Bandwidth: Energize

Series: Bandwidth
Energize by Ted Beasley - January 20, 2008

If we want more bandwidth in our relationship with God, we need to find a way to energize the relationship. How to do that was Ted’s focus in this message. Based on Bill Hybel’s book Spiritual Pathways, Ted outlined seven possible approaches to capturing or recapturing a more alive spiritual connection.

1. Most this discussion will be centered around identifying and then applying your own spiritual pathway. But first, start with the idea of personal spiritual responsibility that Ted developed at the start of his message: Ted talked about how most of us had someone or something that “fed” us spiritually. Did you? What were you fed in your spiritual babyhood, and who did (or does) your feeding? Are you trying to feed anyone now? In the group, spend some time to talk personally or “in general” about how people get spiritual feeding before they begin to feed themselves spiritually. (10 minutes)

2. Ted said he was 15 year old, and away from home and church before he decided to really start feeding himself spiritually. How about you? Have you reached that point – (or points for some of us…)? What motivated you to take that step? Think about that and then talk about the types of things that motivate people toward a “turning point” in their relationship with God. (10 minutes)
3. The main point of Ted’s message was that we all have basic “roads” we take toward God… a spiritual approach that just feels "right" for each of us. For the rest of the discussion, you’ll focus on identifying your own pathway, along with some of the best “travel aids” to use on that route. First, review the spiritual pathways below. Can you pick out one as being the one that best energizes you to move toward God? If your path is not on the list, what does work for you?

• Intellectual: stretching your brain with new thoughts about God and His ways


• Relational: deeper closeness with God when sharing the experience with others


• Service: helping others brings you closer to God’s heart for service


• Worship: thinking, singing, praying about how good God is


• Activism: spiritual connections with God strengthened when you’re making a difference in the world


• Contemplative: getting energy from time away thinking through God’s role in the world and your life


• Creation: closeness to God when in nature and appreciating His creation.
  

Take some time for each person to talk about their own spiritual pathway. As you go around, be sure to talk about the specific kinds of things that really energize you on your journey. If none of these fit, can you describe the kinds of things that DO make you feel energized spiritually? (30 minutes)

4. At the end of the message, Ted challenged us to step up and take responsibility for our own growth. He also suggested that we develop our ability to see God through routes that are not our own well-worn paths. Close with some personal time for each person to think about that. Are you thinking that maybe you need to start your own feeding rather than waiting for others to push you along? Or maybe you need to re-energize your walk? If so, what is your best route forward? If your are pretty charged up right now, maybe there is another way you can start to know God through a different path? Is there a new/different route you think God is prompting you to use to come to Him? Whatever your place or path, write down one thing you can do in the next week to start down that road, and then pray and ask God to energize you to take that step. (5 minutes)

Bible verses from the message:

My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day.
Galatians 5:16 – 17

You should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God's ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong.
Hebrews 5:14

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.
Philippians 3:8

For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.
Matthew 18:20

My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Psalm 108:1 – 4

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
Revelation 3:20

Get more - go further:

You can search for related books on-line at the Gateway Bookstore or look for books at the "reality" bookstore in the "Garage".

Remember - each Sunday's message is available by 5 PM on the day of the message. Past messages are also available for listening and download. Just go to Gateway's Sunday Messages. Free CD's of the messages will be available after the services at Gateway the following Sunday.

Bandwidth: Simplify

Bandwidth
Simplfy by John Burke, January 6, 2008

Bandwidth… don’t we all think we need more and more and more of it? But it doesn’t work: time is still a limited commodity. As we keep adding things to our busy lives, often we end up cutting something out… and then feeling stressed and guilty that we’re not doing it all. Is there any hope to find a way to get away from the stress and get it all “under control”?

1. Start with John’s question to us: What is something that worried you a lot in the last year? Do you still worry about it? Go around and see how many people are still worried about the same thing now that troubled them before. (5 – 10 minutes)

2. Take some time in the group to discuss the types of thing that people tend to worry about. Make a quick list of these. Next, go through your list and discuss how many are “real” (legitimate concerns about what is really happening or what is likely to happen) and of these, how many those people have any control over? (10 minutes)

3. Next, take a look at the pressures of life. Do you need more bandwidth? How full is your life? Make a quick stab at estimating your own life script: Take a look at the list below. Before each item are two blank spaces. In the first column, write down the approximate percentage of time you spend each week on that (just as a frame of reference… 40 hours (i.e., 8 hours a day of work or sleep) is 33% of your week each.

____ ____ Work
____ ____ Sleep
____ ____ Other commitments/obligations (i.e. home/family responsibilities/requirements, organization leadership, planned service, etc.)
____ ____ Health/working out/sports
____ ____ Entertainment (TV, movies, reading, etc.)
____ ____ Important personal relationships that are not “programmed” (friends, family, etc)
____ ____ Time with God/Bible study/Spiritual growth
____ ____ Other _____________

Now, in the second column, think about the approximate percentage of your time each week you’d LIKE to spend on each of these. My bet is that two lists of percentages are not the same,. So in the group, spend some time talking about why, for most people, these two lists are different: What keeps people from spending their time they way they would like (outside of normal real needs like basic income and the need for food and sleep)? (15 – 20 minutes for the whole exercise and discussion)

4. Last question: Do you think it possible for the average person to have a life that has enough bandwidth and and is not stressed? Why or why not? Discuss this in the group. (10 minutes)

5. Close with a couple minutes for people to reflect individually on any personal insights about time or worries they have. Is there anything you think God has spoken to you about? Write down any points you’d like to reflect on more. (2 – 3 minutes)


Bible versese from the message:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
Matthew 6:25-27

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
Matthew 6:29 – 30

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
Matthew 6:31 – 32

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:33 – 34

Get more - go further:

You can search for related books on-line at the Gateway Bookstore or look for books at the "reality" bookstore in the "Garage".

Remember - each Sunday's message is available by 5 PM on the day of the message. Past messages are also available for listening and download. Just go to Gateway's Sunday Messages. Free CD's of the messages will be available after the services at Gateway the following Sunday.