We've Moved!!

Desperately Dependent Community has a new home at ddcommunity.org. We have combined our blog and former website to this new address.

Come on over for a visit!! The door is always open.

Rest

CONSIDER
To persist in our selfish ambition and vain conceit we evidence our desire to live independently from Him. The results and consequences of such actions will be fulfilled as He promised.

BIBLE TRUTH

But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. (Rom. 2:5–8 NLT)

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
Hebrews 4:1–3 elaborates on God’s promises for a life that is desperately dependent on Him.

God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said,

“In my anger I took an oath:
‘They will never enter my place of rest,’”
even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. (NLT)

PRAYER

Lord, I come to sing to You. I make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! I come into Your presence with thanksgiving; let me make a joyful noise to You with songs of praise! For You are a great God, and a great King above all gods. In Your hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are Yours also. The sea is Yours, for You made it, and Your hands formed the dry land. I come, I worship and bow down; I kneel before You, our Maker! For You are our God, and we are the people of Your pasture, and the sheep of Your hand. Don't let my heart turn away from You, for I want to enter Your rest. . . . (Ps. 95:1–11)

(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

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Denial

CONSIDER
When we deny ourselves and turn from our selfish ways, we are to give up anything that pulls us away from God. If we find ourselves caught in the dilemma of deciding between God’s ways and anything contrary to God’s guidelines, then we are to oppose whatever is tempting us to choose a different path. Remember, God is not trying to hide His plan from you. You can follow step by step what He has revealed in His Word. As we learn to pay attention to the established truths, we can more readily hear what His Spirit whispers to our souls.

BIBLE TRUTH

Matthew, Mark, and Luke recount what Jesus had to say about becoming a follower of Christ. “Then he said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me’” (Luke 9:23 NLT; see also Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
To follow Him, we are required to make the necessary sacrifices. We cannot continue to counterfeit the fruit of the Spirit while rejecting God’s design for love, joy, and peace. God created us. We cannot conjure up anything better than what He knows we need. We must offer up all our self-contrived dreams that are not His desires for us.

PRAYER

Lord, I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in You to those You have chosen. I know this is a trustworthy saying: If we die with You we will also live with You. If we endure hardship, we will reign with You. If we deny You, You will deny us. If we are unfaithful, You remain faithful, for You cannot deny who You are. . . . (2 Tim. 2:10–13)

(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

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Simplify

CONSIDER
If we followed “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33 NKJV), how would we order our lives? God first? Spouse second? Children third? Job fourth? Everything else falls into place after that? For all the years we have tried to follow that theory, it sounded good, but it’s impossible to do! In actuality, the Greek work translated “first” in Matthew 6:33 means “‘above all’ . . . which corresponds to the central position which orientation to the kingdom of God has in the proclamation of Jesus. Indeed, πρῶτον is so exclusive here that it carries the implication of ‘only.’” [Theological Dictionary of the NT] How in the world do you do that?

BIBLE TRUTH

And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. (Luke 12:29–31 ESV)

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
If God were to be above all in our lives with the only central position, He would be everything—in the center. With God in the center of our lives, everything we do involves Him and He influences everything we do. As He lives in and through us, we operate through His enablement to magnify and glorify Him.

PRAYER

God, You have shown Your faithful love to me. But now, O LORD my God, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. And here I am in the midst of Your own chosen people. Give me an understanding heart so that I can know the difference between right and wrong. I know You are pleased when I ask for wisdom, so I pray that You will give me what I ask for! I desire a wise and understanding heart to follow Your ways. Help me to seek Your kingdom first.(1 Kings 3:6–12, Matt. 6:33.)

(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

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We would love for you to POST A COMMENT about the insights you have received on your journey toward desperate dependency.

Is God Hiding?

CONSIDER
God does not hide His will from us because He does not want us to know His plans. He desires for us to be active participants in relating to Him. “It is God’s privilege to conceal things / and the king’s privilege to discover them” (Prov. 25:2 NLT). There is great reward in pursuing a goal and attaining what the giver intended for us to have. We must simply look in the right place.

BIBLE TRUTH

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (James 1:5–8 NIV)

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
As we live lives that are desperately dependent on Christ, the resulting connection will magnify the Lord. Realizing that our central focus of life is to make Him look wonderful, the dross of the world falls away. Our unified adventure with God supplies purpose and meaning to life. C. S. Lewis wrote, “But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.”

PRAYER

Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my plea! Answer me because you are faithful and righteous. Don’t put your servant on trial, for no one is innocent before you. My enemy has chased me. He has knocked me to the ground and forces me to live in darkness like those in the grave. I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear. I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done. I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. . . . (Ps. 143:1–6 NLT)

(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

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We would love for you to POST A COMMENT about the insights you have received on your journey toward desperate dependency.

Disappointed with God

CONSIDER
Too often we are disappointed with God because He did not respond in a way we thought He should. We place expectations on Him that He has never promised to fulfill. And then in our frustration and disillusionment we whine that God is distant and uncaring. It is true that His ways are incomprehensible, but for some reason we think we have Him all figured out. “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” (Rom. 11:33 NLT).


BIBLE TRUTH

“For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you," says the Lord. (Jer. 29:11–14 NLT)

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
God does not want to hide from you. He desires an intimate relationship with you. So then why do we have to seek? God doesn’t work like we expect Him to. We find Him and His answers in the most unlikely places.

PRAYER
Lord, I am so grateful that You publicly proclaim bold promises. You do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. You would not have told me to seek You if You could not be found. I know that You, the Lord, speak only what is true and declare only what is right. . . . (Isa. 45:19)


(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

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In the Name of Jesus

CONSIDER
Paul adds a vantage point for whatever we do: “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col. 3:17 NKJV). This is not adding to our job requirements, but delimiting our process. When we do all “in the name of Jesus,” we represent every aspect that is incorporated in the mentioning, hearing, or remembering of His name. When we operate “in the name of Jesus,” we are to be consistent with every truth that is incorporated in His attributes. As the Holy Spirit lives in and through us, we will consistently “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” because we are not operating out of our own resources but are overflowing with His abundant supply. What an astonishing view of God the world would see if all Christians magnified the glory of God in such a fashion!


BIBLE TRUTH

Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. (1 Peter 4:11 NLT)

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
Jesus also speaks of bringing glory to God when we ask anything in Jesus’ name.“You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” (John 14:13–14 NLT). Praying in Jesus’ name is remembering all the character traits of God, all the ways He has worked in the past, and what a difference it makes that Jesus died and paid for our sins. When we conduct our lives according to everything we know about His character, our expectations will be in line with the reality of who He is, and our hopes will not be disappointed.

PRAYER
Dear Jesus, I know that You say I can ask for anything in Your name and You will do it. I know this is so You can bring glory to the Father. Help me to only ask for those things that will help You bring glory to the Father. Jesus, I will ask anything in keeping with Your name, so You will do it. . . . (John 14:13–14)


(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

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We would love for you to POST A COMMENT about the insights you have received on your journey toward desperate dependency.

Magnification

CONSIDER
In science class we were introduced to a microscope, which is also used to magnify. During lab time a few glass slides were offered for investigation. With amazement we examined cells, hair, tadpoles, and a myriad of other items. The classroom filled with exclamations of “Wow!” “Cool!” “You gotta come see this!” “I never knew that was there!” The inquisitive would examine one item after another with astonishment and awe.

BIBLE TRUTH
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31 NKJV).

“Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together” (Ps. 34:3 NKJV).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
When we follow the exhortation given in Psalm 34:3 to “magnify the Lord,” we function as a magnifying glass so the watching world can look through the lens of our lives to view the splendor, brightness, magnificence, excellence, majesty (glory) of God. We are to be a tool to allow others to

• perceive God as bigger than ever
• see God better
• make God easier to see
• see God in more detail
• make God appear closer
• view God like never before

Then those around us will exclaim “Wow!” “Cool!” “You gotta come see this!” “I never knew God was like that!” The inquisitive will investigate one life situation after another through the lens of our lives.

PRAYER
Lord, let me hear of Your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting You. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. . . . (Ps. 143:8, 10)


(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

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The God Place - A Maltese Perspective

The following blog post is shared with permission from Alton Costa whom we met in Malta earlier this year.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” Jesus in Luke 14:26

How can Jesus speak about hate when He is portrayed and acknowledged by many as love. Can love and hate co-exist? Doesn’t love mean to accept anybody and anything, for the sake of peace and serenity?

Many would say, “This is so confusing.” You have two choices right now in front of you. 1. You can either give up thinking about it and continue your life or 2. Read this and sincerely reflect about the contrast Jesus is challenging you with today, in the situation you are currently facing.

God being the creator of all, created a special and sacred place within us all – The God place. This is that place in which ones finds true purpose and fulfilment. This place cannot remain empty and being made by God, it should rightfully be occupied by HIM. Since this sacred place cannot remain empty, failure to accept our dependency on Jesus (The creator and owner of this place), we will fill it with a God substitute.

This kind of substitute comes in various forms and shapes. It can be your career, your family, you husband or wife, your children, love for money, love for power, hobby, love for self pleasure etc….In other words all those things that take the place of God. What I am calling God substitutes will certainly bring contentment, fulfilment and a great dose of pleasure but you will soon discover if not yet discovered that all this will be temporary. It is fit to tell that when speaking about an eternal God, even a lifetime is temporary.

These God’s substitutes will at one point fail you. if not during your life time, they will certainly do at the point of death, because they will have no longer effect over you as they will be gone once and for all and then you have to face the true owner of that sacred place.

Using substitutes instead of the original explains, these million and 1 religions and ideologies, depressions, divorces, suicides and may other ill facts.

That is why Jesus is using such a sharp contrast in  Luke 14:26. because in order for you to discover your true life purpose and everlasting fulfilment, He must be the only one filling that special and exclusive place in your heart, even to the point of having to go against what today you feel are the most valuable things in your life. If those things or persons are holding you back from allowing Jesus to take His place within you, then you have to hate them, that is eradicate them from your life and deny them the faculty to interfere with your relationship with the only One who can give you eternal life. All this cannot be understood unless you truly value your life and value its creator. You were not created it for a 100 years but to live for eternity. Now you know, act on it and do not leave it until tomorrow, because tomorrow might never come.

For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his life? (Jesus in Mark 8:36)

Reflection triggered by a life changing book by the name of "Desperate Dependency" by J.Kirk and  Melanie D. Lewis

Alton Costa desires to use Desperate Dependency as a foundation course for new believers in Malta. Desperately Dependent Community will provide these books free of charge to Malta with your help. Click HERE to contribute to the gofundme campaign that will pay for shipping costs. 

“Can You please explain what we’re supposed to be doing?”

CONSIDER
Are you confused at this point? Perhaps you have been inundated with all the lists that you need to check off in order to be a good Christian. You want to do right, but you don’t know how. If we allow God to be in control of our lives, what is our job?

BIBLE TRUTH
In Mark 12 the Sadducees and Pharisees were debating about all the rules, regulations, and requirements of the law. There were 613 commands in the Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy). One of the teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” (12:28). Restated, “Can You please explain what we’re supposed to be doing?”

Jesus answered, “The most important command is this: ‘Listen, people of Israel! The Lord our God, he is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God. Love him with all you heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second most important command is this: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ These two commands are the most important commands.” (Mark 12:29–31 ICB)

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
Bottom line? It is our job to be in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Sorry, but I can’t give you a checklist on that one, any more than I can give you a checklist that verifies that you are doing a good job as a husband or a wife. Sure, we may have expectations for our relationship with our spouse like, “Tell me you love me at least once a day”; “Take out the trash”; “Have dinner on the table at 6:00”; “Bring home a paycheck that will pay the bills”; and so forth. But if your spouse could place a checkmark by each of those tasks, does that guarantee a close relationship?

PRAYER
Jesus, please keep reminding me to listen. I believe You are the Lord my God, You are the only Lord. Lord, I want to love You. I want to love You with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength. Help me. Please help me to also love my neighbor as I love myself. . . . (Mark 12:29–31)


(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

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Join DDCommunity

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Desperately Dependent Community is uniquely qualified to succeed due to the following reasons:

·  Ministry families are suffering in isolation while surrounded by the demands of needy souls. We offer relevant relationships to promote hope and healing.

·  Teaching, tending, and training are provided through a variety of means.

·  The management team has demonstrated decades of effective, sustained ministry.

·  Our ministry team has personally experienced the life changing results of an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ that produces spiritual maturity.

Desperately Dependent Community resources are offered locally and globally. Our compassionate caregivers are available to minister services where needed or even connect via modern technology (i.e. Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangout, etc.). With our primary location in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area, we may easily service our close neighbors in Georgia, Alabama, and North Carolina. While serving an interdenominational community, our primary focus is on the Southern Baptist Convention.

Considering that most churches have at least one pastor, and add to the statistics other staff members and their families, the prospective need base of Christian ministers, their families, and workers in our neighborhood alone is staggering.

How can you get involved with Desperately Dependent Community?

1.     Make a commitment to find Christ relevant to every area of your life.

2.     Accept that spiritual maturity is a lifelong process.

3.     Recognize that everyone, including Christian leaders, must commit to the lifelong process of spiritual maturity.

 

4.     Appropriate the principles of Desperate Dependency: Finding Christ Relevant to Every Area of Life.

5.     Teach others to find Christ relevant to every area of their lives. 

6.     Share the ministry of DDCommunity with your pastor and others who desire to find Christ relevant to every area of life thereby promoting effective, sustained ministries.

7.     Let us know how you would like to be a part of DDCommunity.

8.     Contribute your time, talents, and/or treasures as God directs you to further the ministry of DDCommunity.

9.     Pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen us with power through His Spirit in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. And pray that we, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that we all may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:16–19 NIV).

If you would like to receive our blog posts via email, simply submit your email address in the box on the left. They will make you verify your request by jumping through a few hoops, but that is for your safety!

We would love for you to POST A COMMENT about the insights you have received on your journey toward desperate dependency.

Motivating Spiritual Maturity

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What makes Desperately Dependent Community distinctive? Specifically, DDCommunity offers these advantages:

·  Solutions: Not just symptomatic relief, Desperately Dependent Community communicates Christ as the sufficient solution for every need. With practical application we present Christ as relevant to every area of life.

·  Point of need: Desperately Dependent Community endeavors to come to the point of the need. Our community of compassionate caregivers is available to meet at a coffee shop, in an office, at your church, in a retreat setting, at a seminar, or even on a mission field.

·  All ages: Unfortunately the pressures and conflicts of Christian service impact individuals at all ages and stages of life. From the insecurities of the youngest child, to the loneliness of the pastor’s wife, to the fears of the ageing minister, and all points in between, Desperately Dependent Community desires to administer the healing balm of a relevant relationship with Jesus Christ.

·  Discipleship: Discipleship is essential for all. The Great Commission is not to just make disciples of new converts, but for all followers of Christ to grow “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Eph. 4:13–15 NIV). Our ministry motivates spiritual maturity.

·  Mentorship: The multifaceted continuum of ministry toward maturity supplies relevant mentorship. This is not a time limited process but may include life-long involvement.

Desperately Dependent Community exists to challenge Christian ministers and workers to find Christ relevant to every area of life thereby promoting effective, sustained ministries. While cultivating a community of compassionate caregivers who desire to serve the body of Christ, our ministry motivates spiritual maturity.

If you would like to receive our blog posts via email, simply submit your email address in the box on the left. They will make you verify your request by jumping through a few hoops, but that is for your safety!

We would love for you to POST A COMMENT about the insights you have received on your journey toward desperate dependency.

Relief for Ministry Workers

There are plans for ancillary services of Desperately Dependent Community (in the development stages) that are designed to reinforce the ministry efforts.

The Ministry Library serves the multifaceted purposes of teaching, support, training, and fundraising. Many ministry leaders spend a lifetime gathering resources. With topics spanning sermon preparation, leadership skills, theology, counseling, quotations, illustrations, applications, dissertations, evaluations, explanations, elaborations, language studies, Christian history, biographies, apologetics, current culture, fiction, and more these resources offer an extensive education and support. Personal notes contained within donated books present a legacy of the generations. By offering donated libraries for lending, sale, and trade, we provide valuable tools and resources to make the wisdom of the past and present available for the future thus furthering our ministry of promoting effective and sustained ministries. We are currently accepting donations of new and used Christian books, which may be incorporated into The Ministry Library or sold to support ministry operating expenses.

Design Verses serve as reminders of God’s design for life. These graphically designed Scripture verses are used to personalize God’s Word and make it relevant to every area of life. For personal and professional use, these relevant Bible passages can be applied for Scripture education, encouragement, enrichment, memorization, art therapy, conversation starters, card making, creative crafting, décor, gifts, class activities, church bulletins, and so much more. As a part of Desperately Dependent Community services, Design Verses are supportive for individuals and toward the financial income of the ministry.

Crafting classes promote unity within the Community as well as encourage attendees to find Christ relevant to every area of life. Applications of Scripture verses serve as a reminder of specific truth that can affect life changes. Completed projects continue to offer visual remembrances of transformation. We are currently accepting donations of art and craft supplies to be used for crafting classes or sold to raise funds for the ministry. 

Doesn’t it all sound exciting?? We would love to hear what you think!

If you happened to miss the introduction to Desperately Dependent Community you can read more on the "About Us" page or scroll back through last week's blog posts.

If you would like to receive our blog posts via email, simply submit your email address in the box on the left. They will make you verify your request by jumping through a few hoops, but that is for your safety!
 
We would love for you to POST A COMMENT about the insights you have received on your journey toward desperate dependency.

Desperately Dependent Community

“Okay, Kirk and Melanie, hold on a minute. I think I’m missing something. What is it you are talking about???”

Here’s a recap:

Desperately Dependent Community exists to challenge Christian ministers and workers to find Christ relevant to every area of life thereby promoting effective, sustained ministries. While cultivating a community of compassionate caregivers who desire to serve the body of Christ, our ministry motivates spiritual maturity.

Let’s take it apart word by word. Maybe these definitions will help you understand the nuances of the DDC mission statement.

challenge: a task or situation that tests someone’s abilities; an objection or query as to the truth of something, often with an implicit demand for proof: a challenge to the legality of the order; a sentry’s call for a password or other proof of identity; make a rival claim to or threaten someone’s hold on (a position): they were challenging his leadership. invite (someone) to do something that one thinks will be difficult or impossible; dare : I challenged them to make up their own minds.

Christian minister: a person whose job involves leading the functions of a church, performing religious ceremonies (such as marriages), and providing spiritual or religious guidance to other people: a member of the clergy; one officiating or assisting the officiant in church worship

Christian worker: those who put forth an anointed effort to serve Christ

relevant: having significant and demonstrable bearing on the matter at hand; affording evidence tending to prove or disprove the matter at issue or under discussion

promoting: further the progress of (something, esp. a cause, venture, or aim); support or actively encourage

effective: successful in producing a desired or intended result

sustained: cause to continue or be prolonged for an extended period or without interruption

ministry: the spiritual work or service of any Christian or a group of Christians

cultivate: try to acquire or develop (a quality, sentiment, or skill)

community: a group of people living together in one place; all the people living in a particular area or place; the people of a district or country considered collectively, esp. in the context of social values and responsibilities; a group of people having a religion, race, profession, or other particular characteristic in common; a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals

compassionate: feeling or showing sympathy and concern for others

caregiver: a person who provides direct care

desire: a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen

serve: perform duties or services for (another person or an organization)

ministry: the spiritual work or service of any Christian or a group of Christians

motivates: stimulate someone’s interest in or enthusiasm for doing something

spiritual: relating to God

maturity: the quality or state of being mature; especially: full development

Now that we have taken it all apart, word by word, let's put it back together. 

The Mission Statement of Desperately Dependent Community:

Desperately Dependent Community exists to challenge Christian ministers and workers to find Christ relevant to every area of life thereby promoting effective, sustained ministries. While cultivating a community of compassionate caregivers who desire to serve the body of Christ, our ministry motivates spiritual maturity.

Yep, it’s a tall order! Stay tuned for more information!

If you would like to receive our blog posts via email, simply submit your email address in the box on the left. They will make you verify your request by jumping through a few hoops, but that is for your safety!
 
We would love for you to POST A COMMENT about the insights you have received on your journey toward desperate dependency.

Not My Job

CONSIDER
Sometimes wounded souls fall for the lie that they must pay for an offense that was done against them. For example, an adolescent may believe she must always carry the shame that was forced on her when she was molested. Or a divorced spouse may never again be happy as a result of the unfaithfulness of his partner. Or a sibling must continuously make allowances and excuses to cover up the deviance of her brother. Do not forget that Satan is the master deceiver, and he is eager to use any device to keep us from experiencing our freedom in Christ.

BIBLE TRUTH

So now, come back to your God.

Act with love and justice,
and always depend on him. (Hos. 12:6 NLT)

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
By myself I cannot withstand the onslaught of Satan, who unrelentingly attempts to persuade me that I can be solely responsible for all areas of my life. Too many times I have fallen for the lie that I am capable of fulfilling God’s job description of Savior, sustainer, and benefactor. But I am not designed to fulfill His job description any more than a two-year-old who is playing house can assume the responsibilities of a wife and mother. Satan makes it look so easy to perform God’s responsibilities, while at the same time convincing us that it is so hard to let God be in control!

We must resign from our job of playing God and allow Him to assume His rightful position. He is the only one who can forgive sin, and I must resign from my self-appointed duty of attempting to collect all the debt I believe is owed to me. Because He forgave all my sin, I must continue relying on Him to exercise His righteous justice on my behalf. Not only must I trust Him to forgive my sin, I must rely on Him to redeem me from the sins of others who have hurt me. Without the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, we are totally incapable of living the abundant life He designed for us to experience as a result of our desperately dependent relationship with Him. As we rely on Him to complete His work in our lives, we can experience all He has to offer those who allow Him to reign supreme.

PRAYER
I return, to You, my Lord and my God, for my sins have brought me down. I bring my confessions, and return to You, the Lord. Forgive all my sins and graciously receive me, so that I may offer You my praises. Help me be wise to understand these things. Let me have discernment and listen carefully. The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. (Hosea 14:1–2, 9)


(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

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Helping Christian Ministers and Workers

Colossians 2:6–7 reminds us:

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness (NLT). Maturing is a continual process.

Desperately Dependent Community offers relevant truths to challenge Christian ministers and workers to re-evaluate life and ministry at the point of deepest need. Believing that problems expose the plight that Jesus is missing, through a discipleship process and mentoring relationships individuals are motivated to find Christ as their all-sufficient solution. 

The primary services of Desperately Dependent Community offer a continuum of

• teaching people to find Christ relevant to every area of life,
• tending to ministers and ministry families as they discern how Christ is relevant to promoting effective and sustained ministries, and
• training Christian workers to be effective in leading others to find Christ relevant to every area of life.

We provide conferences, curriculum resources, teaching, training, and support to those desiring to mature in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Through our personalized interactions and corporate services, our resources offer hope and healing to weary souls. Ministry Partnerships are available so that churches and organizations have the advantage of expert advice readily available through Staff Development Intensives and continuous consultations.

Our primary focus includes:

1. Christian Ministers
1. Full time, part time, bi-vocational, senior pastor, music minister, youth minister, minister of discipleship, missionary, etc.
2. Ministers may be thriving in ministry or merely surviving.
3. Ministers are offered support, encouragement, consultations, counseling, teaching, and training thereby promoting effective, sustained ministries.
2. Ministry Families
1. Spouses of ministry leaders, children whether young or adult children, and extended families that are impacted by ministry
2. Families may be adjusting to ministerial changes, pressures within the ministry, or a wide variety of family issues resulting from ministry interactions. 
3. Families are offered support, encouragement, consultations, counseling, teaching, and training thereby promoting effective, sustained families.
3. Lay Leaders and Christian Workers
1. Individuals occupying leadership positions in the church and those seeking to live an authentic Christian lifestyle in every area of life
2. Official and/or unofficial positions necessitate continuing ministry as individuals progress toward spiritual maturity.
3. Leaders and workers may receive teaching, mentoring, training, support, encouragement, counseling, and direction.
4. Churches and Ministry Organizations
1. Churches and organizations including personnel committees, deacon boards, elders, mission organizations, etc.
2. Corporate entities may require assistance in promoting effective, sustained ministries through preventative care and/or crisis assistance.
3. Consultations, teaching, training, and evaluations are offered.

Let us know how we can help you. contact@desperatedependency.com

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Christian Clergy in Crisis

Recent statistics have listed Chattanooga, Tennessee with remarkable distinctions. Gallup released a 2013 analysis of the top 189 U.S. metro areas to report that Chattanooga is among the 10 most unhappy metro areas in the United States. According to the American Bible Society's 2014 study, Chattanooga was listed #1 of America's Most Bible-Minded Cities. Are these statistics proof that Christianity makes no significant difference to well-being? Many hypotheses can be submitted, but ultimately we should ask if it is true or false that you “are complete through your union with Christ” (Col. 2:10 NLT)?

Chattanooga, the buckle of the Bible belt, is not the only conundrum. Paradoxical ministry statistics abound.

1. 23% of the pastors surveyed said they felt happy and content on a regular basis with who they are in Christ, in their church, and in their home! (Francis A. Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership Development)

2. 71% of pastors stated they were burned out, and they battle depression beyond fatigue on a weekly and even a daily basis. (Francis A. Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership Development)
 
3. 77% of the pastors we surveyed felt they did not have a good marriage! (Francis A. Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership Development)
 
4. Almost 40% polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry. (The Shaeffer Institute distilled research from Barna, Focus on the Family, and Fuller Seminary)

5. 54% of the pastors had viewed internet pornography within the last year, and 30% of these had visited within the last 30 days. [In March of 2002 RickWarren’s (author of the Purpose Driven life) Pastors.com website conducted a survey on porn use of 1351 pastors.]
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6. The typical pastor has his greatest ministry impact at a church in years 5 through 14 of his pastorate; unfortunately, the average pastor lasts only five years at a church. (Barna)

7. Most statistics say that 60% to 80% of those who enter the ministry will not still be in it 10 years later, and only a fraction will stay in it as a lifetime career. (The Shaeffer Institute distilled research from Barna, Focus on the Family, and Fuller Seminary)

8. The New York Times published an article on August 8, 2010 stating:
The findings have surfaced with ominous regularity over the last few years, and with little notice: Members of the clergy now suffer from obesity, hypertension and depression at rates higher than most Americans. In the last decade, their use of antidepressants has risen, while their life expectancy has fallen. Many would change jobs if they could.

9. The majority of pastor's wives surveyed said that the most destructive event that has occurred in their marriage and family was the day they entered the ministry. (Mark Driscoll, "Death by Ministry")

10. Eighty percent of adult children of pastors surveyed have had to seek professional help for depression. (2002)

11. 34% of Christians feel called to the work they currently do (among those who are presently employed). (Barna) 

12. Only 5% of people who describe themselves as Christian and involved in a church indicated that their church does anything to hold them accountable for integrating biblical beliefs and principles into their life. (Barna)

Our next blog post will present the services of DDCommunity designed to address the needs.



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