E4The Power of Possibility
January 2006
Nehemiah 1&2
Dear Leader,
Who wants to always “play it safe”? Playing it safe is like bodysurfing in two feet of water. You can do it, but why would you want to? This month, I want you to catch a new wave of opportunity. As you enter your ministry in this new year, paddle out with open eyes and see the beauty about to be created! As the wave approaches you this month, swim to the crest, stand up, and slide into the power of possibility. Set your goals so that we are not swimming in two feet of water. Let’s take a chance to open an opportunity and encourage that parent; let’s create some possibilities by stepping out of our box to make a difference—try something that we have never tried before and see what the Lord will do. The great opportunity about taking a step of possibility is that it allows us to rely fully on the Lord. It’s the beginning of the year—what stronger foundation can we stand on than the promise of God standing by our sides!
Serving alongside you,
Craig
E1- Encouraging Quotes and Verses“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in that gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
-Theodore Roosevelt
“ There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.” - John F. Kennedy
“ That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Verses:I have commanded you, ‘Be strong and courageous! Don’t tremble or be terrified, because the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.’ Joshua 1:9 (GWT)
But God shows us even more kindness. Scripture says, ‘God opposes arrogant people, but He is kind to humble people’. James 4:6 (ICB)
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in His good time He will honor you. 1 Peter 5:6 (NLT)
And looking at them Jesus said to them, ‘With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’. Matthew 19:26 NASB
Cheryl Stearns is one of the world’s top skydivers, having held more than 30 world records, including most jumps by a woman in a 24-hour period (352, or one jump every four minutes). She has won the National Skydiving Championship 21 times and won the World Championships for Civilians and for Military Personnel a total of 7 times. In all, Stearns, 46, has made more than 14,000 jumps—more than any woman on the planet.
Stearns insists that she’s no daredevil. In an inherently risky sport, she eliminates the unnecessary risks. For instance, she opens her chute at around 2,500 feet, a higher altitude than more daring jumpers choose. “If I have a malfunction, I want to have those extra 500 feet to deal with the emergency,” she says. “Remember, I can always lose altitude, but I can never get it back.”
If you don’t run an emergency, it will run you. Just before she jumps out of a plane, Stearn thinks about what could go wrong. This isn’t last minute panicking on her part; she’s preparing herself for problem solving in midair. The idea is to be so prepared that when a situation arises, you’re solving a familiar problem, not a new one. (Fast Company Article Apr 2002 Leap of Faith pg. 97)
Legend has it that a man was lost in the desert, dying for a drink of water. He stumbled upon an old shack—a windowless, roofless, weather-beaten old shack. As he looked around, he saw an old rusty water pump about fifteen feet away. The man stumbled over to it, grabbed the handle, and began to pump up and down, up and down. Nothing came out.
Disappointed, he staggered back. He noticed off to the side an old jug. He looked at it, wiped away the dirt and dust, and read a message that said, “You have to prime the pump with all the water in this jug, my friend. P.S.: Be sure you fill the jug again before you leave.”
He popped the cork out of the jug and sure enough, there was water. Suddenly, he was faced with a decision. If he drank the water, he could live. Ah, but if he poured all the water in the old rusty pump, maybe it would yield fresh, cool water from the well—all the water he wanted.
Risking everything, he poured all the water into the pump. Then he grabbed the handle and began to pump . . . squeak, squeak, squeak. Still nothing came out! Squeak, squeak, squeak. A little bit began to dribble out, then a small stream, and finally it gushed! To his relief, fresh, cool water poured out of the rusty pump. Eagerly, he filled the jug and drank from it. He filled it another time and once again drank its refreshing contents.
Then he filled the jug for the next traveler. He filled it to the top, popped the cork back on, and added this little note: “Believe me, it really works. You have to give it all away before you can get anything back.” (Source of Story Unknown)
When UCLA’s legendary basketball coach John Wooden introduced the fast break to college basketball, his team committed the highest number of turnovers and fouls in memory.
But Wooden knew “mistakes were part of learning.” He expected them, and he knew that “every opportunity for failure was equally an opportunity for success.” Wooden’s teams went on to perfect the fast-break offense, and today it is used by nearly every team in the nation. His teams went on to win ten national collegiate championships in twelve years, one of the most remarkable team achievements in all of sports history. ( If It Ain’t Broke, Break It! pgs. 193-194)
In our ministry, our values are in an acrostic called P.R.A.C.T.I.C.E. The “R” in PRACTICE stands for “Risking failure through innovation and reinvention of programs.” In All STARS, we are constantly trying new things because our value is to RISK. Who cares about failure? If it doesn’t work, we move on to the next “experiment.”
We are going to look deeper into Nehemiah and see the twelve steps you’ll go through when you take a risk in your program.
I have commanded you, ‘Be strong and courageous! Don’t tremble or be terrified, because the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.’ Joshua 1:9 (GWT)
Nehemiah Chapters 1 & 2
1. Problem
One of my brothers named Hanani came with some other men from Judah. I asked them about Jerusalem and the Jewish people who lived through the captivity. They answered me, ‘Those who are left from the captivity are back in Judah, but they are in much trouble and are full of shame. The wall around Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned.’ Nehemiah 1:2-3 (NCV)
Nehemiah viewed the problem as an opportunity.
2. Prayer
When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:4 (NLT)
Nehemiah sought God first.
3. Patience
It had been four months from the time that Nehemiah had heard about the wall until he stood in front of the king in chapter 2. Nehemiah waited on God’s timing and he had a plan.
If you are not going to do what you can do, then don’t expect God to do what you won’t do.
4. Purposeful
So the king said, ‘Why does your face look sad even though you are not sick? Your heart must be sad.’ Then I was very afraid. Nehemiah 2:2-3 (NCV)
Take a risk: Nehemiah took a calculated Risk. Remember, it was a capital offense to be sad in front of the king. A capital offense in the day of Nehemiah meant death.
What does it mean to “take a risk?”
1. Risk is not leaping blindly into a situation. Nehemiah thought it through.
2. Risk involves planning. Nehemiah had a plan.
3. Risk involves Strategy. Nehemiah had a strategy.
4. Risk involves counting the cost. Nehemiah thought it was worth it!
5. Permission
The queen was sitting next to the king. He asked me, ‘How long will your trip take, and when will you get back?’ It pleased the king to send me, so I set a time. Nehemiah 2:6 (NCV)
Take a look at your time. When things get busy, the first thing that often gets cut out is ministry. “Set realistic time frames for yourself.”
6. Protection
I also said to him, ‘If you are willing, give me letters for the governors of Trans-Euphrates. Tell them to let me pass safely through their lands on my way to Judah.’ Nehemiah 2:7 (NCV)
Eliminate known problems in advance.
7. Provision
‘And may I have a letter for Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, telling him to give me timber? I will need it to make boards for the gates of the palace...’ So the king gave me the letters, because God was showing kindness to me. Nehemiah 2:8 (NCV)
Anticipate needed resources.
8. Ponder
Then at night I started out with a few men. I had not told anyone what God had caused me to do for Jerusalem. There were no animals with me except the one I was riding. I went out at night through the Valley Gate. I rode toward the Dragon Well and the Trash Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and the gates that had been destroyed by fire...the guards did not know where I had gone or what I was doing. I had not yet said anything to the Jewish people. Nehemiah 2:12-16 (NCV)
Listen to God and assess your needs.
9. Provoke
Then I said to them, ‘You can see the trouble we have here. Jerusalem is a pile of ruins, and its gates have been burned. Come, let's rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so we won't be full of shame any longer.’ I also told them how God had been kind to me and what the king had said to me. Then they answered, ‘Let's start rebuilding.’ So they began to work hard. Nehemiah 2:17-18 (NCV)
We used to have red STOP signs in our ministry. We used to hang them on the doors that said, “Sorry this room is closed. Please pray for additional leaders for our children’s ministry.” When people would ask, we would try and leverage the sign by saying, “We could take more kids if you would just get involved.” We needed people who would potentially want to be involved in All STARS at the right mental and emotional point in their lives. But we made sure to not just add people because we were in a state of chaos.
10. Perseverance
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite officer, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they made fun of us and laughed at us. They said, ‘What are you doing? Are you turning against the king?’ Nehemiah 2:19 (NCV)
Expect resistance. It’s just reality.
Moses Got Resistance:
Didn't we tell you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone! Let us go on serving the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert! Moses answered the people, ‘Don't be afraid! Stand still, and see what the LORD will do to save you today. You will never see these Egyptians again. The LORD is fighting for you! So be still!’ Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to start moving.’ Exodus 14:12-15 NASB
Another, more modern day translation of this verse might be the following:
Didn't we tell you in the modulars to, 'Leave us alone! Let us go on serving here in these dirty old things? It’s not the best surroundings, but it’s comfortable, and we know the routine. It would have been better for us to serve in the rat-infested modulars than to die in the new building with all of the new technology and learning that we will have to do!’ Moses answered the All STARS Leaders, ‘Don't be afraid! Stand still, and see what the LORD will do to save you today. You will never see these dirty old modulars again; they have served their purpose. The LORD is with you! So be still!’ Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the leaders to get their stuff and start moving into the new land.’Hallucinations 1:1 NRCV New Revised Craig Version
11. Power of God
But I answered them, ‘The God of heaven will give us success. We, His servants, will start building, but you have no share, claim, or memorial in Jerusalem.’ Nehemiah 2:20 (NCV)
Success only comes from God.
12. An Alternate Ending
Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they sent a delegation to make peace with him because their cities were dependent upon Herod's country for their food. They made friends with Blastus, Herod's personal assistant, and an appointment with Herod was granted. When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them. The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, ‘It is the voice of a god, not of a man!’ Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people's worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died. Acts 12:20-23 (NLT)
He did not give honor to God.
But God shows us even more kindness. Scripture says, ‘God opposes arrogant people, but He is kind to humble people.’ James 4:6 (ICB)
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in His good time He will honor you.
1 Peter 5:6 (NLT)
Conclusion
How can you experience the success of a new thought or program if you never try one. In your class today try something new: a new way to tell a story, a new question for a child, a new way to get your kids excited about your time together. Remember, in order to experience victory you need to unleash the power of possibility. Just like Wooden’s basketball teams, remember to not “play it safe.” Take a risk this month with a new thought or method. Explore the possibilities, and be inspired by these biblical leaders who saw possibilities in their own experiences.
Moses Saw the Possibilities:
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. All that night the LORD pushed back the sea with a strong east wind and turned the sea into dry ground. The water divided, and the Israelites went through the middle of the sea on dry ground. The water stood like a wall on their right and on their left. Exodus 14:21-22 NASB
Joshua Saw the Possibilities
And they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, ‘The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.’ Numbers 14:7-9 NASB
Joseph Saw the Possibilities
‘Yes, it was God who sent me here, not you! And He has made me a counselor to Pharaoh—manager of his entire household and ruler over all Egypt.’ Genesis 45:8 GWT
Caleb Saw the Possibilities
Caleb told the people to be quiet and listen to Moses. Caleb said, ‘Let's go now and take possession of the land. We should be more than able to conquer it.’ Numbers 13:30 GWT
Jesus give us the Possibilities
And looking at them Jesus said to them, ‘With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ Matthew 19:26 NASB
