Artificial Intelligence

Have you been reading all the news recently about AI (Artificial Intelligence)? Some of it sounds fascinating. Some of it sounds horrifying. The systems being developed can think and predict in ways unheard of before. It almost sounds like the prophet of the devil. In history, men spoke with wisdom that was unthinkable and was accurate beyond comprehension of things yet to come by the revelation of God. But now machines are telling us things in ways that we couldn’t fathom and making predictions with profound accuracy in ways that make us worry.

Soon cars will drive themselves and machines will not only produce but do it faster and better. We can have our refrigerators call for repairs before we know they are broken. If we don’t know how to say something important, we can go to a website and it will articulate our intentions profoundly and concisely. Soon we will not be needed. OR WILL WE!

There is something special about how we convey the message of Jesus Christ. There is something beyond just saying the right words at the right time. God deals with our hearts. He deals with our souls. Machines can convey truth, but it will always be hard for them to convey truth in love. It is a profound concept to show the love of Christ and his grace and mercy in words alone no matter how accurate they may be. If you have ever confronted someone in anger, you know what this looks like. Love and compassion must coexist with truth or it is a clanging gong or clashing cymbal.

God knew all of this before the beginning of time. His word is timeless. The work of the Lord intentionally includes us. There is no machine or creation of man that will ever be able to do the work of ministry that is assigned to man.

Meryl Herr, Director of Research and Resources at the DuPree Center, writes in a current article on their website, “Unlike human beings, machines are not animated and energized by the breath of God. Machines cannot attend to the voice of God or the movement of the Spirit.”

She goes on to say, “Machines also can’t engage in redemptive imagination. AI can’t adapt in the way that’s needed to live wisely and faithfully in this world. But as those who follow the way of Jesus and carry the hope of the new creation, we can. We can creatively apply the values of the kingdom to a broken and hurting world. And, when the redemptive work goes awry or gets a little messy, we can turn to the grace and forgiveness we have in Christ and find resilience and courage to continue.”

The significance of this is overwhelming. It is not something new. But it is something that appears differently in contrast with this AI discussion. Without the service of God’s people to the lost and broken of this world, there is no hope. We are called to do the work of ministry. So often we live with the expectation that it is someone else’s job to reach the lost and heal the broken. But that has never been the case. Reality has always been that God has chosen man to

be his hands and feet here on earth. God has chosen and called each one of us to be engaged. We cannot leave the work up to someone else or to a machine. We must do it. And we need not engage in God’s work with fear. God has given us the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us, our words and works, to have great impact on the world around us.

Remember, our role is to till the ground, plant, water, fertilize and be invested in the process. God brings the fruit. But we must do our part. And in this subject of spiritual growth and development, machines will never accomplish the task. It is for us to do. No matter how messy things get in this world, we can continue on. No matter how many times we try and fail, we can continue. No matter how often the devil whispers lies in our ears, the voice of God will always be stronger.

No AI here. God’s intelligence is real and original. Nothing false about it. Trust Him. Trust his word. Go forth with wisdom and understanding to meet the world head on and have an impact for Jesus.

Want to know more? Check out Ephesians 4 for God’s plan for the work of the church in impacting the world around us. It is a great example of God’s Intelligence.

Gary

Retirement

In their new book, Afterwork: An Honest Discussion about the Retirement Lie and How to Live a Future Worthy of Dreams, Joel Malick and Alex Lippert speak about 10 key disciplines for having a flourishing life after work. I was encouraged by the chapter about faith. They provided a great perspective on how faith is connected to purpose and how this is connected to flourishing in this stage of life.

As believers we have understood that there is a void in everyone’s life that needs to be filled. We have learned that this void will not be filled with stuff. It can only be filled with God. It is our faith that helps bridge the divide in our lives. It is through this understanding that we recognize that we have a purpose beyond ourselves but also a purpose within ourselves. This is about faith and how our faith shapes our lives.

C.S. Lewis said that we “must train the habit of faith.” It is easy for us to be tossed around by the shifting winds of emotion. When things in our lives shift by changing schedules, health issues, change in our daily habits, bad weather, or one of many other things, it causes doubts and fears. Our emotions can get out of sync with our minds. The solution is for us to continue to “train our faith.” We must continue to grow and develop our faith.

Without a growing and healthy faith, life can be void of an ultimate life-purpose. This will lead to much time wasted trying to discover our lasting fulfillment in the wrong places. But we can be assured that as we grow in our faith, we will see not only fulfillment in this life with a God given purpose, but as we stretch towards the finish line, we will also know that this is just the beginning of the next chapter.

Let me encourage you to go to the book of Acts and read about the conversion of Paul and the story of a changed life. He was a very religious man with great fervency for God. But this was not a completed work until he found Jesus on the road to Damascus. Then as he entered the next chapter of his life as a committed Christian, everything changed. Paul became a great man of faith. And his life reflected the calling that God has for all of us. He struggled with sin. He had physical issues (thorn in the flesh). He was wrongly imprisoned and received persecution in all forms imaginable. But he said, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Paul was not a victim of his past. He devoted his life before Christ to destroying people’s lives with Christ. But after his conversion, he put the old ways behind himself. Our past doesn’t have to have any say in our future. Faith gives us the courage to change and the confidence to know that change will make a difference.

As you contemplate what your life looks like, what your future holds, what God is calling you to as you enter the third third of your life, explore the specific purpose that God has in mind. Ask God to reveal this purpose. It may not be anything new. It may be something you have never explored before. It surely will be something that stretches your faith. As you discover

this special calling and purpose, pursue it with zeal. Seek after it with all the energy and passion that God can give you. You will find yourself fulfilled in ways you could never imagine. I would love to hear stories of what God is saying to you. Please share your testimonies.

Some resources to help you navigate the third third of life:

· Afterwork -by Joel Malick and Alex Lippert
· Third Third Initiative website - https://depree.org/third-third/
· Re-Ignite Blog - https://re-ignite.net/re-ignite-blog/
· Amy Hanson Blog - http://amyhanson.org/blog/

More to come…
Gary

Are you Flourishing?

The righteous will flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap. Psalm 92:12-14

God has planted within each of us a desire to flourish. We desire to live with joy and meaning. But I hear many in the third third of life doubt their ability to flourish. Many are living without joy. They are convinced that the best years are well past and now they just survive until they die. But I believe beyond the shadow of a doubt that we can flourish in this stage of life. God makes it so.

Dr. Tyler VanderWeele, director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University says that flourishing includes:

1. Happiness and Life Satisfaction

2. Mental and Physical Health

3. Meaning and Purpose

4. Character and Virtue

5. Close Social Relationships

6. Financial and Material Stability

The Latin word for flourish means “to flower, bloom.” Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines “flourish” as “to grow luxuriantly, thrive, achieve success, prosper.”

But what does the Bible say? Is it possible to flourish in the third third of life? Do we define flourishing in the same way in Scripture? Can we flourish if we have declining physical and/or mental health? Mark Zuckerberg said, “Young people are just smarter.” Seems to me there is a bit of arrogance and even ignorance in this statement. One day when he has matured in life, I wonder if he will still think this to be true. Sadly, many older adults have bought into this lie.

The scriptures offer promises of flourishing throughout all seasons of life.

Why did Jesus come? John 10:10 (CSB) - 10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

John 15:5, 8 (CSB) - 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me… 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.

Sounds like flourishing to me. The above passage from Psalm 92 connects this to us no matter our age. And never forget that flourishing is closely tied to righteousness. Philippians 1:9–11 (CSB) - 9 And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

Through Jesus Christ we can live fully and fruitfully, abundantly and productively. In the end, our lives will have produced not just a small bowl of fruit, but a life “filled with the fruit of righteousness.”

“You can flourish in the third third of life, that is, you can live fully as you experience abundant life and fruitfully as you make a difference in the world.” – Mark Roberts

These thoughts are taken from Flourishing in the Third Third of Life Course by Mark D Roberts at Fuller University’s DePree Center.

Think about it. Are you Flourishing?
Gary

Here are some self-evaluation questions.

1. In what ways are you flourishing right now?

2. What areas of your life are not currently flourishing?

3. Finish the following statement; “In the future, I would really like to flourish by …”

4. Are there any heroes in your life who are/have flourished in the third third of life? Why do you think of them as flourishing?

Phase 3 Thoughts – Easter Edition

We are in the midst of Holy Week. It is an interesting designation of a week that is filled with mixed emotions and wide swinging treatments of the Lord Jesus Christ. The week begins with the Triumphal Entry. Jesus is descending into Jerusalem to the praise and worship from those lining the road. Palm Branches waving and people singing. It seems clear from the reading that the vast crowd entering the city for the Passover Celebration knew who Jesus was and celebrated the long awaited Messiah.

But it doesn’t take long for Jesus to smash the expectations of these “followers” as he enters the Temple Courts and turns over the money changers’ tables. Why would the Messiah do anything to upset the sacrificial worship described in the Law. Why would someone who was supposed to represent God and rescue God’s people from Roman oppression destroy what made them holy? How was this holy?

Moving forward in the story, many things happen in the following days but we will move to the Passover Feast. Jesus enters the upper room and wraps himself in the servants towel and proceeds to wash the disciples’ feet. We all remember the encounter with Peter who first refused and then wanted more than needed. He was so confused. His perspective was clouded with worldliness. He understood that Jesus was the one to follow and couldn’t understand how it could be appropriate for the followers to be served by the one they were following. But upon correction by Jesus, he went in the other extreme and wanted to be fully bathed rather than just have the dust of the day removed. Jesus’ actions and words imply, “You have already been saved Peter. Your sins are forgiven but not just deal with today’s sin.”

The following scenes move us from wonder to celebration and back to wonder. It is a collection that is profound. Jesus institutes communion, he calls out his betrayer, he humbles those who claim full devotion no matter what, and he enters into the most significant and amazing time of prayer ever seen in the course of the world. Much of this takes place while surrounded by his follower yet he seems so alone in his faith and understanding of what is happening.

Ultimately, we end up at Good Friday. A day that is not good in the happenings, the pain, the struggle and the failure of the disciples. But a day is made good in the death and burial of Jesus. He poured out his own blood to pay for our sins. It is the beginning of the fulness of the Gospel. We encounter the death and the burial. Are sins are covered and buried with Jesus. The week ends with Jesus in the grave.

The only real aspect of holiness we see in this week is the holiness of God. He has done the work that we can’t do. He has made a way for holiness to be imparted to an unholy people. Holiness always begins with God. And ultimately it ends with God. He is holy.

The celebration comes on the new day of the new week. It is Sunday. It is the day that Jesus overcomes death. He overcame sin on Friday and overcomes death on Sunday. Praise the Lord, He is risen! He is risen indeed. So Holy Week ends. But holiness begins in all of us. The word says, “Be holy as I am holy!” Through the work of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection we

are given the power to become holy. The Holy Spirit comes as Jesus has gone. His power is poured out on us to complete the work that Jesus started. So, we must continue “Holy Week” every week. We must continue to live as Jesus lived. We must follow Jesus’ example of seeking and saving the lost.

Here is the purpose question for the week. Are you engaged in the fullness of Easter (the Gospel) once per year or are you living as if Easter occurs every day? You are called to a great blessing of service to the Lord. How is he specifically calling you today?

Be Blessed!
Gary

Phase 3 Thoughts

Recently, I read an article about flourishing in the Third Third of life. The question asked by the author, my friend Mark Roberts, was, “What do you long for in this time of your life?” Follow-up questions include: “What are your longings for the present?” and “What are your longings for the future?” I will focus on just one aspect of the article. You are invited to read the rest of the article at https://depree.org/third-third-longings/.

In asking what older adults long for, the standard answer is good health. People want to live a long life but only if it is a healthy life. They want what is being called “Healthspan.” They want to continue living independently in their own homes, or at least in a place of their own choosing, rather than in some type of assisted living location. Self-reliance is a big longing for those in this stage of life.

But Chris Holck, Senior Pastor of Live Oaks Community Church in the Villages in Florida, a community for adults fifty-five and older, has discovered another longing in his congregation. In ministering to people exclusively in the Third Third of life, Holck found a great desire for people in this stage of life to serve. Despite his congregation living in a retirement community designed and built for the recreation and personal benefits of retirement, he sees a tremendous desire of those in his church to serve not just others in the community, but people in all stages of life.

Experts in developmental psychology agree with this finding. Those who study the stages of life speak about “generativity.” This term means “to have a need to nurture and guide younger people and contribute to the next generation.” We accomplish this by building relationships with people younger than ourselves.

This is not a new concept. Psalm 71 speaks directly about this. In verses 17-18 we read:

17 O God, from my youth you have taught me,

and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

18 So even to old age and gray hairs,

O God, do not forsake me,

until I proclaim your might to another generation,

your power to all those to come. (emphasis added)

Mark Roberts writes,

Flourishing adults in the third third of life long to make a difference in the world, especially in a way that improves the lives of younger generations. Often this generative longing is focused on grandchildren, for obvious and good reasons. But it can also be directed to

students in a local elementary school, neighborhood kids, young parents at church, and folks in society as a whole.

So I repeat the question we began with: “What are you longing for?”

I would love to pray with you and for you as you explore this question. It is never too late to begin. Let’s flourish together in this time of our lives.

Think about it and be blessed today.

As someone who lives in the Third Third myself, I am always looking for ways to keep my life relevant for the Lord and exploring my purpose for this stage of life. Part of that purpose is to share these thoughts and ideas with all of you. It is my prayer and hope that as we walk this path together, we will have a greater impact on the Kingdom of God.

I will be writing these short articles on a regular basis going forward. If you would rather not receive them, let me know and I will remove you from the list. Also, if you know someone else who would like to receive them, let us know and we can add them to the list. This information will be relevant to the churched and unchurched alike so feel free to share it with others outside the church who are looking to flourish in the Third Third of life.

Phase 3 Introduction

My name is Gary Russell. There are many areas of service at CCC, and therefore there are many of you I have not yet had the privilege of meeting. I wanted to introduce myself and make sure you know that you are valued as part of the body of Christ and part of CCC.

Part of my responsibility at CCC is to engage with the specific generational issues and needs that exist in the larger population of 55–70-year-olds in our congregation. I, myself, am part of this demographic and can attest that many of us don’t recognize these needs in our life, and yet most of us are dealing with some or all of these unique issues:

• ·You are retired or contemplating retirement and trying to discern the proper timing and the types of service/ministry you can be part of with greater time availability.

• You are becoming grandparents and want to be engaged with those grandchildren in an effective way despite many of them being at a remote location.

• You have become empty nesters or are nearing that time in life. This brings many changes in purpose and even some fear and trepidation, not to mention the possible loss of some relationships that were connected to your children.

• You may have adult children who have moved out and then back in or never moved out. This creates many areas of contemplation as to how that relationship continues. Are you still the parent or are you a peer? Is there a balance?

• You are ready to finish your career but desire to continue to work, maybe in a different field or different career or even as a volunteer.

• You now have aging parents that need help and care. You are feeling like you are becoming a parent all over again, but this time with a whole new set of issues that you have never dealt with before.

These are just a few of the questions that arise in this new phase of life, especially in an era of people living longer than ever with greater health and wellbeing. We are not “seniors,” but we would love to have some biblical guidance in facing these new challenges. We are in Phase 3 of life, but we have far more to learn and do.

This is why I am writing. Over the past few months, we have lead some groups of people in our congregation through the process of understanding and developing ministry to address the specifics of this stage of life. We have dealt with discipleship, intergenerational ministry, appropriate fellowship opportunities, and community service. I have also begun writing articles occasionally that deal with some of the unique challenges facing our stage of life. We will send them out electronically and post them to a special blog page for review. You can reach this blog by going to cccomaha.org/phase3 where you will also find coming opportunities to engage in the various ministry and relation building offerings.

I hope you will find value in this information and explore what this ministry can look like for you. I also want to invite you to connect with me and share ideas, needs, prayer requests and your desire to apply your giftedness to the leadership of this great ministry area.

If you are not interested in receiving these in the future, let me know and we will take you off our list.

I look forward to meeting you and serving alongside you as this exciting ministry goes forward.

Be Blessed,
Gary
402-938-1574
garyr@cccomaha.org