“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.” —James 5:17

Doug RM is a 1980 Boxomatic Coach RV in the Pixar film Cars, who resides in Redneck Hill. He is a Piston Cup fanatic, which means he knows a thing or two about racing. Toward the end of the movie, as Bob Cutlass and Darrell Cartrip are bewildered by the way hotshot rookie Lightning McQueen helps veteran Strip “The King” Weathers cross the finish line after getting wrecked, Doug RM says it best:

“Now that’s what I call racing right there!”

Now, wait a minute. They had already been “racing” for a long time. The entire event encompassed racing. But what made that one lap any different than the previous three hundred monotonous laps of “go fast, turn left” in the eyes of Doug RM? Something clutch was happening within the broader term of racing which signified RM’s concept of real heartfelt racing. In that last lap, there was an “animated” moment (no pun intended) of inspired racing which transcended the “predictable” routine of racing. So, there is the repetitive activity of racing, but then there is the rarer intensity of racing.

In Hebrew, repeating a word can often signify a strong emphasis. For example, “He prayed with prayer” is considered a Hebraism, which essentially translates to “he prayed fervently”—implying there is not just prayerful activity, but prayerful intensity. In James 5, this language is used to describe how “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man” can accomplish much.

James uses Elijah as an illustration of how “a man with a nature like ours” could have the powerful prayer life of “a righteous person.” In the context of a drought in 1 Kings 17–18, and a punishment on King Ahab and Israel for idolatry, Elijah “prayed fervently” that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. “Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.”

Some English translations of the Bible say that Elijah prayed “fervently.” Others render it “earnestly,” or “intensely.” Then there are those who translate it from the Hebraism: “with prayer he prayed that it might not rain upon the earth, and it rained not for three years and six months.” The repetition itself signifies the intensity, somewhat like our fictional friend Doug RM can see racing within the racing, distinguishing the contrast of the activity itself with the intensity of the activity.

James wants his readers to be characterized by a prayer life of fervor and intensity, not just prayers that are routine, apathetic, or dispassionate. Thus, he chose Elijah as the model of an earnest prayer warrior who was answered by God. His effectiveness in prayer extended even to the weather! This shows that Elijah’s heart was in tune with God’s heart. He boldly prayed what he already understood to be the will of God. He prayed for the rain to stop and start only because he sensed it was in the heart of God in His dealings with Israel.

Fervent prayer is about knowing the heart of God and praying God’s will with confidence. Once Elijah knew the will of God, he prayed earnestly until he saw the answer. Like we might realize in our own experiences, Elijah knew that answers don’t always come immediately. But that didn’t dissuade him from praying with intensity. He knew that we must pray until we see the breakthrough.

What does it look like for you to pray fervently over every realm in your life—for your marriage to glorify God, for your children to walk with the Lord, for your church to penetrate the darkness in your community, for your everyday work to reveal a gospel-dominated faith and character, for your neighbors to come to know Jesus? What if you prayed intensely on the confidence that “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9)? Think about that as you seek to abide in Him.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, teach us how to be a person like Elijah, with the kind of effectual prayer life that is in tune with your heart and boldly anticipates spiritual breakthroughs. Holy Spirit, mature our faith so that our prayers reveal more of Christ’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Questions for Personal Reflection and Group Discussion:

• Think about a time when God didn’t answer your prayers the way you wanted. How did it feel? Now, think about a time when God answered your prayer in a way that was better than you could have imagined. How did that feel?
• Read James 5:17-18. To fully understand the story of Elijah we must look back to his life. Take some time in your group to read 1 Kings 17 and 18. After reading these stories about Elijah, what most stands out to you about his life?
• James said that Elijah was a man just like us. Elijah prayed earnestly and God answered his prayers. How does Elijah’s prayer life encourage you? Are there times that you give up on praying and resign yourself to apathy in your prayers?
• The letter of James ends with a reminder to reach those who are living a life of sin. Read James 5:19-20. Share about the person who told you about Jesus. Who is God inviting you to share your faith with? What will that take?

The post Routine Prayers to Fervent Prayers appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

There is a compelling scene in the film when “Joy” penetrates the command center in Riley’s head, seizes the control panel, looks Anxiety in the face and declares, “Let her go.” It’s a game-changing moment for the teenager.

In Matthew 8:23-27, we see a similar anxiety-led hijack attempt on the disciples as they navigate a great storm on the Sea of Galilee. Their boat was being swamped by the waves and the disciples were in legit panic mode, but Jesus is soundly asleep in some remote part of the boat. The Sea of Galilee is well known for its sudden, violent storms, and the severity of this storm was evident in the fact that the disciples (many of whom were experienced fishermen on this lake) were terrified. What a dramatic contrast—the disciples are freaking out while Jesus seems to be auditioning for a “but-I-did-stay-at-a-Holiday-Inn-Express-last-night” commercial.

Have you ever felt like Jesus was sleeping through your storm?

The disciples sure did in that moment. We can sense the distress in their cry as they shake Jesus awake, pleading, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” No time for empty phrases heaped up in some long-winded, protracted prayer. No margin for quoting extended scriptural references or laying out a lengthy foundational case for why it is “worthy” for Jesus to intervene, or how God’s reputation is on the line if He doesn’t. When the boat is sinking and the clock is running out, there’s no room for any kind of manipulation tactics in prayer—just a pure SOS distress call.

I love the prayerful simplicity of these six words: “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”

Those words moved the power of God in the storm, but not without a little rebuke first. Jesus said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” The Greek word here is not “no faith,” but “ineffective,” “defective,” or “deficient” faith. Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. Here we can appreciate Spurgeon’s observation: “He spoke to the men first, for they were the most difficult to deal with: wind and sea could be rebuked afterwards.”

The disciples marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” In the span of a few moments, the disciples witnessed both the complete humanity of Jesus (in His tired sleep) and the fullness of His deity. They saw Jesus for who He is: truly man and truly God. They knew that He personified Psalm 89:8-9…

O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you? You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.

Sometimes God isn’t interested in the multitude of our words. He simply wants us to “be still and know that He is God” (Psalm 46:10). Sometimes He just wants us to marvel, knowing that He’s got this whole world in His grip, and every little trivial detail of our lives as well. Sometimes the best prayers are short and simple: Lord, save me from my anxiety today! 

What kind of storm are you facing today that needs to be met with the kind of marvel and faith that recaptures the control panel, and declares: Let him or her go, in Jesus’ name. God’s got this!

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we understand that worry is just misplaced worship, making much of the wrong thing. It’s focusing on the storm rather than focusing on WHO has authority over that storm. Help us to have an effective faith, one that marvels with a kind of worship that trusts Your character over our circumstances. This kind of worship will at times leave us speechless and still, with a calm that knows You got this. Lord, conquer our anxiety. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. What does your “Inside Out” experience look like? What emotions tend to be at the control panel of YOU?
2. When have you felt that Jesus was sleeping in your storm?
3. What can we learn about Jesus’ rebuke of the disciples and the storm?
4. Where has worry been a form of misplaced worship in your life?
5. What needs to happen this week for your worry to be overtaken with proper worship?

The post Inside Out: Putting Anxiety in its Place appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” —Matthew 6:6

The best coaches in life don’t just help people learn new things; they help people unlearn old things that could be impeding their progress.

When I was a little league baseball player, I learned how to switch hit—bat from both sides of the plate. I had always been a right-handed hitter but when I became a left-handed hitter, I became more productive and fundamentally sound in my swing. One of the reasons for that progress was that I didn’t have to unlearn the bad mechanics of “swinging wildly” from the other side of the plate, which I had picked up early on due to the lack of good coaching. My left-handed swing became a “sweeter” swing because it was built on the foundation of better “mechanics” without having to first spend time undoing or tearing down an old faulty foundation.

Those first disciples of Jesus had to unlearn ingrained religious mindsets and spiritual beliefs that were getting in the way of them becoming more conformed to the image of Jesus. For that to happen, they had to unlearn some things they had picked up along the way—particularly with notions about prayer. In Matthew 6, Jesus addresses these notions.

The hypocrites spotlighted a kind of prayer life that was about impressing others in the synagogues and publicly on the street corners (v. 5), but Jesus pointed his disciples to a “secret” private room of prayer that was “rewarded” by the Father (v. 6). It’s interesting to note that the Greek word for “room” in verse 6 is also translated “dispensary” (where medicines or supplies would be distributed) and “storehouse,” where hidden treasures would’ve been found. Prayer doesn’t just ask for things; it accesses God’s bounty!

The “babbling” pagans modeled a prayer life that used “vain repetitions” or heaped up “empty phrases” (v. 7), which comes from the Greek word battalogeo—meaning to repeat the same things over and over, or to use many idle words such as having the sense of “blah-blah-blah.” There was no power in any of these prayers!

Jesus made sure that His disciples unlearned the notions of religious zealots who made a lot of noise but whose hearts were far from God. Then, He coached them in a different way to pray. His model, known today as “The Lord’s Prayer,” was not to be misunderstood as a magical formula to be recited word for word, but a pattern to follow in finding God’s heart in prayer. This prayer has a beginning invocation and six petitions that give sacred priorities to our lives. The first three petitions focus on the preeminence of God, while the final three focus on personal needs in a community context.

The phrase “our Father,” or “Abba” in Aramaic, conveys the authority, warmth, and intimacy of a loving father’s care, while “in heaven” declares God’s sovereign rule over all things. Jesus’ disciples are invited into the intimacy of God the Son with his Father. The emphasis of this first petition is that God’s name would be hallowed—that God would be treated with the highest honor and set apart as holy. We should desire to guard His glory above our own reputations.

The second petition, your kingdom come, is about our hearts becoming aligned with the continual advancement of God’s kingdom in this world through the missional focus of our prayers and work. We need to keep this paramount in our lives (Matthew 6:33) and dominant in our prayers. The third petition speaks of God’s will being accomplished on earth, just as it is perfectly experienced in heaven. The fourth petition focuses on the disciples’ daily bread, a necessity of life which by implication includes all the believer’s daily physical and material needs, not their greeds.

The fifth petition forgive us our debts has to do with the restoration of personal fellowship with God when this fellowship has been hindered by sin (Ephesians 4:30). We need daily resilience in dealing with sin! When we receive grace, we must be eager to extend that same grace to others. The sixth and final petition, lead us not into temptation, addresses the disciples’ battle with sin and evil. The word translated “temptation” can indicate either temptation or testing. It’s a battle we can only overcome in the Lord’s might.

The Lord’s Prayer should be understood as an example—a pattern—of how to pray. It gives us the “ingredients” that should go into prayer. We need to be reminded that God isn’t impressed with the decibels, the vain repetitions, or the sophistication of our words in prayer. Additionally, the omniscient Father doesn’t need to be informed by our prayers; He is looking for childlike faith in worshipers who long to be conformed to Jesus in prayer. Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.

PRAYER

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. How would you define prayer?
2. When has your prayer life struggled?
3. Have you picked up some bad prayer mechanics (notions or practices) that need to be unlearned?
4. How can Jesus’ prayer model coach us into healthier prayer patterns?
5. In light of Jesus’ coaching, what is your prayer today?

The post Unlearning Bad Prayer Mechanics appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.” —Philemon 1:11

Last week at our summer camp for at-risk kids in East Tennessee, I was asked by a visitor what some of our greatest needs are in working with such children impacted by trauma and hardship. That’s a softball question for a person who has spent my entire adult life working with young people coming from hard places. The answer remains the same after 30 plus years of ministry:

Getting the Church to see the hidden potential and the God-given worth that is lying dormant in broken young people and to be committed to walking alongside of them for the long haul even if the desired spiritual results are not immediately evident. Young people need to know that mentors are not just in their corner for the sprint, but for the marathon.  

The entire course of my life was changed when a pastor visited a Florida juvenile detention center and led me to Jesus when I was incarcerated as a teenager, which began a long-term mentoring relationship that was essential to my spiritual formation and discipleship journey. I’m convinced I would not have been serving in ministry all these years apart from that man’s influence on my life. 

One of the most overlooked books in the Bible is the story of a broken and incarcerated youth who didn’t realize his God-given potential until a mentor invested in his life.

The book is about a young person named Onesimus who was the fugitive slave of Philemon and may have grown up subjugated to slavery his entire young life. From the text, we see that Onesimus had robbed his master Philemon and fled to Rome, a large city where he could easily hide. Undoubtedly, it was divine orchestration that Onesimus ended up in the same prison as Paul, where the latter had been jailed for preaching the gospel. It was here that Paul presumably leads this young man to saving faith in Jesus (Philemon 1:10), then has the boldness to write to Philemon and urge him to take Onesimus back, no longer as a slave, but as a dear brother in Christ. Paul uses a play on words in verse 11 that suggests Onesimus’ value has been underestimated, as the name Onesimus means “useful.”

This was a risky move of advocacy on Paul’s part, and perhaps an even greater risk for Philemon. Around this same time, all of Rome was shocked when a prefect of the city, Pedanius Secundus, was murdered by one of his slaves. Consequently, the Roman senate enforced a law already on the books and put to death 400 of the murderer’s fellow slaves—men, women, and children, even though they were innocent. Given the social and political climate, this was no time to be advocating for runaway, criminal slaves. Paul did it anyway and risked his own reputation on a young fugitive “thief.” 

Paul urged Philemon to drop all charges, asked that he be exonerated of slave status, and much more significantly, esteemed as an “equal” brother in the faith. This request was unheard of in first-century Rome. What if Onesimus re-offended? What if he didn’t check all the “merit” boxes for church membership criteria? What if it took years to be rehabilitated from habits and manipulative survival schemes that he was forced to learn growing up in slavery? Was a runaway slave worth such a risk?

Did Paul’s risk pay off? Whatever became of Onesimus? The Bible doesn’t say. But Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, wrote a letter some fifty years later about a man who seems to fit the description of this runaway slave. Ignatius referred to him as Onesimus, Bishop of Ephesus! It sounds as if Philemon regarded the instruction of Paul and took a risk himself. What happened was even more unlikely than a slave becoming a citizen, apparently that slave went on to lead the church in all of Ephesus.

We have all in one manner or other been fugitive sinners in need of grace, forgiveness, and the freedom that is found only in Jesus Christ. We have all failed God, and at times fled from His presence, but aren’t you glad that God is willing to take a risk on you even when nobody else will?

It’s been noted that the story of Onesimus and Philemon is a beautiful picture of the distinction between law and grace. Both Roman law and the Mosaic Law of the Old Testament gave Philemon the right to punish a runaway slave. But the covenant of grace through the Lord Jesus allowed both master and slave to fellowship in love on an equal basis in the body of Christ. Paul’s payment of all of Onesimus’s debts parallels Christ’s payment for our sins. Philemon’s acceptance of Onesimus as a brother in Christ helped lay the foundation for the abolitionist movement centuries later.

PRAYER

God, thank you for loving me when I was a fugitive running from your love. You captured my heart at a time when my heart was wayward and bitter. You transformed that heart and made me a new creation in Christ. Help me to never take for granted the price that was paid to set me free from the law of sin and death. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. Who has been in your corner at a time when you desperately needed them?
2. How does this story resonate with your life right now? How might it apply to the sociopolitical climate of our time?
3. Is there a person God wants you to take a risk on—investing in them even if nobody else sees the value or worth in that person?
4. What parallels does this story have with the Good News of Jesus and the merciful salvation He offers every one of us?
5. Are there any spaces in your life right now that may be in a “fugitive” state with God? Is there a sin that needs to be confessed, a wound that needs healing, or a relationship that needs to be reconciled?

The post God Uses Broken People (Part 7): Onesimus appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” —Hebrews 11:7

Noah is the first person mentioned in the Bible to get drunk.

What’s interesting is that his testimony isn’t the clichéd “I-was-once-doing-bad-things-but-then-Jesus-saved-me-and-now-I-don’t-do-bad-things-anymore” song and dance. It was quite the opposite… If Noah was sharing his testimony in a modern-day small group, or AA meeting, it might sound more like this:

“God used me in a mighty way to rescue my family from a sinful generation and preserve the entire human race… then I got drunk, and it had a consequential curse upon my grandson and all his descendants.”

That’s the unfiltered, unadulterated version of the story. No sanitizing the testimony. No narrative manipulation, and no damage control.

The Bible says that in a time when “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually… the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.” Genesis 6:5-6 

It was in the context of this generation that the Bible says: 

• Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord 
• Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation
• Noah walked with God
• Noah did all that God commanded him

It was after all these descriptors we read that Noah “became drunk,” and shameful things followed. In this we see that Noah was far from perfect. He was broken just like the rest of us. These are facts. What is a bit of a stretch is the popular stigma across the internet today that “Noah was a drunk.” In all its raw and unsanitized narrative of people, nowhere in the Bible is Noah defined as a drunk.

Rather, the last couple of accounts in the New Testament define Noah as “an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” (Hebrews 11), and “a herald of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5).

We can learn from Noah that failures don’t define us. Regardless of how other people try to stigmatize us in our broken places, God never defines us the way people do. Google doesn’t get the final word on how Noah is labeled, and it is the same with you and me. When we allow God to define for us the story He is writing through our lives, it becomes irrelevant what any of the human commentators say or think. Their labels are finite; God’s opinion is infinite. Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.

PRAYER

God, thank you for the righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus—faith that acknowledges that HE alone is my holiness and redemption. Holy Spirit, empower me to live from my true identity in Christ, and disregard the stigmas of other people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. How would you describe a “cliché” testimony?
2. Have you ever felt stigmatized by others?
3. What encourages you about Noah’s story?
4. What is the Good News of Jesus (“the righteousness that comes by faith”)?
5. Is there a sinful episode that you need to confess, repent of, and put under the blood of Jesus so that you can walk in freedom of new life?

The post God Uses Broken People (Part 6): Noah appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.” —Mark 16:9

“You do not move ahead by constantly looking in a rear-view mirror. The past is a rudder to guide you, not an anchor to drag you. We must learn from the past but not live in the past,” wrote Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe.

We should learn from the past, but God never lets our past dictate our future. Jesus healed people whose lives were broken from the inside out, and Mary Magdalene was one of them. She was a woman whose inner demons had her tormented and incapable of living in meaningful and healthy relationships. Though her prison bars were invisible, she was no stranger to solitary confinement of the soul. Jesus didn’t just deliver her from one or two demons, but seven!

This formerly disgraced and stigmatized woman had her life radically changed when she encountered Jesus. Her story reminds us that God often uses people with a troubled past to boldly declare His wonders to others.

Mary followed Jesus faithfully from Galilee to Jerusalem. Her bravery is seen in her presence at Jesus’ crucifixion, while most of the men were fleeing to avoid arrest. She may have been scared, grieved, and heartbroken, but she was there, risking it all in her devotion to Christ. Then she was the first to visit the tomb on Resurrection morning, and the first person to whom Jesus revealed himself after the resurrection. God used Mary to go and proclaim to others that Jesus was indeed alive.

Mary Magdalene showed up, had staying power, and proclaimed that the powers of darkness had been defeated. She gives credence to Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Similarly, your past never intimidates Jesus. So don’t let it define you or dictate your future. In Christ, you are a new creation. And when God decided to save you, He didn’t ask for anyone else’s opinion. Let that embolden your decision to show up in God’s great big mission, to live in the power of the Holy Spirit, and to proclaim in word and deed that Jesus is alive, and that light always overcomes the darkness.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you for saving me… despite me. Thank you for loving me when I was unlovable. By the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth that transforms, help me to never let the past dictate my confidence and hope in the future. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. When have your personal “demons” crippled you? What were the lies they spoke over you?
2. What is the Good News about Mary Magdalene’s story? How does that Good News speak to your present trials?
3. In what ways has your past been trying to hijack your future?
4. Is there a sin, a struggle, or an oppressive spirit that has taken you captive that warrants Jesus’ deliverance today?
5. To whom is God calling you to proclaim His Gospel, to testify that light indeed overcomes the darkness?

The post God Uses Broken People (Part 5): Mary Magdalene appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” —Jesus (Luke 22:32)

In last week’s devotion, we talked about when God called you He already factored in your brokenness. He already factored in your weakness. He already factored in your scars, your failures, your dysfunction, your stupidity, and your foolishness. He even factored in your FUTURE failures. Peter’s relationship with Jesus is textual proof of this.

I travel on airplanes very often. I can tell you without a doubt that I have never boarded an airplane and proceeded to give the pilot a flight plan on how to execute his job. If I attempted to, I’d probably get escorted off the plane. Yet in Luke 5, we see a carpenter giving a professional fisherman instructions on how to do his job.

Peter tries to explain to Jesus that he’s already done his job, toiling all evening without a catch, and it doesn’t make sense to go back out. My speculation is that under his breath, Peter is questioning why a carpenter is trying to tell him how to do his job. Nevertheless, out of respect for the Rabbi, Peter does what Jesus tells him to and it is a humbling moment for Peter. The ensuing miraculous catch brings Peter to a life-changing encounter from which he will never be the same.

Jesus calls Peter to follow Him and the faith adventure is on. Over the next three years, Peter will get overconfident in his own strength, demonstrate impulsive behaviors, make promises he can’t keep, will attempt to cut off an officer’s head, and in three consecutive scenarios cowardly deny ever knowing Jesus. But do you know what this broken disciple had going for him? Jesus was praying for him (Luke 22:32), just like He is praying for you and me today (Hebrews 7:25).

After Peter denied Jesus, he relapsed and went back to his old ways. But Jesus never gave up on Peter. Jesus pursued him all the way back to where he found him the first time… fishing. It’s here that Jesus recommissioned Peter, reaffirmed his calling, and gave him a redirection to get back on the right path of loving people well and “feeding God’s lambs” (John 21:1-22). Jesus uses Peter to build his church and the disciple ends up finishing strong in his God-calling.

If you’ve been known to blow your witness for Christ a time or two, you’re in pretty good company. Your failures and frustrations over spiritual “Kryptonite” moments don’t push Jesus away, they are simply reminders that you can’t do this thing without Him. You need His grace every day to grow in Christlikeness, and to catch you when you are weakened. Jesus doesn’t run out on broken people, he pursues them, even all the way back to where he first found them, and recommissions them out of failure. Think about that as you seek to abide in him this week.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, you have always used broken people to accomplish your purposes in a broken world. Help me to know that the only thing that is truly unbroken, is your constant love and steadfast faithfulness. Help me to find sufficiency in your grace, that even in weakness your strength would be made perfect. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. In what aspects of Peter’s life or character can you relate to?
2. When has Jesus called you to do something that went against your logic or experience?
3. When has God shown himself strong in your weakness?
4. In contrast to Peter’s inconsistencies, what do we see consistent with Christ in this relationship?
5. Do you need to confess a relapse in your faith so that you can be restored to a right path in your walk with Jesus?

The post God Uses Broken People (Part 4): Peter appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time…” —Ecclesiastes 3:11

Kintsugi is a 500-year­-old Japanese art with an interesting philosophy. In kintsugi, broken pottery is valued as a treasure rather than a piece of trash. The art treats breakage and repair as part of the esteemed history of an object—something of a redemptive beauty—rather than something to disguise, cover up, or replace altogether. That’s why in Japan, people will pay big money for the elegance and aesthetic appeal of “golden joinery,” the kintsugi method of mending a vessel after it has been fractured.

The brokenness of our past is an integral part of our unique story, and God’s glorious art of making beautiful things out of broken pieces.

We see this truth played out in the life of Joseph. As his story begins in Genesis 37, we see a “bratty” teenage boy with a world of opportunity ahead of him. Joseph has raw talent and a head full of big dreams. Though it’s evident to Joseph himself, his parents, and his siblings that there is something special about this young man’s gifting, the broken and painful process he must go through makes his journey look a lot like a fractured vessel in the hands of a masterful kintsugi Artist.

Joseph is nearly killed by his brothers before being sold into slavery. Sometime later he got a big promotion, and just when it seems like he’s on a path to brighter days, the boss’ wife falsely accuses him of sexual assault. Joseph is thrown into prison for some years. Later, when it appears he has someone who might advocate for him before the parole board, that person forgets all about Joseph… for two full years.

A dark prison cell housing a broken inmate might seem like a place of dead-end doom, yet it is often the place where God does some of His greatest work in the soul. I came to know Christ personally in a Florida juvenile detention center as a despairing teenager, where I initially thought my life was over. Little did I know it was just the beginning! Joseph also had no idea of what God was setting him up for.

When you read the rest of the story, we see how God raises Joseph up from that prison to become second in command over all of Egypt, successfully managing all of Pharaoh’s enterprise during years of famine, saving multitudes of lives. What’s more is that those cats in Joseph’s dysfunctional family who at one time tried to bury him, end up coming to Egypt to find food, and Joseph providentially secures a better future for all of them.

In the end, Joseph “spoke kindly” to his siblings with these comforting words: “Do not fear… As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” (Genesis 50:19-21)

In Joseph’s life we see that brokenness wasn’t working against his destiny, it was actually working in partnership with his destiny. What if you had a new outlook on your past relationship hurts? What if lies, slander, or false accusations about you were actually setting you up for something really big? What if the furnace of abuse or trauma takes you to a depth of empathy where the flames of fierce advocacy ignite you to make a difference in the lives of other hurting people? What if being forgotten for a season meant that God was sparing you from crowds that would’ve taken you down a path of regretful shame? What if loneliness meant that God is setting you up for an unimaginable position of servant, humble leadership? Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you for the beautiful things you make out of broken pieces. You make all things new, and all things good for those who love you and are called according to your purpose. Help me to trust the Artist’s heart, even when I can’t see His hand. Help me to rest in the truth that you make all things beautiful in its time. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. What comes to mind when you hear the words “damaged goods”?
2. How have you come to interpret the brokenness of your life?
3. What is the Good News in Joseph’s story? In what way does Joseph’s journey prefigure Christ’s atonement, who secures and provides for our eternal salvation?
4. In what ways might you need to re-imagine what God is doing through your brokenness?
5. Is there a person you need to forgive, who has been part of your broken journey?

For further study on the story of Joseph, check out my book “Joseph the Dreamer: From These Ashes I Will Rise”, available on paperback or Kindle.

The post God Uses Broken People (Part 3): Joseph appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.” —Hebrews 11:31

To typecast someone is to repeatedly identify a person with a label or cast them as a stereotype. In Hollywood, typecasting is used to describe an actor’s natural look or typical character. Directors and casting agents routinely typecast actors, choosing them for particularly similar roles to play, usually because he or she is suited to that type of part. When an actor is typecast, they are locked into being cast for a certain type of character, always a version of the same thing.

But actors aren’t the only ones who get typecast. So do you, and so do I. Admittedly or not, people slap us with labels all the time of who they think we are, what they think about our identity, how our character should play out, and what our role is in this world. And if we are going to be honest with ourselves, we do the same to others.

Rahab was typecast too. If Netflix was doing a docuseries on the “red light district” of Jericho, this Canaanite woman would’ve likely been cast as the main character. Whether it was her primary work or a side hustle, Rahab worked as a prostitute in a corrupt, pagan culture. She was not highly valued by her people. She was an outcast—a throw-away person.

A woman of the night was far from the kind of “holiness material” we might assume would characterize those whom God would select to be part of the family tree that would ultimately give birth to the Savior of the world. Yet, God used the great faith of this broken and scandalous woman to receive the Israelite spies, save her family, and ultimately land a role in the lineage of Jesus Himself.

What I am reminded about Rahab’s story is that humans are not the only ones who typecast… so does God, and in ways that don’t always fit our criteria. Scripture tells us:

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.’”  — 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

That’s right, God typecasts the weak, the foolish, and the broken people of this world to do mighty things in His name so that the glory will only go to Jesus, and those who boast, will only boast in the Lord. Even in our sinfulness, God finds us where we are. God not only saves the worst of sinners, but He also chooses to use them in roles that the world cannot understand.

In the New Testament, both James 2:25 and Hebrews 11:31 praise this Old Testament woman yet continue to identify her as “Rahab the prostitute.” You’d think that after hundreds of years this poor woman could catch a break from her shameful past and get a new label. Yet I believe this may be in the Bible to emphasize the fact that God still uses broken people even when other people refuse to release them from their past labels.

Rahab was forsaken by her own people, carried a stigma of shame, and yet against all of her community’s disdain for her, God still loved and wanted Rahab for His story and His glory. Like Rahab, we also might feel far too broken or unqualified for the story God calls us into. We might feel too overcome with regret or failure to think we fit the role. But God writes a better script than the fear and condemnation in our hearts. He casts a much better story than the one others might narrate about us—even hundreds of years after our death! Rahab is proof that God used broken people in the past, and still does today. Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, your kingdom come, and your will be done in and through broken people. Thank you for demonstrating through Rahab the kind of love you lavish upon scandalous sinners, calling them to a better story, and writing for them a better script than one of shame and condemnation. Encourage every reader to know that you are a God who delights in using broken people. Help them to know that they are loved beyond measure and that justification comes through the blood of Jesus alone. In His name, Amen.

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. Be honest, if you were God, would you have chosen Rahab for this role?
2. When has a stereotype been hurtful to you?
3. Why does God choose the foolish things of the world to “shame” the wise?
4. How would you explain the Gospel (Good News) through Rahab’s story?
5. What takeaway from Rahab’s story is critical to how you will flesh out your faith this week?

The post God Uses Broken People (Part 2): Rahab appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

Text: Deuteronomy 34:10-12, Hebrews 11:23-27

“And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face…” —Deuteronomy 34:10

I’ve been invited to a men’s conference in Kentucky to speak on the subject, “God Can Use a Broken Man.”  It’s led me to begin writing a devotional series on the subject, and today I want to kick that series off by looking at the man, Moses.

Moses was a man whom God used mightily to bring life-change to millions of people. It’s far too easy to romanticize Moses’ great leadership influence and fail to see the broken parts of his life.  We forget that he was a murderer, had a hot temper (even in the prime of his ministry), and broke faith with God, causing him to miss out on the Promised Land.

To say that Moses had marital tension with his wife, Zipporah, is to put it mildly.  With that whole circumcision incident in Exodus 4, and the pain it must’ve caused their young son, she lamented bitterly that Moses was a “bridegroom of blood” to her.  Got Questions notes that “in English this might be paraphrased as ‘a husband of horrors,’ ‘a mate of misery’ or ‘a groom of gore,’ with the sentiment being, ‘If I had not married you, I would not have had to do this awful thing to my son.’”

When I see Moses taking the calf those idolatrous Israelites had made (Exodus 32), burning it, and grinding it into powder, then forcing the people to drink it, I cringe a little.  Actually, I cringe a lot.  It’s not much different from Nehemiah’s approach to church discipline when he beat people, cursed them, and pulled out their hair for being unfaithful to God.  Does anyone else see the spiritual abuse here?  Somebody needs to unearth the “Twitter Files” on these guys!

Moses was the leader to whom God entrusted the Law, yet in Exodus 32 we see him flinging those tablets and shattering them in a moment of anger.  Somebody needed a timeout… or perhaps a punching bag!  Compare Moses’ unsanitized resume with the sanitized bio on the website of any church leader today, and you are sure to get two different pictures. It is doubtful you are going to find a ministry leader’s resume today that reads “murderer, gets angry, may break faith with God at some point, and is a ‘groom of gore’ to his wife.”  But you will get a lot of things like Ph.D, D.Min, M.Min, etc.

I’m certainly not making light of a need for leaders to be well educated or demonstrate biblical qualifications for ministry, I’m simply contrasting how the Bible narrates and how our modern world narrates.  One is sanitized, the other is unfiltered.  And what I love about God’s Word is that it is explicitly clear from Genesis to Revelation that the LORD uses deeply flawed individuals to do incredibly great things.  It’s not to justify or make much of Moses’ failures, it’s solely to make much of the God Who knows the depth of our depravity and yet still graciously calls us and uses us.

God didn’t revoke Moses’ calling because of his brokenness—He called him despite his brokenness.  Jesus demonstrated that Moses foreshadowed His own work as the Messiah (John 3:14–15), and he is listed in Hebrews 11 as exemplary of faith.  The fact that God Himself buried this broken man (Deuteronomy 34) with the following epitaph is quite encouraging for a man as deeply flawed as myself: “since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face… For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel” (Deuteronomy 34:10, 12).

With Moses we see the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Or as Zipporah might add, “the bloody.”  He was really broken when leading with meekness just as much as he was really broken while “seeing red” in killing that Egyptian or losing his cool with the Israelites.  And so it is with you, and me.  We are all broken.  If you’re struggling with the idea of whether or not God can use you due to feelings of being a failure, being too flawed, or sensing condemnation from others, be encouraged: When God chooses to use a broken person, He doesn’t check with other broken people to get their opinion or approval.  Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, when I read about Moses, I am so encouraged by the entire narrative. You chose to use a man so flawed, so imperfect, and so raw, yet he remained faithful to the end despite having episodes of broken faith. Help every reader know that You are a God Who uses broken people without regard to the approval of others. There is none like You, showing steadfast love to undeserving sinners. Jesus, thank you for allowing your body to be broken, and your blood shed, so a broken man like me can be reconciled to a holy God. In your name I pray, Amen.  

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. When have you really blown it, to the point where you believed God was done with you?
2. What things about Moses’ flaws resonate the most with you? Why?
3. Why do we tend to let the opinions of others get in the way of how God wants to use us? How can you combat this in your life?
4. What has been a “tablet shattering” failure in your life that needs confession, repentance, and restoration?
5. Who is a person you can encourage this week who may be struggling with feelings of condemnation or unworthiness to God?

When God chooses to use a broken person, He doesn’t check with other broken people to get their opinion or approval.

The post God Uses Broken People (Part 1): Moses appeared first on Jimmy Larche.