Having a strong faith doesn’t mean that we sail right through tough times. It means that while we may struggle, we ultimately turn to God to give us encouragement and strength. A strong faith doesn’t snap, but flexes with life’s demands. Moses is rightly seen as a great spiritual leader, one who sought after God. But in this passage, he expresses his frustration and discouragement with the people he is called to lead. God hears his complaint and, rather than rebuking him, gives him what he needs to lead the people through the wilderness. 


Questions for further thought:
1. In your mind, what does a strong faith look like? Which individual in the Bible (Jesus doesn’t count) is the best example of that kind of faith?

2. Assuming you’re not perfect, how do you work through your faith struggles? Do you give yourself some grace and turn to God, or do troubles tend to isolate you from Him for a time?  


Challenge: A strong faith comes when we know and study the scriptures. Do you have a faith verse you cling to, have memorized for those times when you feel yourself faltering? If not, ask God to give you one, share it with someone, and memorize it. 
 

To say that the events of 2020 were unexpected would be an understatement. But while we did not anticipate a pandemic, God was not surprised. He writes the stories of our lives. The Bible is full of people whose lives were radically altered as they learned to follow God’s plan. Pastor Doug shared about Mary and Joseph in his Christmas series, but the list also includes Moses, Job, Jonah, Paul and others. We can draw strength from their faith journeys as we continue our own. 


Questions for further thought:
1. How did the events of 2020 impact your faith? 

2. To put a slight spin on that, how did your faith affect how you handled this past year?  


Challenge: As you consider this past year, write down how your faith was made stronger in 2020. At the same time, write down some of the faith struggles you had in the past 12 months. How can you continue your progress and what steps can you take to address your spiritual challenges?

Pastor Doug talked about three ways to learn in our information-overloaded world, Recall, Feynman Technique, and Spaced Repetition. Recall may not be the most effective but it is quick, easy, and is a great start to moving ideas and concepts to your long-term memory. All you do is pause after a chapter in a book, or after a short YouTube video, and try to recall the point, teaching, or arguments made. Doing this for just 30 seconds will increase your remembering the material four times more than if you didn’t practice recall.

​Question 1: What methods have you used to remember and learn?
Question 2: Which of the methods Pastor Doug talked about are new to you or interest you?

Challenge:
Try it! Read or watch something short, practice recall, and 24 hours later, try to remember. You’ll be shocked at how well it works!

On Sunday, Pastor Doug talked about how the information streams out there are exploiting our psychology and they rely on our need for a dopamine hit to keep checking and going back to them like Pavlov’s dogs. He also talked about the overload of our working memory that keeps things from entering our long-term memory. God designed us with a natural way to learn that is being short-circuited by the method of information being offered. It is our job to recognize this and make the necessary adjustments to our mode of learning.

​Question 1: In what ways are you guilty of information overload?
Question 2: What streams of information are guilty of overloading you (even if you enjoy them)?

Challenge:
Pick one piece of information you’ve read, heard, or watched in the last 24 hours and see if you can explain it to someone who has not seen it. If you have trouble doing it, you have information overload!

It doesn’t seem like it should be but it’s hard to determine if we really know something for ourselves or if we are just parroting something someone told us. The easiest way to determine this is to try and explain it to someone. As we explain and as we answer clarifying questions we quickly learn if we have any depth of knowledge or if our understanding is only an inch deep. When it comes to our faith, a deep understanding will weather the storms of life without faith intact. Without that depth, we will be tossed by the wind and waves and lose what little faith we had.

​Question 1: What areas of Christianity do you think you have some depth of understanding?
Question 2: What areas or questions do you feel your understanding is shallow?

Challenge:
One of the most foundational questions of Christianity is, why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Test your knowledge of this question by telling someone the answer or writing out the answer.

Two days ago, Pastor Doug talked about his own struggle with memory issues and how that struggle took him on a journey of examining the medical, emotional, and spiritual possibilities of his struggle. To struggle is to be human but to be healthy has more to do with what you do with your struggles. If you take an honest assessment of your mental state, are you in a good place or could you use a tune-up or even a major overhaul? Again, the struggle is normal but you get to choose what you’re going to do about it.

​Question 1: If you were to assess your mind, what would be your assessment?
Question 2: What are the options or resources available to address your assessment?

Challenge:
Do something about it! Find a book, talk with someone you trust, make an appointment with a Christian counselor, talk with a pastor or visit with your doctor. Depending on what you need, take a step to address what you need.

The most important questions to answer in life are the questions we don’t want to answer. It’s easier to just stick our head in the sand and act like everything is just fine. The data suggests that the person willing to assess their life, and the areas of life they know they need to improve, have an overwhelmingly high probability of improving those areas. When it comes to your understanding of your faith, do you feel competent or do you feel you need to shore up some things and develop a better understanding of your faith? The first step toward improving is seeing and admitting the need for improvement.

​Question 1: What have been the primary ways you have learned about Christianity?
Question 2: What are two strengths and two weaknesses of these educational streams?

Challenge:
Find a Bible resource that can help you answer questions you may have by search Google or Amazon. Use keywords like apologetics, systematic theology, and Bible reference.

​Jesus says, “where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.”

Can you gather virtually with 2 or 3? Of course.
Can you gather on a Sunday morning with 2 or 3 (or a couple hundred)?  Of course.
Can you gather with 2 or 3 at a coffee shop?  Of course.
Can you gather with 2 or 3 at your work?  at school?  In your home?  Of course.
The point is to gather.  To not go through life alone or think you can make it on your own.  However you’re gathering these days, don’t give up meeting.

Questions for further thought:
1. How is Jesus with you when you gather with 2 or 3 other followers?

2. Why do you think Jesus points out the importance of being in agreement with what they ask for?

Challenge:
Who are you gathering with today?  A zoom call with coworkers.  Teaching your students.  Dinner with your family.  A call with a friend.  As you gather with people, how can you gather “in Jesus’ name”?

​2020 challenged our definition of the word “church.” For some, church is a physical gathering on Sunday morning.  So, when the experience changed and moved online (and later to a limited in person experience with signups and masks), then church itself changed.    

For others, church is the Sunday sermon, or the message, or the content, or the preaching the word.  So, when the church went online, it was great because they still got fed and encouraged.  But as churches have reopened their doors and called their folks back to a physical gathering, some are content to opt out and continue to get their church from the comfort of their own home.  

For me, church has elements of those two above items (gathering and message), but church is about actively serving other people.  It’s why so many churches went into action in 2020 and cared for health care workers.  And fed hungry people.  And encouraged teachers.  Churches were the literal hands and feet of Jesus in a year when it was most needed.

Questions for further thought:
1. For you, is church more gathering with people or the message you hear?

2. How can you serve someone else today?


Challenge:
The 3rd Wednesday of each month Hillcrest hosts a food distribution for Feeding South Dakota.  Join other Hillcresters January 20th to be the church in action.

​There were so many opinions in 2020.  Masks or no masks?  Open or close the schools?  Worship online or physically in the worship center?  Are our freedoms being limited or are we all in this together for the good of humanity?  Those and other questions solicited so many opinions:  articles, tweets, Facebook posts, text messages, and who knows what else.  I’ve always loved this proverb that reminds us when there’s lots of words, when there’s lots of talk, sin isn’t far behind.  

The proverb doesn’t put a quota or time limit to a discussion.  It just recognizes that when there’s lots of words, there’s a good chance those words are either sinful (gossip, lying, slander, etc.) or those words are preventing you from actually doing something about what it is you’re complaining about.    


Questions for further thought:
1. What’s something from 2020 that you had a strong opinion about?

2. How are you susceptible to getting into trouble with your words?


Challenge:
Do something with your opinion today.  If you’re pro-masks, send an email to an elected official and thank them for their stance.  If you’re in favor of schools remaining open, thank your child’s teacher or administrator.