and J.D. Greear came together in unity. While it will mean different things for different people, but it will mean something for all sides of all debates. The gospel is powerful enough to bring unity about for all sides of all disagreements and divisions.

I Pray That A Spirit Of Humility Characterizes Southern Baptists – One of the greatest threats to unity is pride. It divided humankind from God in the Garden of Eden, and it’s been dividing us ever since. Pride doesn’t just want to be right, it wants to be recognized as right. Often times, pride wants to be recognized as right at the expense of someone else. But most of the time, frankly, it’s hard to know exactly where pride is present in these disagreements—even though we know it’s there. But God sees it. That’s why we need to pray that he’d help us all see it and turn from it. Unity grows in the soil of humility. I think we can all agree that pride is present on every side of every debate, although it’s tough to say where exactly. That’s why I’m praying that the Spirit helps us see it in our own hearts and turn from it. I’m praying that we humble ourselves enough to own 100% of our part of the problems we’re in. I’m praying that we might even be willing in some situations to be wronged, like Jesus, and still work for the good of those who are doing us wrong. Unity depends on humility.

I Pray That A Spirit Of Love Characterizes Southern Baptists – Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35). He didn’t say that we’d always be lovable, but that he wants us to always love. The Apostle Paul called the Corinthian church to a love that is defined like this: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” This kind of love, strangely, requires us to be in circumstances where other brothers and sisters in Christ have wronged us to the point that we would naturally get irritated and resentful. This kind of love requires the kind of situation that Southern Baptists have been and are in right now. That’s why I’m praying that we use our deep disagreements and divisions to display the undeserved love of Christ to each other.

I Pray That Southern Baptists Avoid The Payback Mentality – Jesus called his disciples to love their enemies (Matt. 5:44). The Apostle Paul had to remind the Ephesian Christians that we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, but are to have “gospel of peace” shoes that enable us to run to any relational conflict requiring supernatural reconciliation (Eph 6:10-20). One of the reasons they had to tell Christians those kinds of things is because 1st century Christians didn’t naturally respond graciously to relational conflict anymore than 21st century Christians do. Regardless of where all of the current discussions lead, I’m praying that we can avoid the payback mentality that says whatever you do to me, I’ll do worse to you. I don’t want to see pro-ERLC Southern Baptists use this action to justify pulling away from SBC life, which, inevitably, will lead to an endless series of “back and forths,” until SBC life reeks with the smoke of burned relational bridges. Let’s expect to be sinned against. Let’s be ready to accept apologies. Regardless of your “side” on whatever particular “issue,” let’s avoid the payback mentality.

Thankfully, Jesus is on his throne and he loves all of us. Nothing will stop his perfect purposes for you, me, or anyone else in his family. That means no one can take away anything he thinks is best for you. Rest in his care (1 Pet 5:7). Follow his lead (Jn 1:43). And let’s stumble forward together.

Father, Cause Your Holiness To Shine

by Jed CoppengerHomepage Slider, PrayerPosted on No Comments

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I remember exactly where I was when it happened. I was standing just outside the front door of one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. When it happened, I stopped my conversation, turned to it, and took it in. The “it” that happened was the rare appearance of the sun in January in Mid-TN.

You see, here in Mid-TN we have winters filled with gray, cloudy, energy depleting skies. We don’t get much snow or ice. Just gray skies.

Everything just seems worse in this kind of situation. Sure, we still get around and do all that needs to be done. But it just isn’t as fun, easy, or energizing as it is in the Spring or Summer when the sun is shining about everyday.

The sun, of course, still shines in the winter. It doesn’t take winters off. It’s just not visible, except for those rare moments when it’s energizing, life-giving beams break through the clouds like it did for me that day.

That’s what this prayer is all about. It’s about praying that the glory of God’s awesome, life-giving, energizing holiness would shine through the “gray skies” that have covered our hearts since sin entered the world. We aren’t praying that God would become awesome and able to shine. No, he always has been, is, and will be awesome. We’re praying that we could see and experience more of the awesome holiness that is always true of him. We’re praying that his glorious “beams” would break through all of the “grayness”of  our sin that has covered our hearts, lives, and world. We’re praying for more of the one Being we actually need. We want to see more of him. We want increased capacities to love him, enjoy him, and serve him.

Father, cause your holiness to shine…

3 Ways To Ignite Your Prayer Life

by Jed CoppengerPrayerPosted on No Comments

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Why do atheists pray? Sure, not all atheists pray. But 34% of atheists said they’ve prayed. 34%! Isn’t that amazing?! I think it is. But I don’t think it’s that surprising. After all, there is something unusually beautiful about the idea that you could see miracles take place simply because you asked. There’s something incredibly attractive about the notion that your problems and plans could be handled by an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving, and all-present God!

Yet, for many Christians, prayer is almost non-existent. For most Christians, prayer plays practically no role in their lives. Why is this the case? Some Christians probably haven’t been taught how to pray. Others, perhaps, have never tried to learn anything about prayer. Most, probably, are just too busy to pray. Whatever the reasons are for the lack of prayerfulness amongst us, I think we’d all agree they don’t justify our silence. I think we’d all agree, perhaps, that it makes no sense for the church to fail to ask our infinite God with his infinite resources to help us with our overwhelming problems and ambitious aspirations.

That’s why we’ve spent the last month reflecting on “5 Life-Changing Prayers” and will spend the next few weeks on a #30DaysOfPrayer journey! But in order to get started on this journey rightly, I think there are at least three truths that we need to take to heart.

First, prayer happens when we realize that God’s a Father who can help with anything and we’re childlike enough to need that help in everything. Prayer starts when we have a low enough view of ourselves that we realize that we need help and have a high enough view of God that we think he can help us. Ultimately, prayer is about identity. It’s about how we view ourselves and God. If you don’t think God can help you, you won’t ask him for help. If you don’t think you need help, you won’t ask for help. Often times then, our doctrine of God—our understanding of God—is our prayer problem. Other times, our doctrine of humanity—our understanding of ourselves—is our prayer problem. Recover a biblical view of God and humanity by realizing that we need God’s help enough to ask and he’s competent enough to make a difference. We need to realize that God’s a Father who can help with anything and we’re childlike enough to need it in everything.

Second, prayer happens when we use our desperation as a starting point for our prayers. When you face problems, ask God to solve them. As you feel pressures, ask God to relieve them. God intends for your problems to ignite your prayer life. Paul Miller rightfully and insightfully said, “prayer isn’t for the disciplined, it’s for the desperate.” That’s exactly what we see in Scripture as the Israelites “cry out” to God by the Red Sea, at Jericho, in the face of giants, and more. That’s what we read as the church “cries out” for Peter before he is executed. It’s what we’re told the Spirit enables us to do as we “cry, Abba, Father.” When you cry out, you are desperate. Let your desperation ignite your prayer life.

Third, prayer happens when we use our aspirations as a starting point for our prayers. When you dream about your life, ask God to cause those dreams to come true. When you make plans and set goals for your life, ask God to do the heavy lifting. Our aspirations are designed to ignite our prayer life. In Acts 1, the people of God pleaded with God to advance his kingdom purposes in the world. They asked God to move in their midst. And in Acts 2, God moved in ways they had never seen, could never bring about, and never could have imagined. Without the prayer in Acts 1 there would be no Pentecost in Acts 2. When you think about your plans, ask God to bring them to life. Ask him to enable you to have an impact that goes above and beyond your competencies.

Everybody can grow in their prayer life. We’re praying that kids, students, and adults ask more of God and see Him work in miraculous ways. Let’s prepare our hearts for this Saturday’s launch of #30DaysOfPrayer!

Join Our 30 Day Prayer Journey!

by Jed CoppengerGallery, Homepage Slider, Prayer, UncategorizedPosted on One Comment

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Thirty days. That’s what we’re asking for. 30 days of specific prayer, starting this Saturday and ending March 12th. Redemption City Church is inviting anyone and everyone to join us as we take a “30 Day Prayer Journey.” We want to see the children of God call out to their heavenly Father like never before. We want to see God work in miraculous ways. We want to see lives changed!

Over the past several weeks, as RCC explored Jesus’ “5 Life-Changing Prayers,” we have seen God answer specific prayers in amazing ways. People are praying that have never prayed. Seasoned saints are rediscovering the life-giving benefits of prayer. God’s answered prayers for jobs, finances, health, difficult situations, and more.

We want to see God do more. And we believe he will. We believe that our heavenly Father loves to answer the prayers of his children. He loves showing his strength in our weakness. He loves to surprise and energize us with his wisdom and might. He loves to hear the voices of his kids.

Take this journey with us. All you have to do is pray specific prayers about whatever is on your heart for 30 days. Simple, right? We made a bookmark that provides direction for your specific prayers, if you need it. You can download it here.

As we approach Saturday’s launch, I’ll post a few brief summaries of each of the “5 Life-Changing Prayers” for those of you who didn’t get a chance to hear about them or may have forgotten them. Until then, let’s spread the word for the #30DaysOfPrayer journey. Let’s pray for the journey as it approaches. And let’s watch with expectancy, as our specificity leads to His visibility in our lives, families, churches, cities, and world!

3 Reasons Why Overachievers Should Prioritize Prayer In 2016

by Jed CoppengerPrayerPosted on 2 Comments

If you read any of the “Top Resolutions for 2016” lists, you’ll notice that just like last year, people are resolving to lose weight, exercise more, eat better, and write that book. The reason these resolutions reappear probably has to do with the fact that our good intentions rarely arrive at the intended outcomes. We find the weight we lost, we can’t find our way to the gym in September, saying yes to sugar is easier than saying no, and books are hard to write.

Yet we continue to make resolutions. We continue to make resolutions because we continue to believe that change is possible, that a better life is on the other side of a few changes, and more.

As you make your resolutions I’d commend to you that you add one to the list that might make a difference in all of the rest. I’d ask you to put the Apostle Paul’s command to “pray without ceasing,” on your list (1 Thess. 5:17). Before your eyes glaze over at the mention of “praying,” consider for a second that this is a guy who helped lead a movement with less technological advancement, less 21st century “know how,” less organizational sophistication, that accomplished something more lasting than any one of us has.

You should pray without ceasing this year because:

God can do more in a moment than we can do in a lifetime – I forget where I first heard it, but a quick reading of Scripture certainly shows that it’s true. The psalmist tells us “our God is in the heavens and he does whatever he pleases” (Ps. 115:3). Whatever? Yes, whatever. He spoke the universe into existence (Gen. 1). He freed the Israelite slaves from the Egyptian super power (Ex. 4-12). When he came to earth as the God-man, Jesus, he gave sight to the blind, healed the sick, and raised the dead. He does whatever he pleases. Your view of prayer is shaped in large part by your view of God. When you see that God can do more in a moment than you can do in a lifetime, you see why you should start asking for his help.

God loves to show us that he is present, active, and able to work by answering our prayers – The powerful God of the Bible shows us he loves to answer prayers. Just look at the book of Acts and you’ll see over and over God answering prayers. Before the Apostle Peter’s preaching at Pentecost changed thousands of lives, there was the prayer time in the upper room (Act 1:14). Before the earthquake and evangelistic explosion, there was prayer (Acts 4:31). Before Tabitha was resurrected, the Apostle Peter prayed (Acts 9:40). Before the angel miraculously led Peter out of jail, the church prayed (Acts 12:5). You get the picture. God love to show that he is present, active, and able to do more in a moment than we can do in a lifetime by answering the prayers of his people.

God uses our unceasing prayers as a reminder of our unceasing dependence on Him – God designed us to be dependent on him. He is the Creator and we are his creation. Unfortunately, since sin entered into the world, we go against the grain of creation by trying to live independently of him. That’s why our lives are filled with such worry, anxiety, anger, and other unwanted states of mind. Paul Miller rightly says, “godlike posture without godlike power is pure tension.” Quit trying to act like the self-sufficient, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-wise God, and live like you were designed to live—dependent on God. Unceasing prayer serves as a reminder of our unceasing dependence on God.

Accomplish more and worry less this 2016 by committing to be a person who “prays without ceasing.” If you’re committed to “praying without ceasing,” but don’t know where to start, I’ll show you how in the next post.