tracekuhn.comRandom thoughts of a Christ follower

Recently I sat in a business marketing presentation on customer segmentation. From the presentation we discussed three major customer groups:

Advocates

• These people are raving fans and love your business/service.
• They tell everyone they know about your organization.
• About 15% of your customers fall into this category.
• Lots of referrals.

Apathetics

• These people are passive.
• They have a “take it or leave it” attitude about your organizaton.
• About 60% of your customers fall into this category.
• Low referrals.

Assassins

• These people were displeased with your service.
• They talk about their experience 50% more than advocates.
• About 25% of your customers fall into this category.
• No referrals and will denigrate your business/service at every opportunity.

I wonder how this relates to the local church? Is this applicable?

Is the local church treated as a commodity by its congregation thereby making these segmentations relevant for discussion?

If this is appropriate for discussion, then that offers more questions.

1. How can we encourage advocacy?
2. How can we move people from apathy to advocacy?
3. How do we identify the assassins in our midst?
4. How can we address an assassin’s concerns to make them advocates?
5. Is in the local church’s job to move people up the ladder?
6. How does this effect giving? Serving?

Lastly, Where are you? Are you an advocate, apathetic or assassin for your church?

What could possibly go wrong in a marriage to make someone go from love to hate? How could someone’s heart change so drastically?

As David and Michal begin their marriage, Michal “loved him.”

When Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him. 1 Sam 18:28

After a rocky relationship and at one of the highest points in David’s life, Michal “despised him in her heart.”

Then it happened as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. 2 Sam 6:16

No one goes into a marriage thinking it will end this way.

But time and time again, it goes from good to bad to worse and then divorce.

Why?

What can be done to keep us from turning love into hate?

Father I pray for my marriage. I realize that it is only through the love You have shown us that we are able to love each other. Help us to love each other in spite of our faults, our sinful natures and our selfishness. In Jesus name, Amen.

Instant gratification has been given a bad name these days. If it is immediately pleasing, it must not be good for you.

How does the saying go, “Good things come to those who wait.”

So is the idea of anything good that appears immediately wrong?

While that may be true for many things, instant gratification for the marketer rocks!

That is why marketing peeps like the internet. It provides everything at lightning speed. You can measure, make changes, try new things, abandon a project and start over, whatever you want…all with the blink of an eye.

A good friend once said that internet marketing is like drinking from a fire hose!

As I think about the church, I wonder if we’ve taken on this instantly gratifying approach?

• We want bigger numbers in the worship service…now
• We want bigger numbers in bible study…now

Is this wrong? Is the approach wrong?

What is good for internet marketing, is probably not good for the church.

The church uses the marketing strategies they know best like direct mail, programs, flyers, inserts, etc to “sell” the church.

They create program after program to reach everyone. Choirs and groups and studies and this and that. You name it and there is a program designed to reach it.

These methods often only accomplish surface level results. People may come once, but there is no lasting change.

People need community before commitment. Without community, they visit and leave… never to return again.

We need to get beyond the surface if we want to reach people for Christ. So rather than spending time, energy and resources on surface level marketing, how about drilling down and engaging your audience through personal connections.

• Empower your people to start a small group at work.
• Encourage your people to start a new couples small group with their neighbors.
• Empower your people to reach out to people in need.
• Encourage discipleship through accountability groups.

These are not “quick fix” programs, but life changing, powerful connections where lives are transformed and people are changed by the power of Jesus Christ. It becomes a place where people can be transparent. A place where people can be real.

It is through the power of people connecting with other people that we form community. Through community people connect and only then will they commit.

Sitting in your pew now becomes an option for them. Only now. Not before. Only now.

I love reading the psalms. David wrote about half of them and his writings were incredibly transparent. He was by no means a perfect guy, but through his struggles he was always repentant and always sought God’s mercy and forgiveness.

This short psalm gives us David’s principles for living a life that glorifies God and allows us to accomplish God’s work while we are on earth.

Honesty

O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me. Ps 131:1

We have to accept ourselves and who we are in Christ. Once we can do this, then the way others view us becomes less important. It is how Jesus sees you that makes a difference. We spend SO much time trying to impress others. This gets in the way of the impression we should be making for Christ. Forget about all that other stuff. Keep the main thing, the main thing.

Let go of the dishonest views of yourself and grab hold of the way Jesus sees you. He loves you the way you are right now. He will love you no more or no less if you wear the right clothes, or say the right things or drive the right car. He Loves you!

Humility

Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me. Ps 131:2

It is time to humble ourselves and yield to God’s plan for our life. What is it that God is calling you to do? It is time to get after it. How long can you sit comfortably resisting His calling in your life? Listen, pray and then put it into action.

God is calling us to be spiritually and emotionally mature. It is about time we step up and humbly accept His will for our lives.

Hope

O Israel, hope in the Lord From this time forth and forever. Ps 131:3

The child wants things to remain as they are. safe. secure. They have a routine and everything is known to them. But the mother has other plans. She knows that for the child’s next phase of life, they need to be weaned. The child resists, but mom knows best!

We are the same way. When everything is comfortable, then there is no reason to do anything different. But God in His wisdom, has a way of shaking us loose and allowing us to move forward.

When we move forward, this verse reminds us to have hope. We have hope from this day forward. Sure, it will be challenging and we’ll look back. Sometimes wishing we could go back to that comfort. But it isn’t available anymore. Now there is only the future and we must hope in that day.

Martin Luther said in life there is only “this day and that day.”

“this day” refers to today.
“that day” refers to the day we’ll see Christ face to face.

So let’s live “this day” with all of the honesty, humility and hope we can muster. God will provide the rest and will do so until “that day” comes.

Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do. I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! John 14:10-14

Jesus makes an incredible promise here. He says (paraphrasing) that if you believe in Him, you will be able to do even greater things than He, because He is going to the Father. Wow.

We have the potential, according to this promise, to do the things that Jesus did and even greater things are possible.

It all begins with prayer. In v. 13 Jesus says, “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.”

The prayer is a partnership or collaboration between You, Jesus and the Father.

Imagine the power of prayer when you are collaborating with God the Father.

Credit to Rick Richardson in Reimagining Evangelism.

Job was a man of wealth. A man of power. He “had it all.” But more than his wealth, he had an incredible relationship with God.

But Job lost it all. In the blink of an eye, he lost it all.

Job’s wife lost is all too. She undoubtedly suffered intense heartbreak and pain right along side of her husband. In v. 2:9 she tells Job to “curse God and die.”

In the midst of trials, do you stand up for your spouse or cave in under the pressure?

Do you stand up strong for your spouse, or do you become part of the process of tearing him/her down?

We need to be our spouse’s biggest fan at all times!

Why is that so difficult? Why is it hard to be a positive force in your spouse’s life?

Part of the reason is that we see our spouse up close and personal. We know them better than anyone. We know the “behind the scenes” experiences.

Maybe the trial was self-inflicted. Maybe we warned them and they didn’t listen.

Before you get caught up in the details, take a step back and look at the situation from a higher perspective.

Could it be that God provided that trial for a purpose.

1 Peter 4:12 – Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing was happening to you.

So embrace the opportunity to grow your faith.

Look at it like Job did in v. 1:21-22:

And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

So how can we be a fan of our spouse?

1. Encourage your spouse every day. Notes, email, text, whatever is available…
2. Communicate with your spouse every day. The key word is “LISTEN”
3. Speak highly of your spouse with others. Don’t ever bad mouth your spouse in public.

What are some other ways we can encourage our spouse? Chime in…

Sharing video from FBC Columbia. Who says senior adults are not contemporary?

Thanks Shane Waldrop for sharing the link to the video.

The election is over. Now what?

Are the issues that you thought were SO important yesterday at the voting booth still important to you today?

Sanctity of Life: I’ve already written about my belief that this is the single most important issue of the election. If it was an important issue for you too, then do something about it. Waiting 4 more years to care about it again will not solve the problem! Here are some options:

1. Call, write, email your leaders and let them know your opinion.
2. Find a clinic and volunteer.
3. Get involved in your youth group at church.
4. Get involved in an adoption ministry. Here’s one.
5. Support groups and organizations that are already making strides in these areas.
6. Pray, pray, pray.

Orphans & Widows: Contrary to popular belief, this is not a liberal issue. This is a concern for all of humanity.

1. Find an organization helping “the least of these.” Here’s one.
2. Go on a missions trip. We can best understand poverty when we see it in person.
3. Talk to your pastor about doing something in your local community. Adopt a school, or adopt a community. Provide meals, shoes, coats in the winter. You don’t have to do it all. You just have to start the effort. Others will join when you lead.
4. Pray, pray, pray.

Real change in America will not come at the hands of a man, but when God’s people humble themselves, drop their own agendas and start living for Christ.

Be a catalyst for change. America needs YOU to step up in a fresh, new way today. Technology will give you the platform. We just need your commitment, your drive and your honest effort to lead and create a difference.

So what say you? Are you ready to make a difference? Start today.

This is a re-post from Mark Driscoll:

This election season which has dominated the cultural conversation for many months has been particularly insightful regarding the incessant gospel thirst that abides deep in the heart of the men and women who bear God’s image. Without endorsing or maligning either political party or their respective presidential candidates, I am hopeful that a few insights from the recent election season are of help, particularly to younger evangelicals.

First, people are longing for a savior who will atone for their sins. In this election, people thirst for a savior who will atone for their economic sins of buying things they did not need with money they did not have. The result is a mountain of credit debt they cannot pay and a desperate yearning that somehow a new president will save them from economic hell.

Second, people are longing for a king who will keep them safe from terror in his kingdom. In the Old Testament the concept of a peaceable kingdom is marked by the word shalom. In shalom there is not only the absence of sin, war, strife, and suffering but also the presence of love, peace, harmony, and health. And, this thirst for shalom is so parched that every election people cannot help but naively believe that if their candidate simply wins shalom is sure to come despite sin and the curse.

The bottom line is obvious to those with gospel eyes. People are longing for Jesus, and tragically left voting for mere presidential candidates. For those whose candidate wins today there will be some months of groundless euphoric faith in that candidate and the atoning salvation that their kingdom will bring. But, in time, their supporters will see that no matter who wins the presidency, they are mere mortals prone to sin, folly, and self-interest just like all the other sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. To help extend naïve false hope as long as possible, a great enemy will be named and demonized as the one who is hindering all of the progress to atone for our sins and usher in our kingdom. If the Democrats win it will be the rich, and if the Republicans win it will be the terrorists. This diversionary trick is as old as Eve who blamed her sin on Satan rather than repenting. The lie is that it’s always someone else’s fault and we’re always the victim of sinners and never the sinner.

Speaking of repentance, sadly, no matter who wins there will be no call to personal repentance of our own personal sins which contributes to cultural suffering and decline such as our pride, gluttony, covetousness, greed, indebtedness, self-righteousness, perversion, and laziness. And, in four years we’ll do it all again and pretend that this time things will be different. Four years after that, we’ll do it yet again. And, we’ll continue driving around this cul de sac until Jesus returns, sets up his throne, and puts an end to folly once and for all.

In the meantime, I would encourage all preachers to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and repentance of personal sin. He alone can truly atone for our sins. He alone can deliver us from a real hell. He alone is our sinless and great King. And, he alone has a Shalom kingdom to offer.

Lastly, for those preachers who have gotten sidetracked for the cause of a false king and a false kingdom by making too much of the election and too little of Jesus, today is a good day to practice repentance in preparation to preach it on Sunday. Just give it some time. The thirst will remain that only Jesus can quench. So, we’ve still got work to do….until we see King Jesus and voting is done once and for all.

Thank you Mark Driscoll for your words today.

Thanks to Shane Waldrop for sharing the link to this video.

You can learn more about John Piper and his ministry here.

P.S. Don’t forget to set your clocks back on Saturday night!