This weekend we went to a retreat at a campsite up in the mountains of Santa Barbera near a lake. Brian Mashburn spoke. The only bad thing about the place we stayed was that it was so dusty and there were these flies that were constantly annoying everybody. But the sky is so clear there that every star seemed visible. I could have looked up at those stars forever.
Brian spoke on three simple concepts that all fit together.
1. Our mission is to make disciples 2. Our motive for making disciples is love 3. The way we do these things is to make strong relationships with a core group of people. He said that relationships were key because we can't live life on our own and being able to confide in and being able to be completely open and honest in those relationships will help you along lifes journey. If you are vulnerable and honest with your group then it should be easy enough to see where people are coming from and be more relateable. If you talk about your struggles and where you are at first and foremost then the relationships grow deeper faster and they aren't the superficial type of friendships but the kind that will last and be strong for a long time. The goal though is to have loving relationships with these people. It shouldn't be judgemental or some sort of project you are working on, but a truth seeking and loving relationship.
He talked about the group of guys he meets with and what happens when they meet in his basement on Tuesday nights. It is a group of guys so rare and genuine. Some of them alcoholics, drug-dealers, drug addicts, sex-offenders, and adulterers all seeking a better life. When they first started meeting he said it was only him, some guy named Jay from his church and his roofer. It was like that for over two years. Then other guys started being asked to come join. One guy was trying to get sober and was drinking water at a bar one night when another guy in the bar who was also trying to get sober, but who had kept relapsing, went up to the guy with the water and asked him why he was drinking water. He told him that he had been trying to stay sober for 8 months but couldn't keep it up so the "water" guy asked him to go to Brian's basement with him that night. The "water" guy 8 months previous to this occasion was working at the same bank as Jay. Jay had been trying to get this guy to come to the basement for a long time when one night after work he went up to Jay and told him he wanted a better life. So Jay called Brian and asked Brian to come up to the bank because this guy needed to be free now. So Brian went to the bank and in the conference room they had a session with Jay's co-worker.
In order to get into the regular basement group the guys must sit in the "hot-seat" and basically tell their whole life story along with all their sins and struggles. Those are just a few of the stories Brian told that stuck out to me but he has so many that are great. But yea it seems to really work because not only do they listen to each other pour their hearts out but they want a better life for each other and mostly they love each other like Jesus loves us; no judgement at all.
He gave an illustration about when he was a youth minister. He said there was a kid in his youth group who was pulling pranks on him but it didn't bother him because of the relationship the prankster had with his son. He said that his son and this guy were really good friends even though his son was young and he cared for him. The illustration is that just like we mess up and God may want to punish us he knows that the relationship with his son makes all the difference in the world.
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