The Circle: Choosing to Learn from Life

The first is the learning circle, which helps us identify the significant events of our lives in a way that

enables us to move deeper into God’s will. To put it another way, it helps us discern when God is speaking

to us through the events of life, and to do something about it. The time has come, the kingdom of God is

near. Repent and believe the good news. –Mark 1:15

The key thing is to look for a “Kairos moment”: a significant event (positive or negative, never neutral;

leave an impact on you; signalling an opportunity to grow spiritually and emotionally) and then (prayerfully)

enter into the circle of learning (3 steps to repentence (=changing one’s mind) and 3 steps to faith (=doing

something about it).

The circle is below. Learn it, use it and start becoming aware of those Kairos moments!

Circle of Learning

The steps are below: ORDPAA – “Oh, Repent, Dammit, Priests And Archbishops!”

Repentance is in the perfect present in every location that is mentioned. It isn’t a past event. It is a

continuing process. It is a lifestyle. The word that captures it the best is mettanoi which means an inner

change that manifests itself in an outer reality. In your heart, inner being, something has happened. There is

a change of our inner life and inner being.

Movement 1 of Repentance is Observation:

What happened and how did you react/feel? What was the kairos moment that got your attention this week?

I think if your eyes are open you probably have a dozen pivitol things happen each week. Run the scenario

through your mind.

Movement 2 of Repentance is Reflection:

On your observations. Why did you feel the way you did? What does that say about you? Is there a

pattern?What might God be saying through this event. A word of correction? A word regarding priorities? A

word about the direction or new stage of life you are entering? Hold your kairos moment up to the lens of

the scriptures and the kingdom and ask what might be the kingdom framework for this kairos moment.

Movement 3 of Repentance is to Discuss:

Seek the wisdom of others. Do your observations and reflections make sense? Do you discern an

opportunity for growth? This is where you bring others into the conversation. Instead of saying that “God

said this or that to me” you gather others around you say, “I think God is saying to me…” What do you

think of the situation?

So hopefully in these three moves you have discerned the Kairos moment. You have taken this incident and

you have held it up the light of the kingdom of God with others to discern what is going on. You have

repented. You know that grace is there for you and you want to reach into the kingdom, God’s future reality

and offer your allegiance to it.

Now you act. You believe. You want your inward change to be evidenced by outward actions. You want to

have an active transformation. It means a certainty that has developed within that has become intentional

activity without.

Go ahead and put Believe on the left side of the circle.

Movement 4 of Belief is Plan:

How are things going to change financially? How are you going to change in your behavior regarding the

opposite sex? How are you going to respond differently to anger next time? In light of grace and allegiance

to the kingdom what is the next step that you are going to take?

Movement 5 of Belief is Accountability:

Accountability isn’t finding someone who’ll listen to you so you feel like you can get something off your

chest. Accountability is challenge and support. Accountability is about tranceparency. It is about the inward

life of repentance taking on flesh and blood in your actions. Accountability is about having others who will

help you take and be faithful to your plan of action.

Movement 6 of Belief is Action:

Jesus talks about someone who builds his house on a rock and someone who builds his house on the sand.

When the rain comes the house built on a rock stands while the same storm demolishes the house built on

sand. Both people heard the teachings of Jesus. Hearing the teaching of Jesus wasn’t the deciding factor as

to whether the house stood or fell. The deciding factor was whether the person put the teaching of Jesus into

practice.

The discipleship circle boils down to asking the question again and again, “What is God saying to you

(kairos moments) and what are you going to do about it (repentance and belief)?”

This is something that anyone can do at any stage of their walk with Jesus. Spiritual maturity is defined as

the length of time it takes to respond to what God tells/shows them. You don’t need a bible degree or years

of experience (although they can add wisdom) to do that.

Here is an example of a Kairos moment regarding one’s mounting credit card bill:

Then the cicle might go (Observation) what I am buying each month? do I need all this stuff? has this been

going on long? (Reflection) what does this say about my sense of identity? why do I feel the need to buy this

stuff? (Discussion) “hi Joe, I’m feeling that money has a bit of a hold over me – can I get your thoughts?”

(Plan) need to cancel all but one card and limit myself to 400 per month spend (Accountability) “hey Joe,

can you ask me whether I am under my 400 limit every month?” (Action) cut up the credit cards!