10 Surefire Ways to Encourage Unity in Your Church

   by Ryan Fillinger

1. When listening to the sermon at worship, ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you need to apply the Word personally before considering how others need to apply it. (see Luke 6:41-42)

2. Consider all gossip, hear-say, and second-hand information about other church members as untrue or unreliable information. Give everyone the benefit of the doubt and make every effort to get to know them personally, leaving others' opinions aside, for the sake of peace and unity. (see Proverbs 14:15, 10:18, and Ephesians 4:1-3)

3. Never use social media as a platform to vent or air out your grievances. Instead only post things that are useful for building up others and giving grace to those who read it. (see Ephesians 4:29)

4. Remember that in the body of Christ there is no "us vs. them". We are called into one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Eagerly maintain that unity. (see Ephesians 4:1-7, Romans 12:10)

5. Do not gossip to others in your small group about concerns you have. Always take those concerns directly to the persons involved and/or the leader/pastor that can most directly address the situation effectively. (see Proverbs 16:28, James 4:11 and 5:9)

6. Be gracious and compassionate with others who have differing or faulty views on smaller matters of faith. Belief in Jesus Christ as the sinless God-man who died for our sins and rose again to provide the way to God by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for God's glory alone is the only primary test of fellowship. (see Romans 14)

7. Never compare your spiritual maturity to that of others. You need only to compare yourself to Christ to realize that we are all sinners and in need of saving. Instead, be humble and patient with one another, helping one another grow. (see Romans 12:3, Philippians 2:1-8)

8. If you have concerns about a church issue, take them directly to a leader or pastor. Sharing it with other church members and trying to win people to "your side" will only result in divisions. (see Proverbs 26:20, 6:13-19)

9. Be gracious and compassionate about others' spiritual growth and areas of improvement. Only get involved if your motivation is genuine love for that person and if you are prepared to fully see the matter through. (see I Peter 3:8, Colossians 3:12-17)

10. If you have a disagreement with another church member or see that they are in sin, always go to them first. If it can't be resolved between the two of you, ask a couple trusted believers to help resolve it. Only if those efforts fail should you make the matter public before the whole church. And only then when your intention is restoration and unity (see Matthew 18:15-17, Matthew 5:23-24)

Read part one of this article here: "10 Surefire Ways to Cause Divisions in Your Church"

10 Surefire Ways to Cause Divisions in Your Church

 by Ryan Fillinger

1. While listening to the sermon at worship, think of application steps for everyone else in the church but yourself. (But don't necessarily share them, just stew on them.)

2. Form assumptions and opinions about other church members based on hear-say, second-hand information, and gossip. Act on those assumptions and opinions as if they are gospel.

3. Post public, passive-aggressive posts of outrage on your favorite social media site in response to recent disagreements you've had with other church members or simply things about them that bother you.

4. Adopt an "us vs. them" mentality about yourself and the church members you don't like or have disagreements with.

5. Share concerns (gossip) to friends in your small group about other members. Especially share those thoughts with people uninvolved in the situation, people who can't do anything to help resolve it.

6. Make smaller, less central matters of faith a test of fellowship. (e.g. If they don't share the same views about end time events, Halloween, creation, or Harry Potter, then they shouldn't be here or serve anywhere at our church.)

7. Rate the spiritual growth of others in relation to your own spiritual growth. (e.g. "They aren't as spiritually mature as me." "I'm miles ahead of them on Bible Study/prayer/fasting/serving/etc.") Share this information with others frequently.

8. Before going to the pastoral leadership with any concerns, be sure to get a lot of other church members to weigh in on the matter and rally a group of them to be on "your side".

9. Be ungracious and uncompassionate about others spiritual growth and areas of needed improvement. Simply point them out, demand immediate change, but don't bother getting any more involved than that.

10. NEVER talk to the person you have a disagreement with first. Instead, first share the details with everyone you know and get their opinions.

Check the follow-up to this article here: "10 Surefire Ways to Encourage Unity in Your Church"

Liberating Truths (Pt. 2)

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:32

In my last post I talked about how that every time I fall into temptation there's always

1). a lie that I'm choosing to believe, and
2). a truth that I'm choosing to reject.

Today I just want to quickly present these few "Liberating Truths" that I have recently found helpful in combating temptations to sin. I've found that whether the sin I'm tempted to is "big" or "small" if I rely on the Holy Spirit to remind me of these truths and firmly hang on to them, these simple truths can help me find a way of escape out of temptation. (I Cor. 10:13)

Because these truths are rooted in God's Word, with each truth phrase I've included verses of scripture that backs up that truth that I've been working on memorizing alongside each truth. I've seen from the example of Jesus' temptation that combating temptation with the truths of scripture is the best way to go. The first four truths I've borrowed the wording from an author named Tim Chester. His book "You Can Change" is both deeply biblical and gospel-centered as well as very practical and I recommend it. But without further ado, the Liberating Truths:

Liberating Truth #1 - God is Great, so I don't have to be in control.
“For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods." - Psalm 95:3
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28
(Also see Matthew 6:25-34)

Liberating Truth #2 - God is Good, so I don't have to look elsewhere.
"In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11
"Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:25-26

Liberating Truth #3 - God is Glorious, so I don't have to fear others.
"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory" Psalm 115:1
"The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" Psalm 118:6

Liberating Truth #4 - God is Gracious, so I don't have to prove myself.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
"If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace." Romans 11:6

Liberating Truth #5 - In Christ, I am a new creation, so I don't have to define myself by my sins.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - II Cor. 5:17)
"We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin." Romans 6:6-7

I hope to unpack each of these truths individually in the coming weeks to explain the potential for drastic change in your life if you'll simply believe and act on these truths of scripture and the character of God.

YOUR NEXT STEP: Which of these truths do you find hardest to believe? Which is hardest for you to act on? Which truth do you need to memorize this week to combat temptation? 

In Christ,
Pastor Ryan
Fusion Church
Fountain, CO

Liberating Truths That Can Change Your Life (Pt. 1)

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:32

Over the past several months I've been on a personal journey of discovery in regards to truth and temptation.  Temptation is "common to man" (I Cor. 10:13) and unfortunately I am frequently it's victim, or more honestly, it's participant. One of the things that I've discovered through the study of scripture and from wisdom received from other believers is this: when I fall into temptation and sin, there's always

1). a lie that I'm choosing to believe, and
2). a truth that I'm choosing to reject. 

And the lies are numerous (and often pretty creative). In fact, the Bible describes Satan as a "the father of lies" (Jn 8:44). That means he's reeeeaally talented at lying and selling it as the truth. His greatest trick is tacking on a half truth to the lie to make it easier to swallow. (A half-truth, by the way, is what's also known as a whole lie.) That was the very nature of the first temptation of man. II Corinthians 11:3 says "the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning" and the result was her rejecting the truth God had spoken to her and instead, embracing the lie that the serpent was peddling. 

That's the typical pattern Satan likes to employ. (see Gen 3:13, Deut. 11:16, Romans 7:11, I Cor. 3:18, II Cor. 11:13, Gal. 6:3, Jam. 1:26) And the truth is that sometimes we deceive ourselves so cleverly that Satan doesn't even have to lift a finger.

So, what are some of the lies that you buy into? Do any of these sound familiar?

"This will give a satisfaction that you can't get if you follow God's stuffy rules."
"God's got other concerns. You need to take control of this situation if want it work out right."
"You got keep this up this act or your friends are going to reject you."
"You'll only be bending the rules, and besides, if you don't go along with this you'll lose your job and be ruined."
"Maybe God didn't really say..."

While the lies are numerous and catered to each temptation, I believe that there are just a few simple truths that if we were to wholehearted put our trust in them, put them to memory, and repeat them to ourselves in the moment of temptation, we could conquer any lie thrown in our path to tempt us to despair, falter, or sin. In fact, acting on these simple, liberating truth can change your life completely. And those truths are found in God's Word alone.

Jesus said to those "who had believed him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" (John 8:32)

My next blog post will share some of the "Liberating Truths" that I've recently begun to employ in times of temptation. I look forward to sharing them with you in hopes that they may benefit you and strengthen your faith!

YOUR NEXT STEP: Reflect on the most recent temptations that you've fallen into. What was the inner dialogue that accompanied your decision to sin? What we're the lies that you embraced? What scriptures in God's Word could help you combat those lies next time? Look them up and memorize them this week.

In Christ,
Ryan Fillinger
Fusion Church
Fountain, CO

Keep Your Mouth Shut!

"Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut."

Proverbs 10:19 (NLT)

     I was watching a comedy special on Netflix recently and I heard a comedian say that there are three questions he needed to ask before he said anything. The way he presented it was pretty funny and was only meant for the purpose of entertaining the audience (because the a lot of his stand-up proved that he didn't really use those questions to bridle his tongue), but as he was speaking, this verse (Proverbs 10:19) came to mind and I really began to consider the wisdom in these three questions that this comedian had jokingly come up with. If you take them seriously, they really can be a great help. They've actually stuck with me and helped me quite a bit, so I thought I'd share them you. Do have trouble holding your tongue and knowing when you should or shouldn't speak? Here's three quick, sensible questions to ask yourself that may help you decide when you should just "keep your mouth shut".

1). "Does this NEED to be said?"
     Honestly, most comments and remarks will probably be prevented by asking this simple question. Does it really NEED to be said? It might make you happy to say it. It might help you make a point. It might be witty or clever. It might even be funny to those around you. BUT it also might not be Christ-like to say. Or it could cause you a lot of problems. Or maybe damage a relationship. Think before you speak. Our speech should follow the principle of Ephesians 4:29 that says " Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." Is it going to be good and helpful for the person your saying to? To those around you who will hear it? (also see Proverbs10:32)

2). "Does this need to be said BY ME?" 
     There are several moments when you'll answer yes to the first question. Yes, something definitely needs to be said! I think of when the prophet Nathan came to speak to King David about his affair with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12) and when the prophet Jeremiah spoke of how he could not withhold himself from speaking about the Lord (Jeremiah 20:9). (also see Proverbs 31:8-9) But many times if you'll ask this question even when something needs to be said, you'll discover that you're not the person who should speak up. Think: Do I have a relationship with this person that gives me the authority to speak into their lives? Will I be out of line, or stepping out of bounds by being the one to say this? Will this comment be inappropriate coming from me? Maybe your role is simply to bring it to the attention of someone who does have the authority and position to speak up and say something. Then again, maybe you just need to be sensible and keep your mouth shut.

3). "Does this need to be said by me RIGHT NOW?" 
     So, you've asked yourself "Does this need to be said?" and answered "Yes, absolutely". Then you ask "Do this need to be said by me?" and you've decided that you are the person that needs to speak up. Now, it's wise to ask this final question: "Does this need to be said by me RIGHT NOW?" Timing is sometimes very crucial to the effectiveness of our words. Ecclesiastes 3:7 reminds us that there is "a time to be quiet and a time to speak". If you openly rebuke someone in public, around all their friends, they may not receive your words simply because they've been embarrassed in front of everyone. Perhaps they will respond more positively if you speak to them in private. Conversely, sometimes it is best to rebuke publicly. Consider the story of David and Bathesheba we mentioned earlier. There's two things we can learn from this instance. One is that sometimes it's best to wait to speak. Did God send Nathan to confront David immediately after his affair with Bathsheba? No. In fact, Nathan didn't go speak to David until the baby had already been born. 9 Months! Secondly, in this case, because David was the king over Israel, God saw fit to make this rebuke publicly and "openly in the sight of all Israel" (2 Samuel 12:12). We need to be in constant communication with God as we decide when and how to open our mouths to speak.

     I hope this helps you as you encounter moments where you question whether or not to speak up or to make a comment. Every day you need to be careful to think before you speak. Proverbs 29:20 tells us that " There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking." Don't be a fool. Think before you speak, and just maybe these three questions will help you do just that.

YOUR NEXT STEP: Try to apply these questions this week. Apply them when you're speaking to people at work or at school. Ask yourself these questions before you comment or post on Facebook or Twitter. Maybe even memorize Proverbs 10:19 to remind you. Try it out and let me know if it helped you!

In Christ,
Ryan Fillinger
Fusion Church
Fountain, CO

The "Good 'Ole Days"

     Recently I've had a song stuck in head. This isn't an uncommon occurrence for me, but this song in particular has special meaning to me. The song is called "The Family of God" by Bill and Gloria Gaither. (If you're curious you can hear it here: http://youtu.be/vU-wuB5aK0U) While I'm not really a Gaither fan (although I did go to my fair share of "Gaither Homecomings" as a kid) and I haven't sang the song in years, it's the memories attached to the song that I enjoy. 

My old church from childhood, Morrilton Baptist Temple.

     Every Sunday morning as a kid, after my family had been greeted at the door by Brother Woody with his big smile and Mrs. Rosemary desperately tried to get me and my best friend Kyle to pay attention in Sunday School as we memorized Psalm 119:105, my family and I would finally make our way to our seats in the sanctuary (5 rows back, on the right side). The Pastor would welcome everyone and Mrs. Rachel would begin her beautiful piano-playing as she started the song "Family of God" and everyone was instructed to greet the people around you. As a kid, this meant that old ladies would pinch your cheek, the men would shake your hand firmly and say "My, you're getting big", and me and my friend Kyle would make our way to the back to conspire with each other about who would ask their parents if they could come over after church. These were the Good 'Ole Days for me.

     It doesn't matter if you're 25, 45, or 85 years old, you've probably at one time or another found yourself referring back to the good 'ole days, a time when things we're less busy, simpler, care-free, and just better (and gas prices we're lower). Honestly, though, everyone's "good 'ole days" came with it's own set of problems, mistakes, and issues. I grew up in the 90's when we had the O.J. Simpson murder trial, the Jon-Benet murder, an embarrassing presidential affair, the Gulf War, scrunchies, Crystal Pepsi, and Pauly Shore. But I had no clue. I was oblivious. I was a kid. And they were the good 'ole days.

     Consider this thought: these are the "good 'ole days" for your kids right now.

     It may not seem like it to you, because you're probably busier than ever, you're dealing with stress at work, financial strain, and family crisis', but for them these are the times that your kids or grandkids will look back on as that simpler, better time known as the good 'ole days.

     So, how can you be sure that these times become great times for your kids, even if they're not the best for you? Here's a few tips to help:

     1. Make Time for Family and Make that Time Count. Be sure to intentionally carve out some time in your week and your day to focus completely on your kids. Go outside, leave your phone, iPad, and books inside and just play with your kids. They probably won't remember all your air-tight excuses for the time you can't spend with them, what they'll remember are those afternoons that you set everything down and did something special with them.

Screen shot from a home movie we made.

     2. Make Small Moments Big. My family never had a lot of money to go on extravagant vacations, but we did go on bike rides down dirt roads, have games nights with other families, pull out the video camera and make silly movies (my favorite activity). They didn't cost much to anything to do, but they felt like big moments that I still remember fondly.
     3. Live Like God is in Control and You Trust Him. When the television tells you that the world is a mess and danger is around every corner, live and talk and interact with your kids is such a way that they know there is a God that is bigger than every problem and you can trust Him no matter what.

Your Next Step: Think about what made the good 'ole days for you. What are some ways that you're making right now the good 'ole days for your kids? What are some ways this week that you can create some fond memories with your kids?

In Christ,
Ryan Fillinger
Fusion Church
Fountain, CO

Great Books for the Family

There are two books that have most shaped my current view on family ministry and discipling children. I have to give a lot of credit to these authors for much of my thoughts as I've been writing the Yellow, Red, Orange sermon series. I've borrowed illustrations from them and I've adopted a lot of their philosophies on ministry to families and kids. I'd highly recommend these books to parents and leaders who minister to families and children!

1. Think Orange - This excellent book by Reggie Joiner (where I got the Yellow, Red, Orange color illustration from) spells out the need for churches and families to embrace a new strategy of combining their efforts and working together to instill faith in the next generation. It calls for church leaders to start "Thinking Orange" and make radical changes so they can "engage parents in an integrated strategy, synchronize the home and church around a clear message, provoke parents and kids to fight for their relationships with each other, recruit mentors to become partners with families, and mobilize the next generation to BE the church." It's a great and challenging read.

2. It Starts At Home - Written by Kurt Bruner and Steve Stroope, the pastors of Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall, Texas, this book emphasizes that "faith must be nourished in the rich soil of a God-honoring family. The church's role is to provide the water. But lifelong faith requires deep, abiding roots." As they share the strategies they see as essential to be intentional about developing a lifelong faith in your children, they also include several practical ideas and activities that you can put into action immediately to start being intentional. As a new parent, I've found this book very formative to how I plan on passing my faith my own children.



Here's a list of a few other books on a variety of matters important to families that I'd recommend:
"The Five Love Languages of Children" by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell, M.D.
"The Slow Fade" by Reggie Joiner, Chuck Bomar, and Abbie Smith
"The Blessing" by Gary Smalley and John Trent

In Christ,
Ryan Fillinger
Fusion Church
Fountain, CO