Message and Fellowship: Career

Friday 6/1
7:30-9:30pm
ACC Portable

Post-Fellowship: Andy and Maril's, 7901 Osborne

Notes: Career (part-Andy, part-Maril)

God doesn’t reveal the whole map, just one step at a time

God started leading Walton one step at a time to Missions

How does God want us to think about our work?

How do I begin to intentionally and practically honor God?

What do you think of when you hear the word “work”?

- the curse, ew, tough, keeps from doing what I want to do, stress, money, pays bills, mowing the lawn, blessing, labor, toil, pain, hard, busy, pressure, lay-offs

What do you think is the opposite of work?

- Play, rest, life, vacation, leisure, freedom

Myths about work:

- God is not interested

- Work is just a means to get money

- It’s not as spiritual as other jobs

- It’s just a curse

Genesis 2: work was given to Adam before the curse

The curse: work will be much harder

Work can be a real blessing

How does God look at work?

Joseph has sequence to what he eats: saves good for last

We look at work that way.. just to keep us from doing the things we want to do

Ordained by God:

- Not a curse in itself

- Part of God’s plan for provision

- A sense of God’s calling

- Has great opportunities (for spiritual growth, to serve people, to worship and honor God, etc.)

- Intended as a blessing (not everyone can work)

6 Realities towards Integration

“Fourth ????” book

Most people have fragmented lives

Different friends, different behavior, different words, etc.

Mostly because it’s easier to fit in

Fragmentation can cause a lot of stress b/c we are not able to be who we are – we have to worry about what crowd we’re in

Not able to be unified, consistent person

Fragmented priorities

1,2,3^rd priorities are God and everything else gets woven in

1. Devotion – not about what we do, but why we do it; so important because without it we’ll be susceptible to the distractions of the world (1 John – if you love God, you’ll obey Him); we go to Him because we need Him; because we want to see and hear Him in our lives; need to look past the artificial priorities we’ve set up; overscheduling can often become the enemy of God’s leading; listen for the opportunities God puts in our lives

2. Calling – reminds us there’s something bigger than just living out our lives, getting our paycheck; why do you do what you do in your job today? – perspective determines purpose in our lives (teacher getting paycheck v. teacher helping kids), best to see it from God’s point of view; calling gives a job its spiritual power; whatever job you do, if this is where God has led you, that makes it holy – do I feel a sense of calling with where I am?; Bob Chin’s calling to work with Asian-Americans in Austin helps him adapt his career to follow this leading (staying in Austin, etc); 40-50 hours/168 hours per week is a big chunk of time; might feel too young to think about purpose in life, but it’s never too late – you never know how much time you have left; work isn’t just a means to source your life until you find that great purpose; need to ask God to show us what he wants us to do, what kind of work – have to put all the chips out on the table, can’t hold anything back (e.g. as long as I can live in Texas) – distorts the communication between God and us – needs to be “whatever You ask”, “where You might take me”; often think God will make us do scary things if we lay it all out – but God merged Walton’s passions and skills to allow him to do great things; calling may change with season in life – continue to live with God in the present so He can lead you

3. Integrity

- Do the right thing, not cutting corners

- Ex. Merck – distributed drugs to poor who weren’t able to pay for it b/c the founder stressed the importance of helping the people v. profits

4. Stewardship

- all money on loan from God, who loves me so much

- easy to become self-centered and proud, spend MY money on things that I want

5. Rest

- not the opposite of work, but part of the rhythm of our work (God worked 6 days, rested on 7^th – made in image of God, He set an example for us)

- Sabbath made for man, not man for the Sabbath

- As a fellowship, how can we encourage each other to enjoy the Sabbath and rest?

6. Growing Influence

- need to appropriately define boundaries of evangelism at work, some use relational evangelism as an excuse – don’t take the necessary steps to share God

- need to be intentional – not to step over the line – but to at least go up to that line

- e.g. Joe wants to start up Life Journal Bible study at his school, Walton needs to be willing to ask if that’s OK, what the boundaries are

Balancing Time – build in margins

- allow you to see God work in your lives, and respond

- plan time for yourself, leave time in the margins so people will feel free to talk with you, ask you to do things with them; if others feel you’re too busy, won’t be able to fit them in, maybe you are; leave room to be spontaneous

Andy’s q: Do I need a specific calling to what I’m specifically doing?

Walton’s background coding as an engineer allows him to connect with people in his neighborhood now

Geoff’s experience in Japan with missionaries – the missionaries had to do lots of stuff that wasn’t directly spiritual (cleaning the church, etc); they built relationships through those menial things

Edison’s q: Does God want us to be passionate about what we’re doing work-wise?

Some people are just trying to survive

Need to see the overall purpose of why I’m doing this; else large chunk of your life is disassociated from serving God

Do all for the Lord

Break for Memorial Day Weekend

Enjoy the time off Friday and Saturday... BUT come help serve lunch on Sunday with the rest of the English congregation! :)

Sunday 5/27
12:00pm noon
ACC, Morrison Kitchen

Thanks!!

Message and Fellowship: Interview with Bono

Friday 5/18
7:30-9:30pm
ACC Portable

Volunteering with Winston's Small Group!

Capital Area Food Bank Sort-a-thon with "Stamp Out Hunger"
Saturday, 5/12
Meet at 3pm, ACC Portable
(Volunteer 4-7pm)

Find pictures at http://public.fotki.com/andyedlee/2007/cornerstone/capital-area-food-bank/

Message and Fellowship: Vulnerability in Friendships

Friday 5/4
7:30-9:30pm (by Dan Davis - ACC, Wycliffe Portable)
10:00-11:30pm Hang-out at Alex's House

Geoff's Notes (with Marilyn's notes sprinkled in :P):

• "Character is formed in community and tested in isolation"
• We think that it is when we are with others that our character is tested, but it's when we are in private that we think that we are not accountable
• Character is formed by how we relate to others. Our friends, the people who can push our buttons
• "I don't believe in accountability"
• Christianity is a message of grace, grace is the essence of Christianity; legalism is antithetical to that
  
• Has friends who have extracted rules for being a Christian, and "accountability" is asking "have you done your quiet time?" "have you prayed today?", etc.
• An environment of grace is a place where you feel safe to tell the truth about yourself, that you won't be rejected. Character is best formed in an environment of grace, in the context of community, not legalism
  
• Obviously "accountability" is not fostering this kind of environment - make your accountability grace-filled
  
• I won't feel safe to share about myself until I trust you, and I won't trust you until I understand that you love me. Until then, I'll keep things hidden. Unconfessed sin has power over my life - so I need a place where I feel safe (this should be in the context of Christian community). Jesus tells us to love everyone - but we're afraid to (i.e. we're afraid to do what Jesus has commanded us to do).
• Cornerstone is not a "safe" place for Dan Davis, because he doesn't know us. He doesn't know what hurts older people have caused us, what distrust of authority figures we have, etc.
• The word "love" is overloaded in English. "I love you" has too many connotations, particularly romantic, so it's hard for us [Christians] to talk about love, which we should be able to talk about.
  
• Call for reactions:
• Ricky: what about rebuke?
• If you rebuke me, I should know that you love me. (If you're going to rebuke me, I better know you love me.) If you're "Quick Draw McGraw" comin' in and rebukin' people, someone needs to rebuke you.
• We cannot judge people, that is, determine their motives for them. But we can be fruit inspectors. (i.e. we can discern what we see)
  
• His ministry to pastors is successful because pastors have decided that they can trust him.
• There's no safe place for pastors to confess sin. (What would you think if your pastor confessed to, say, adultery or lust?)
• Can't really go to other pastors, because pastors are sort of spiritually competitive
• Do you have a safe place?
• Where there's a history of sharing, being loved. Character is developed where you feel safe.
  
• You should not be vulnerable to anyone. You should only be vulnerable where you feel safe.
• Difference between vulnerable and transparent:
• Transparency: I'll let you look at the inside of my life
• Vulnerability: Not only will I let you look at the inside, but will trust you to lead me to a better place
• Ex: My wife and I will be celebrating our 50 year wedding anniversary. ... My wife and I have been very happily married for 44 years. [Implication was that 6 years were not so good!] This is transparency.
• Example from his marriage of a huge fight. His wife drove off, really angry, and he thought that she had gone to talk to her parents about the fight (they lived 5 miles away). Instead, she drove up and down the Pacific coast, asking God how she could hate someone she loved so much, because she had made a commitment not to ever expose him to others. This formed the basis of deep trust in their marriage.
• Fred: Can men and women be vulnerable to each other?
• 1 Cor 13 is how we should relate to each other, both single gender and cross gender.
• Andy: Is it realistic to expect this kind of a trusting relationship with many people?
• Limits the pastors' covenant groups to 8 or 9 people because the dynamics change substantially as each person is added.
• But sharing something like addiction to pornography is not the best place. Not because of lack of confidentiality, ability to help, etc., but because it is so intense that it is best done with just one other person.
• That person should be someone you trust to share painful things, trust, and someone who will lovingly not let you run away.
• Alex: What about David, whose friends wanted to stone him after people raided their wives and family?
• Yes, God, is very loving. But the idea that we can just make it with God and ourselves is not what God intended - He wants us to build a family, a community of believers.
  
• Sharon: How can we be a safe place for others?
• You have to earn it. You have to have a long-term track record of loving others. It takes time to develop.
• A safe place is not just a place where you can tell people the truth about the bad things about ourselves, but a place where we also tell the truth about the good things about each other. (This is another way you earn it)
• Be faithful, true to friendships