Do you have your four friends? Do you?

I love Mark Beeson's telling of the Bible story about four people who had a paralyzed friend who couldn't get to Jesus. They loved their friend, and they knew that Jesus could heal him. The four friends each grabbed a corner of his mat, and they carried him. I refer our people back to Mark's telling of that story...often. I love the challenge he gives to us.

"Do you have four friends you really care about? You really love them! If they needed to get to Jesus, you'd carry them. And if you needed to get to Jesus, they'd carry you."

As the current Turning Point session came to a close, our guests had an opportunity to stay together as a group. We work hard to make it a safe experience. Because we don't want people to feel manipulated, we give them plenty of opportunity to choose.

I wondered...do I make it so easy for people to exit that they hear, "whatever you decide is fine"? As if I don't see the value myself in people choosing to stay together? That's not what I want to communicate! I tried a different method...the story I see.

So far this year, I have met for 200+ hours with new people in counseling as they tell me their story. I hear stories of huge problems, and people are really hurting. They are often stuck - paralyzed. They need Jesus. I try to carry them. I can't. I can only get one corner of the mat. I can't do it alone. I know they need friends, and they don't have any - or at least they don't have friends who are carrying them toward Jesus.

You've been sitting with these people for 10 weeks, talking and getting to know one another. You need good friends. These might be the people who will carry you to Jesus. You might be the person who will carry them. What you decide to do from this point really matters.

Comments

[Denise S]

I love your new approach and am so grateful to count you as a friend!

[Ray Miranda]

I believe something rises in people when someone lovingly challenges them in the way you did. Interesting how you brought the counseling component in...each time I counsel someone I ask them if they feel more encouarged than when they walked in. Because of what God does they usually say yes. I then ask them how it would feel to have this type of encouragment on a regular basis with people they spent time with, laughed with, loved...etc. I have found this a good way to open a person's mind to checking out a group.