Jesus invites us into a personal experiment: How much can an ordinary person "do life" on this earth with this God in ordinary moments? This is the greatest research project of all time. Anyone can participate. From now through Lent, we invite you to share your story with us: How many moments of my life can I fill with the conscious awareness of, and full surrender to, the glorious presence of God? How did you connect with God? What kept you from connecting with God? The experiment begins on Ash Wednesday, February 22:
Share YOUR Great Experiment Story >
Week One: A Jesus Way of Life
February 18-19 | John Ortberg
What is it like for God when he wants to be with me and I don't show up? We were made to walk with God. Even Jesus' name "Immanuel" means "God WITH us." He went from the Garden of Eden to the fields, to prison and to everywhere we go in life. The "with God" life is not a life full of more religious activities and devotions, but it is a life and peace each moment with the maker of the universe. Without God, life is death. Life "with God" is lived out in small moments, day by day, in truth with each other.
Challenge: How many times a day can we surrender our mind and will completely to God? Can we increase our daily awareness of God?
Genesis 2:8, Genesis 2:12, Genesis 3:8, Genesis 5:22, Genesis 16:9, Matthew 1:23, John 15:5, Mark 3:14, Galatians 2:20, 1 John 4:16b, Habakkuk 2:14, Romans 8:6, 2 Corinthians 5:16
| Resources: |  | The Practice the Presence OF GOD by Brother Lawrence (c) 1982 Whitaker House |
Week Two: Nakedness
February 25-26 | Kevin Kim
We all sin. But when we are honest about out sin and confess it, it opens the door to the presence of God. Honesty leads to help and healing. Instead, we cover our sin like it doesn't exists. Covering only allows us to hide from receiving God's covering. It's only when we become truly naked (completely transparent) with God, that we allow him to cover us with his grace and be truly forgiven, healed and free. But we cannot find the cross of Jesus if we are afraid of going to the place where Jesus can be found - to the public death of the sinner.
Challenge: How will you get "naked" with God this week?
Psalm 32, Genesis 3, Isaiah 61:10, Zechariah 3:1-4, Romans 4:5-8, Psalm 139, Ezekiel 16
| Resources: |  | Screwtape Letters C.S. Lewis (c) 2001 HarperOne |  | Life Together Bonhoeffer (c) 1978 HarperOne |
Week Three: Gratitude
March 3-4 | John Ortberg
Gratitude is necessary for the "with-God" life. But being thankful doesn't originate from simple will-power but by gaining a new spiritual perspective. Gratitude always involves humility. Our human nature leans in the opposition direction towards entitlement. Grumbling is the mindset of the "without God" life. When we bless God (or speak good to someone else), we train ourselves to live with gratitude. Our job is to place our minds in the present moment and surrender our will to God. However, we are always in danger of only being thankful when good things come our way. But being transformed by God means learning to see good ways in which God is at work even in bad situations.
Challenge: What are you thankful for? Try a gratitude experiment:
I Thessalonians 5:16-18, Ephesians 5:19-20, Colossians 3:15-17, Psalm 103:2-5, James 1:17, Romans 1:19, I Corinthians 10:10, Deuteronomy 6:4, 1 Corinthians 15:50-51, Acts 3:1, Psalm 24:1, Mark 14:22-23
Resources: Book of Common Prayer
Week Four: Serving
March 10-11 | Nancy Ortberg & Jim Candy
We are most like Jesus when we serve. When we serve, we follow God's example of "going to" and "dwelling with" others, even when major obstacles get in our way. But when we push through those obstacles --rejection, fear, discomfort, inconvenience, et., we experience an unmistakable joy no matter how small our personal sacrifice. God is always doing something in us when we serve for him.
Challenge: What are the obstacles in your life that keep you from serving like Jesus? Try a serving experiment:
Luke 15:1-7, John 1:14, Mark 10:45, Zechariah 4:10, Philippians 2:5-11
Week Five: Elements of Spiritual Formation
March 17-18 | John Ortberg
How do I pursue a life of confidence, love and joy with God? Spiritual practices, relationships, and experiences lead us into the "with God" life. They are not about obligation, but help us receive power from God, free us from sin and grow in love. They free us from noise, selfishness, and other human appetites that destroy our souls. The elements of spiritual formation are not about trying harder, but training our hearts in ways that will transform our souls. Our goal is not to live with a lot of practices but to live every moment in the presence of God.
Challenge: Make it personal: Experiment with one of the Elements of Spiritual Formation this week.
Malachi 3:3, Mark 1:35, Mark 6:31, Psalm 46:10, Romans 8:6, Psalm 119:105, Matthew 6:1, Matthew 4:4, 1 Timothy 6:6, 1 Timothy 6:8, Philippians 4:4, Nehemiah 8:10, Matthew 5:44 & 46, Matthew 5:42, James 1:2-3, Galatians 5:26, Acts 10:34, 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Resources: Check out the Elements from this week, www.30hourfamine.org
Week Six: What Every Body Needs
March 24-25 | Scott Scruggs
How do we handle the thing we desire most? Part of the Great Experiment is about confronting the things we look to for satisfaction, comfort, and pleasure. Our appetite to fulfill these desires has a great impact on us. God created the world to be enjoyed. He created our senses to enable us to enjoy our world, but none of these created things were meant to replace our Creator - to be better providers than God himself. Jesus faced this same temptation in the wilderness. But even when he was hungry, God provided in a better way.
Challenge: Experiment with fasting. Commit to go hungry from something you depend on. Train your body to trust on God instead.
Romans 7:18-19, Genesis 2:9, Genesis 3:6, Romans 1:25, Matthew 4:1-4, Matthew 13:17, Deuteronomy 8:3
| Resource: |  | The Spirit of Disciplines Dallas Willard (c) 198 Harper Collins |
Week Seven: Anatomy of the "With God" Life
March 31-April 1 | John Ortberg
What does it mean to be a person? If we are going to care for something, it is important to know how it works. We are made up of a will, mind, body and soul. When they are out of sync, we are at war within ourselves. The soul is synonymous with life. To be healthy, all the others pieces must be in line with God. No amount of success, pleasure or security can fix a lost soul. It can't be satified. The only hope for a "with God" life is for God to restore our soul.
Challenge:
Practice solitude (doing nothing):
Study (immerser yourself in the Scripture):
Genesis 1:26, Proverbs 4:23, Romans 8:6, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 7:22-23, Matthew 26:41, Luke 12:20, Psalm 42:5, Psalm 103:1, Colossians 3:2, James 1:8, Matthew 16:26, Psalm 23:1-4, Romans 12:1-2
| Resources: |  | Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ by Dallas Willard (c) 2002 NAV Press |
Week Eight: Hope
April 7-8 | John Ortberg
Sometimes hope comes early; sometimes hope comes late. We all hope that our story will turn out a certain way, but life so often takes turns we didn't expect. The Bible tells us the story of a God who suffered. The depth of Christ's suffering proved his love for us. Our calling and destiny is fulfilled in his story - in the middle of his suffering. Through his resurrection, he brings joy and triumph to our story. When we take on his story, he takes the smallest pieces of our story and weaves it into his. Then our story takes on a new love, forgiveness and hope.
Challenge: What story will you live by?
Luke 24:13-33