"The Ripples" is an image that lays out a biblical set of priorities that we believe will grow the believer and the church. We believe God has given us this tool to help us focus our life of faith as we pursue intimacy with Him, relationships with others and impact in the world around us.
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Imagine a single drop of water. Imagine that drop falling towards the still surface of a pond of water. The drop falls and impacts the still surface of the water. Freeze that moment in your mind. Look at the impact of the drop. Then let the image move forward in slow motion. The drop disappears into the surface of the water and instantly something is created where there was nothing before. The surface of the water reacts and a ripple emerges, slowly moving outward in an ever-growing circle.
Then another drop hits the surface and another ripple emerges, sliding across the surface of the water.
Then another drop...
and another ripple...
And the ripples continue out, growing and moving across the surface of the water. As long as the drops continue, the ripples exist, each ripple growing and moving into the next ripple beyond it.
This image is an apt picture of the process Jesus described in John 15 when He detailed his process for personal spiritual development and the growth of the church. "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener...Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing...This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." John 15:1-8 NIV
The result of the life of discipleship is fruit.
That fruit represents several things. It represents the changed character as God continues His good work in that person. It represents the Kingdom qualities Christ creates in the believer--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 4:22, known as the "fruits of the Spirit.") It represents the fruit of changed lives as people give themselves over to God through His work in the lives of His people. It represents the development and growth of the church as God expands his Kingdom. But there is a trap relating to this fruit.
Because we know what the fruit is, we tend to pursue the fruit itself. So we build bigger churches. We create more and more programs. We fixate on our own character development. As we spend more and more time pursuing more and more of these "fruitful" goals, we spend less and less time pursuing God Himself. But this is exactly opposite of the priority that Jesus set up.
Jesus' order was this:
Abide first. Then fruit will automatically happen.
The branches of a vine do not "pursue" producing fruit. They draw nutrients and the fruit naturally happens as a result of their internal nature. Grape vines will, if given enough sunlight and food, automatically grow grapes. No effort is involved. Bridge City has characterized this process as The Ripples. It has four parts, but these parts--like the ripples in a pond--are organically linked and cannot exist separately.
God Pursues Us
First, there is the drop. The drop of water falling toward the pond is God's initiative. This is God drawing all people to himself. When this drop hits the surface of the pond--the life of the individual--there is impact and the individual has the opportunity to respond. When the individual responds to God's call, the ripple process begins.
Circle One
The first ripple--Circle One--is the soul alone before God. This includes Bible study, extended personal prayer and worship, and other private spiritual disciplines. The goal of this time is intimacy with God--hearing the voice of the Shepherd, responding to Him with love and allowing Him the space and time to mold and shape the "inner man." But this "ripple" cannot exist alone. As the believer spends more time in Circle One, growing to recognize the Divine Voice, learning of God's character through scripture and growing more comfortable with the vocabulary of prayer, God calls the believer into relationship with others on this same journey.
Circle Two
This is Circle Two--the reconciling relationships between believers. It includes any Godly relationship which allows for increasing intimacy, accountability, and mutual support. This is truly the definition of the Church. And wherever "two or three are gathered" in Christ's name you have church. The church is simply the organic network of Circle Two relationships. It is in these relationships that the individual works out the skills of Kingdom relationships. We learn to love and receive love. We learn to forgive and receive forgiveness. We learn to give the grace we have received. At the intersection of our reconciled relationship with God and our reconciling relationships with the people around us, we find a miraculous place of safety and acceptance where we are able to take the risk to grow. That is God's intention for the church. But like Circle One, this "ripple" can't exist alone.
Circle Three
As the believer continues to spend time alone before God, God will draw that person into relationships that He will use to change that person and impact the community. As that person enters into community and with the others in that community chooses to live out the Character of Christ, God naturally works through them to change the world around them. That's Circle Three. This third "ripple" is the impact God has on the world around us--evangelism, outreach and service. This is the kingdom growth fulfilling the great commission. And it will naturally, organically, automatically happen as long as the church and the individuals who make up the church are built on the primary task given by Jesus--"abiding"--and openly respond to what God is doing within them.
With this model in mind the task of the church begins to sort out like this: First, to motivate, equip and mentor believers in a Circle One life, preparing them to spend time alone before God. Second, to provide an environment where Godly relationships can flourish as people answer the call the enter into Circle Two and to equip and challenge them to see these relationships as active tools of God in their lives. Finally, to be open to the guidance of God through scripture, individuals and the community as He invites the church to join Him in the Kingdom work He is doing and to challenge the members and participants to be willing to take the risk to obey.
The result can be seen in Jesus' words: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples..." John 15:7-8, 16 NIV