Posts by Scott Shoopman

Selective Attending

Posted by Scott Shoopman on Oct 27, 2010 | Comments Off

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Have you ever noticed how your mind can focus on things, people, events, etc. subconsciously? I remember one of my first new cars – a 1979 Monte Carlo. I remember thinking that I hadn’t seen one in silver, with a landau top and spoke hubcaps – very classy at the time. After all, a guy wants a car to be different – to stand out and project something about himself. Well, no sooner had I driven off the lot - BAM –  I saw the car everywhere!! The same color configuration and selected options!! The only difference was the driver. “Selective Attending” is what a Psychologist friend of mine called it.

It happens in virtually every aspect of life it seems. From a new shirt, to an illness recently diagnosed, an invention considered to a new found area of interest, a blog post to a new book/author - each time we move into a new area in our lives, our minds seem to grasp that “thing” and focus on other similar “things” to call our attention. Why did God design our minds in such a way??

Thousands of books have been written that use this as a means of controlling our thoughts and subsequently, our life’s path. Commonly referred to as “Positive Thinking” or some other phrase of similar meaning. The idea is to consciously focus our minds energy or attention to the point of manipulating outcomes. Is this really possible?

Think of Paul of the Bible. Romans 12:2 instructs us to change our outcomes by focusing our minds on scripture. Many times in scripture we read where we are to “meditate”  day and night. Jesus teaches us to learn his ways in Mathew 7:24 to enable us to stand in times of testing – to change the outcome.

When I am reading the Bible and meditating on how to apply it to my life, I tend to remain focused more intently on the “things” of God around me. During times of “drought”, my mind wavers and begins to see ”things”, “events”, “people” in a much different light, one influenced by a fallen world. I really don’t like the dryness but would rather live in God’s presence.

So why is it so difficult to bring myself back into the Mind of Christ?

Unaware

Posted by Scott Shoopman on Oct 20, 2010 | Comments Off

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The following is an excerpt from Max Lucado’s book “Out Live Your Life” that I recently shared during a devotional time at work. The story is real, the significance will vary with every reader.

At 7:51am, January 12, 2007, a young musician took his position against a wall in a Washington, D.C. metro station. He wore jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. He opened a violin case, removed his instrument, threw a few dollars and pocket change into the case as seed money, and began to play.

He played for the next forty-three munites. He performed six classical pieces. During that time, 1097 people passed by. They tossed in money to the total of $32.17. Of the 1097 people, seven – only seven – paused longer than sixty seconds. And of the seven, one – only one – recognized the violinist Joshua Bell.

Three days prior to this metro appearance staged by the Washington Post, Bell filled Boston’s Symphony Hall, where just fairly good tickets went for $100 a seat. Two weeks after the experiment, he played for a standing-room-only audience in Bethesda, Maryland. Joshua Bell’s talents can command $1000 a minute. That day in the subway station, he barely earned enough to buy a cheap pair of shoes.

You can’t fault the instrument. He played a Stradivarius built in the golden period of  Stradivari’s career. It’s worth $3.5 million. You can’t fault the music. Bell successfully played a piece from Johann Sebastian Bach that Bell called “one of the greatest achievements of any man in history.”

But scarcely anyone noticed. No one expected majesty in such a context…

… Most of us will someday realize that we didn’t either.

As we continue through this series on Hurt, I need to slow down and look around. Jesus was clear. To care for those in need, we are caring for Him. There are hurting people at The Bridge, at your workplace, in your neighborhood, at your school. It may be that we simply need to pause for more than 60 seconds and listen. It may be that they need to hear the gospel, but they probably want to “feel” the gospel first. A caring ear, a need now met, a grief shared – I don’t know what will come your way, but I feel certain that if I/we don’t focus intentionally on those around us, we may just miss the face of Jesus.

Comfort

Posted by Scott Shoopman on Oct 13, 2010 | Comments Off

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Many times I have gone to this chapter for comfort and solace.

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

 ¹ O LORD, you have searched me
       and you know me.

 ² You know when I sit and when I rise;
       you perceive my thoughts from afar.

 ³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
       you are familiar with all my ways.

 ⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
       you know it completely, O LORD.

 ⁵ You hem me in—behind and before;
       you have laid your hand upon me.

 ⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
       too lofty for me to attain.

 ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
       Where can I flee from your presence?

 ⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
       if I make my bed in the depths, ^[a] you are there.

 ⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
       if I settle on the far side of the sea,

 ¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
       your right hand will hold me fast.

 ¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
       and the light become night around me,”

 ¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
       the night will shine like the day,
       for darkness is as light to you.

 ¹³ For you created my inmost being;
       you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

 ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
       your works are wonderful,
       I know that full well.

 ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
       when I was made in the secret place.
       When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

 ¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
       All the days ordained for me
       were written in your book
       before one of them came to be.

 ¹⁷ How precious to ^[b] me are your thoughts, O God!
       How vast is the sum of them!

 ¹⁸ Were I to count them,
       they would outnumber the grains of sand.
       When I awake,
       I am still with you.

 ¹⁹ If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
       Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

 ²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent;
       your adversaries misuse your name.

 ²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
       and abhor those who rise up against you?

 ²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
       I count them my enemies.

 ²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
       test me and know my anxious thoughts.

 ²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
       and lead me in the way everlasting.

 Amen

scott shoopman

Connections Pastor – The Bridge Church

Growing Pains

Posted by Scott Shoopman on Oct 6, 2010 | Comments Off

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No, not the 90′s sitcom…

How often do we flinch at the thought of change? For me, it is becoming more often and I am not real sure why – surely it doesn’t have anything to do with age!?!?! I have always been a “change agent”, looking for a better way to accomplish a task at work, bucking the status quo and the naysayers that say “because we have always done it that way”. Trying to improve anything takes change – if it doesn’t change, it cannot improve.

We do not stay the same. There are similarities to our “former” selves, but during our 100 years on this earth, we will continue to morph from an embryo to a baby, to a child, a teenager, an adult, and a senior citizen! We even make changes to our physical bodies to accomplish something different – we train for a sport, we lose weight to feel better, we exercise to be healthier, we dye our hair to look different, we grow it longer, cut it shorter, grow facial hair to have a different look, apply tattoos and body piercings.

Nature does not stay the same. A puppy becomes a dog, a kitten a cat, and an acorn grows into an oak tree. A field left unattended will grow something because nature does not stand still. Growing and dying, completing the cycle over and over. Nothing is static.

How about your House Group? What changes have YOU made lately? Have you invited anyone to group? Have you recently multiplied your group to allow MORE growth and change? Are you attending or are you contributing, taking or giving, feeding or being fed? No one “spot” is wrong, as long as you don’t plan on staying there. How does the old saying go?? “God accepts you where you are, but loves you too much to leave you there” – something like that…

Every time we have the opportunity to open a door for someone else to experience what we have found, we grow and they grow – how much happier can God be than to see His sons and daughters growing and helping each other grow?!

All of the “growth” stuff I mentioned comes with a price, a pain that we have to endure to gain the wonderful experience God has planned for us. We recently added a couple to our group and this past week had a young lady visit our group. That was a change - different people that did not know anyone else in our group. WOW… what a breath of fresh air! Is our group different – YES! Is our group better – YES! Was it difficult to make the change, a little…

This week, make it your goal to invite everyone you meet at The Bridge on Sunday to your House Group – change is good!

Assets

Posted by Scott Shoopman on Sep 29, 2010 | Comments Off

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I started thinking…

I enjoy my Suburban. Almost 10 years old, 205,000 miles and a I seriously think I will get a minimum of 300K miles! I have taken care of the “truck” through the years, spent time and money to make sure it was well cared for. But, in the end, it is a depreciating asset and all the effort and money spent is an attempt to minimize the depreciation.

I enjoy my home. Marianne and I have spent time and money to maintain and improve our home. We were active in the building process, often working as a “sub” doing the labor for floors, clean-up, design and more. The money spent and time invested was greater than the truck, but this was for an appreciating asset (in most economies!!). This type of investment should be a benefit now and in the mid-term.

I enjoy times when my money is working for me – 401K, investments, stocks and mutual funds. This type of investment is strictly a long term strategy. An appreciating asset with a longer strategy than the truck or the home. Few benefits during the investment period, maturity is considered the goal of the investment – withdrawing at scheduled intervals.

I will enjoy “heaven”. The time spent invested in developing a relationship with and a love of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is a REALLY long term strategy! How much greater the “maturity” than all the other investments combined and the joy can be experienced from now until eternity. BUT – I must make an investment to realize the overwhelming grace that exists in Christ.