BENJI.ZIMMER.MN


Did you know I moved? Well I did. VISIT BENJI.ZIMMER.MN to stay in touch with Read more

Happy 1st Birthday Alexis Grace


Milestones define most of our lives: The moment I met Ashley. The day we got married. The day she walked into my work to surprise Read more

Lent Recap


By a show of hands, how many of you knew that Lent was 47 days? Okay you can put your hand down now & Read more

When It's Your Turn


A few weeks ago I posted about: what is the hardest thing you have endured? A few days later we watched and prayed Read more

Be encouraged.


In Paul's first letter to the church in Thessaloniki , he offers some closing words in chapter 5. "For God chose to save us Read more

Creating Doubt


Lately I have been thinking a lot about . . . DOUBT. Do you think it is healthy for churches, pastors or Christians in Read more

••••••

» Jesus

Be encouraged.

Posted on 04/03/2011 by Benji Zimmerman Posted in Spiritual | Leave a comment

In Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessaloniki , he offers some closing words in chapter 5.

“For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”

AMAZING.

God chose to save us because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God has done the work. Jesus has paid the price. There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. God loves us no matter what we have done, where we have been and how we have lived. God has chosen us. That is simply amazing!

WORDS.

The amazing of what God did for us should result in action. The words? Words of encouragement and building others up. The amazing news of what God did should spur you to action. Not just on Sunday, but everyday. We can not do anything to earn a place with God, but because of what God has done we should be encouraging others and building them up.

ACTION.

Now go and do it. Who do you know that needs to be encouraged? Whatever it takes, be an encouragement to someone today!

Lent – Day 20

Posted on 03/29/2011 by Benji Zimmerman Posted in Spiritual | Leave a comment

Well, we are halfway. 20 days in and 20 days to go. How has your fast for Lent been doing?

I last wrote on Day 8, but things have turned the corner dramatically over the last twelve days. I am so grateful that I actually wrote out some of the goals I wanted to accomplish because I really feel a sense of accountability to the things I am trying to see happen over the 40 days of Lent. It really helps me to have measurable goals.

One of my goals was to read 45 minutes a day for Lent. When I last posted, I was struggling to find time to read, well I am happy to say that has changed a lot! After 20 days I should have 900 minutes reading under my belt.  Through the first 8 days I was already running behind. As of Day 20 I have just over 930 minutes of reading time in! I have finished one book, and I am almost finished with another one I have been working on from Mark Batterson. I have also been working through our new small group study, The Gospel in Life by Tim Keller that has challenged me to read more of my Bible as well. I am very excited with how things have gone at the halfway point and I am excited to finish a few more books over the next 20 days.

Secondly I was trying to cut back the amount sugar I was consuming. I am happy to say that I have really trimmed down! Not only have I lost 11 pounds in weight, I am feeling better and the crankiness is really starting to subside (my wife might say otherwise). Here is a chart of the first 20 days:

The three days with * are the days that I took longer bike rides and took an energy packet of food that contained 24 grams of sugar, so those days my numbers are inflated due to the workouts. After 20 days I am averaging 27.55 grams of sugar per day (the goal is 37.5 or less!). The longer this experience goes on the better I feel about the things I am eating and the results I am seeing in my overall health!

Lent has been an incredible journey so far and I am so grateful with how much my relationship with God has grown and deepened. I am excited to see how the next 20 days go! How about you, how is your journey through Lent going?

Lent – Day 8

Posted on 03/16/2011 by Benji Zimmerman Posted in Spiritual | 3 Comments

If you were to ask my wife about how my first week of Lent went, she would respond with just one word:

CRANKY.

Last week Wednesday when Lent started I posted that I had a specific plan to cut back the amount of sugar I was consuming to the recommended daily amount for adult males (37.5 grams) from an average of over 200 grams I had been consuming blindly. What I have come to realize is that there are all kinds of websites that say all kinds of different things about sugars. I have read that 37.5 grams should include both natural and added sugars. I have also read where it says you can eat as much natural sugars as you would like but to avoid the added sugars at all costs with the maximum daily intake of 37.5 grams. After a week I am not sure I have the definitive number of exactly how much of which type of sugars I should have, but after a week of tracking here is a chart of my first week of sugar consumption:

After one week of tracking my sugar consumption I am averaging 22.6 grams of natural sugar per day and 15.4 grams of added sugar per day. Giving me an average of 38 grams of sugar per day. Just .5 grams more than I should be averaging!!! After 1 week I am so close to being back on target. On day 2 and day 4 I went on 30 mile bike rides where I consumed some natural sugar based energy shots that contributed 24 grams of sugar each time (took one on each ride) so my average without those 2 energy shots would be 31.5 grams per day. I would consider this a huge success after just one week!

The point of Lent and a fast from sugar consumption was not for a diet, but to help draw me closer to God and empathize with the sacrifice God made through Jesus. Lets be honest for a few minutes. This exercise of cutting sugar consumption started out pretty rough. I was cranky, tired and hungry most days. I wanted snacks! I wanted dessert! Most of all I just wanted to be left alone. For the first few days I know that I treated my wife poorly and I was living in a place where I needed some extra grace. After 8 days though I can finally feel my emotions and my body balancing back out and I am really starting to feel good again.

The second part of my Lenten plan was to read 45 minutes a day everyday for 40 days. Honestly, this hasn’t gone so well. I was so tired and cranky the first few days I found it nearly impossible to find time to read between all the other daily tasks. I wasn’t intentionally setting aside time and whatever time I did set aside I spent bike riding instead of reading. However slowly as the week progressed I started to make more and more time for reading amongst my daily routine so by weeks end I had read two hours and fifteen minutes total. Although not anywhere close to the goal of five hours and fifteen minutes for a week, it is a start and I am excited to get back into reading this week.

I don’t like how the week started but I am grateful how it finished. I am excited to continue on this journey and see what unfolds in the next week. How about you, how was your first week of Lent? Did you accomplish your goal everyday? Do you feel closer to God because of the fast during Lent?

Lent – Day 1

Posted on 03/09/2011 by Benji Zimmerman Posted in Spiritual | 1 Comment

Every year when the season of Lent comes around I promise myself that I am going to do something awesome to spend time with God and give up something that will really draw me closer to God. But then every year I get started and I don’t finish. Maybe I am trying to hard or dreaming to big or maybe I am missing the point of Lent all together. Regardless of what has happened in the past, here we are again, the beginning of Lent.

A tradition that started sometime in the 5th or 6th century, Lent is the period of forty days leading up to Easter Sunday. Today, Ash Wednesday, is the beginning of the forty days of fasting, prayer, repentance and sacrifice in preparation for the celebration of what Jesus did when he died on the cross for the sin of all mankind. Jesus, the son of God, forfeited His own life for the sin of all the world. Traditionally during the season of Lent we give up something to remind ourselves of the sacrifice that Jesus made when He died for us.

In short, Lent is a season to forgo something as a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. What are you going to give up? What is something so dear to you that you can not give it up without it being a sacrifice?

Diet Coke.

Just kidding. But society has taken Lent and turned it into something to skip for the sake of our waist lines. Lent is not about ditching chips, or soda or any other simple food item because of an excuse to diet, but Lent is as season to spend time without  something to remind us of what Jesus did on the cross in replacement for my sins.  I will ask the question again: what is something so dear to you that you can not give it up without it being a sacrifice?

Sugar.

This time I am serious. I am addicted to sugar. I have read that an average adult male should only consume 37.5 grams of sugar per day. I am guessing I have that much sugar in my system by the time I finish my breakfast and morning coffee. I tracked my sugar in take for one week, I was average 220 grams per day. The sugars I was consuming were not healthy ones from fruits either! I decided that for Lent I should give up sugar. I am going to try to cut back to the point where I am consuming what the average adult male should consume (this would mean roughly a 500% decrease from my current average that sounds like more than a sacrifice to me, it almost sounds impossible). I will keep track daily and see how it goes. Every Wednesday I plan on posting how my progress is going.

How does giving up sugar draw me closer to God? Honestly, it doesn’t. However, sugar has been stealing time from my family, my friends, my work and most importantly from God. The side effects from sugar consumption are too numerous to list here, but I am convinced that the sugar that I intake makes me more lethargic which causes my body to imbalanced chemically which in turn causes me to be imbalanced emotionally. When I am imbalanced nutritionally and emotionally I have a hard time connecting with other people and spending time with God. I believe, and I am going to test during Lent this year, that when I cut back on sugar it will help me feel more balance and in turn I will want to spend more time being active with my family and spend more time reading and talking with God. I also plan on intentionally setting aside 45 minutes everyday to read, something I have not done for a couple years.

What about you? What are you sacrificing for Lent? What are you doing to remind you of the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf? What is your action plan for the next 40 days?

 

Luggage

Posted on 01/26/2011 by Benji Zimmerman Posted in Spiritual | Leave a comment

In one form or another all of us have been wounded:

Some wounds cut shallow and some wounds cut very very deep.

Some wounds we inflict upon ourselves and others are ripped into our lives by those closest to us.

Some wounds are just words and some wounds are abuse.

But no matter who we are or where we live we will be wounded by someone or something.

Last night in small group I was reminded about this fact: wounds affect us all. But the key to the woundedness we all live with, is how we deal with the wounds and how we respond the next time around. For all of us the wounds we incur will ultimately shape the way we live. It becomes our choice if we are going to deal with the wounds and reach a place of not only forgiveness but also the ability to wish our oppressor well. Sounds difficult right? Because it is. It requires more than we are capable of giving on our own. That is what makes Jesus so important. The very fact that God sent his only son to die on a cross for our forgiveness of sins shows that God is willing to give to us through an incredibly sacrificial circumstance. God’s gift of forgiveness empowers us to do the same for all of those who wrong us along the road of life.

There is an alternative. Instead of letting our wounds heal with the forgiveness and grace available to us through Jesus, we can let our wounds fester, puss and rot. The wounds will turn into bitterness, envy and revenge. We will start to carry our wounds around in suitcases and backpacks unwilling to let go of the past. The longer we carry these trunks of troubles or backpacks of burdens the longer we will have to start plotting  evil on others and create a cycle of woundedness in their lives.

The choice is ours: forgiveness or revenge.

We will all be wounded in this life. What choice will you make?

When we choose forgiveness it is as if God takes our wounds and heals them. Our wounds become scars of honor to God. Our wounds become a reflection of the great things that God has done in our lives. The cheesy idea that chicks dig scars needs to be traded in for God digs scars. They are His badges of honor. Scars show that we have been through the crap that life has to offer and we have chosen the high road, the road of forgiveness. Wounds may come this week, next month or ten years from now, but no matter who we are we can not escape them but rather we must learn to grow through them.

Is it time for you to trade in your luggage?

God saved Raton New Mexico

Posted on 01/09/2011 by Benji Zimmerman Posted in Spiritual | Leave a comment

Raton, a small town in the northeast corner of New Mexico has the population of 7,282 people as of the 2000 census. It sits at the base of the Raton Range and was founded at the site of Willow Springs, a stop on the Santa Fe Trail. Other than that Raton is a sleepy town that is famous for relatively little. In fact, most of you would never had heard of Raton if I hadn’t mentioned it.

So, then why am I mentioning it?

I mention it because for me it is a tremendous visual reminder of an amazing year we had at Central Christian Church. God is up to something extremely special in Las Vegas. I think for most people when they think of Las Vegas they think of the city of sin, the strip and all the endless ways to get in trouble. God has a much different picture in His heart when it comes to Las Vegas. God loves Las Vegas and His heart breaks for all the broken, hurting and needy people.

In the Las Vegas valley there is a movement of God’s grace and love pouring out everyday. God is using people like Benny Perez, Shane Philip, Vince Antonucci and Kevin Odor to share the love of God throughout the Las Vegas Valley. The churches that these men pastor are making a huge difference in the lives of the broken and hurting in Las Vegas.

In addition to these great churches, God has chosen Central Christian Church to show an outpouring of his grace for those who are far from God. During the 2010 calendar year 7,282 people came to know the love, acceptance and forgiveness God has to offer through Jesus Christ. It was an incredible and amazing outpouring of grace. Lives have been changed, relationships restored and forgiveness accepted.

7,282 is the population of Raton New Mexico, it also the population of people that are now children of God because of Central Christian Church and the amazing staff I get to work with. The number is not a number, but faces and people, friends and family, my one life and yours. Numbers are not just numbers. Raton New Mexico is not filled with numbers, it is filled with people. Central Christian Church is not just numbers but a place filled with people whose lives have been changed, transformed and renewed.

God saved 7,282 people in the Las Vegas Valley and beyond because of the ministries of Central Christian Church and for me a great visual reminder is the town of Raton New Mexico.

Bleeding Passion

Posted on 03/21/2010 by Benji Zimmerman Posted in Spiritual | 3 Comments

The score is close, UNLV is on one screen battling against UNI. On another screen Washington is mounting a comeback against Marquette. The Buffalo Wild Wings is packed with sports fans glued to their seats. The testosterone in the room is thick and drama is unfolding everywhere you turn.

And then there is Grant Fishbook.

In the middle of all the March Madness drama is a guy from Canada who is pouring out his heart to me. While sitting with Grant you can’t help but notice the passion in his voice and compassion in his eyes. He cares more about people than any of the guys on the big screens will ever care about basketball. Grant wears his heart on his sleeve every minute of every day. Grant’s passion supersedes basketball and it drowns out a testosterone filled room.

For the better part of four hours Grant and I sit swapping stories, sharing ideas, listening to each other, engaging and learning. As a young catalyst in life I consider it a great privilege to sit with Grant and learn from someone who has been through the fire and came out white on the other side. If wisdom comes from being close to the fire, then you want to be close to Grant because he radiates passion.

After a UNLV loss and a Washington upset Grant and I part ways and I am left with my thoughts as drive home. The questions race through my head: “How much passion to do I have to extend radical grace to hurting people? Am I caught up in the systems or do I still care about people? Why is Grant so stoked to be off the grid when it comes to social networking? Who am I not listening to that God wants me to listen too?”

Jesus was known for responding to those who asked him questions with a question. Grant’s wisdom has challenged me ask myself dozens of questions. Who in your life is bleeding passion? I am pretty confident that if you sat down with them for four hours you would walk away with hundreds of questions about what you are doing with your life and what are you putting your time, talents and treasures into?

Who do you need to sit down with this week? For me it was Grant Fishbook.

Eternal Perspective

Posted on 01/19/2010 by Benji Zimmerman Posted in Personal | Leave a comment

During my daily commute the last 2 days I listened to the two most recent sermons by Francis Chan from Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California. I find Chan’s ability to communicate both refreshing and challenging at the same time. The two part sermon that I recently downloaded from Itunes was phenomenal.

“Do you live everyday with the idea of eternity in the forefront of your mind?” Francis quizzically asked. Continuing, “Jesus did not say He might come back some day, He said He will come back like a thief in the night . . . Think back on 2009. I am sure there are plenty of times when you are grateful that Jesus did not come back.”

Ouch.

Well there was this one time when . . . or this other time when we . . . My mind starts to wander to all the things I was doing and instantly I feel guilty of all the things I should have been doing.  Listening to Chan that last few mornings and evenings has reminded me that I spend very little time thinking about the eternal and most of my time thinking about my own little world.

With all the tragedy that has happened in Haiti and the injustice that occurs daily across the globe I found Pastor Chan’s message extremely humbling and a hard reminder that I need to step outside my little box and live with an eternal perspective. God is going to come back someday and I need to live accordingly.

Broken Hearted

Posted on 07/12/2009 by Benji Zimmerman Posted in Other | Leave a comment

What does your heart break for?

A few days ago I posted this on Facebook and I gathered a few response . . .

  • Lack of tolerance
  • Human trafficking
  • People who don’t know Jesus as their savior
  • Thirsty people who can’t get clean water
  • Little kids born into terrible situations
  • Loss of a loved one
  • Others that are hurting
  • The elderly
  • Abused, neglected & starving children

I think that deep down inside of all of us there is something that stirs something in our soul that says, “That is just wrong!” I know at numerous times my heart have broken for the atrocities of this world. Hungry children, unclean water, sex-slavery, genocide, civil wars, human slavery, death, or disease; you name the injustice and there is someone out there whose heart breaks for that particular cause. So what does your heart break for?

But beyond that, I think the better question is: what are you doing about it?

The people that posted the previous list on my Facebook people that are doing something about the things that they care about. But the question is not whether they are moved to action, but whether you and I are? I hate apathy. But yet it bleeds out of me. I spend my time doing what I want: reading, blogging, running, working, and out with my wife. My actions represent my heart.

Over the years there have been plenty of things that have broken my heart, but my actions have done very little about it. I am tired of being apathetic. I desperately want to make a difference in the world.

My wife and I are venturing into the world of developing a non-profit that fights drunk driving by providing free rides home to bar patrons. Making a difference in the world requires small steps of action. This is my wife and I moving from apathy to action.

How about you? What breaks your heart? What are you doing about it?

Jesus Junk

Posted on 06/22/2009 by Benji Zimmerman Posted in Spiritual | 4 Comments

I post about my Jesus bobble head often. Why? Well because he is like a store mascot. A reminder of a store I don’t want to become.

“Not sure which blows my mind more, some stuff that is on the shelves of the Christian bookstore or the fact that some Christians need them.” @blissspillar

I saw that quote on Twitter the other day when I was browsing through one of the searches I follow “Christian bookstores”. Amazing what people say about these stores when they are in them and when they leave. I wonder what people at Central would say when they leave the two42 cafe & bookstore? Very few of our attendees twitter, so I rarely see anything posted about the store I manage, but if people could say what they thought about our store what would it be?

I am pretty confident that most would complain that we don’t carry a book that they were looking for or that the coffee lines were too long on Sunday. One thing you won’t here them complain about is Jesus junk. You know those totally ridiculous items that stores (not just Christian bookstores) carry like:

Believe in God instantly? Really?

Although I am mostly joking I find it disheartening sometimes when I walk into a local or national chain of Christian bookstores and it is filled with items that I often wonder if Jesus himself would wear or if the apostle Paul would use to keep his breath fresh. I often wonder what Jesus would think of the money that is made in His name.

I am often asked via Facebook or Twitter or in person how I can operate a store like that. Well my first response is that I don’t operate a store like that. The two42 cafe & bookstore was built on the verse found in Acts 2:42. “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals, and to prayer.” It is our goal to help people who attend Central have a place where they can meet with others and get connected. We desire to create an environment that not only helps them grow spiritually but relationally.

The weekends are busy in the two42 but the weekdays are filled with staff meetings, small groups and individual counseling appointments where grassroots relationships are built. I love being apart of a church that cares enough about its family and guests to provide them with a place like this. In addition to helping people connect with each other we are a church who cares about the spiritual growth of those who attend each weekend or even occasionally. We have a tremendous bookstore (yes I am biased) in which you can find extremely helpful books and resources to nurture your spiritual growth. What you will not find is books about politics, the prosperity gospel or Jesus Junk among other things. All of those things can be well and good in there own perspective way, but most of them do not help people grow spiritually over the long haul. Central Christian Church is a place where “it is okay not to be okay.”  We also believe that you don’t have to stay that way. I am trying to do the best I can to help people grow.

I am a firm believer that Jesus junk is not the answer to helping people grow spiritually or relationally. What do you think? Can random things like Jesus tooth brushes or bumper stickers help people grow spiritually?

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