Kairos Circle
Following Jesus in Obedience
BEST PRACTICES FOR USING THE KAIROS CIRCLE
This graphic is designed to be three things:
A Picture to understand key ideas regarding disciple-making:
What does this tell me about being a disciple?A Mirror to see our reflection in:
What does this tell me about myself?A Window to look at all of life through:
What should I do about it?
Following are two summaries: A four-minute version and an extended version. The main points are highlighted in both versions. You are encouraged to read through them five times and commit the main points to memory before sharing it.
Also, journal your own answers to the picture/mirror/ window questions above before sharing this. The degree to which you engage this content personally, is the degree to which you will be able to lead others into engagement.
When you share it with someone, draw the Kairos Circle on a napkin or sheet of paper. Leave that drawing with them.
Remember to read the situation and the spiritual interest of the person you are sharing this with. It may be wisest to just share the brief highlight. Or if the interest is there, use the extended version, making it conversational by using the discussion questions.
After you share it, encourage the person you’ve shared it with to share it with another spiritually curious or hungry friend or family member within the next few days. In so doing, you are training every disciple to be a disciple who can make disciples from day one. This builds in reproduction and multiplication as the norm for every disciple.
FOUR MINUTE SUMMARY
When we commit to follow Jesus, we are choosing to make Him Lord of every part of our life. That means we need to learn how to hear when He speaks, and become obedient to the new ways in which Jesus leads us. This might sound intimidating; however, we believe that we can learn to recognize where Jesus is speaking to us in the everyday places of life by recognizing Kairos moments.
In Mark 1:15, Jesus says, “The time has come, the kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the good news.”
KAIROS MOMENT
The word that Mark uses for time in this passage is Kairos. The other Greek word for time is Chronos, where we get our word chronology, indicating a sequence of events. We’re all living on a timeline (Chronos). Kairos, rather than indicating a sequence of events, indicates a significant event has taken place. It’s an event that causes us to stop and ask some questions. It has some impact on our life. Kairos moments can be positive or negative, great or small: an argument with a spouse, a promotion, a friend moves away, a clean bill of health, an unexpected grade on a test. Kairos moments give us the opportunity to stop and ask, “Is this a place where Jesus wants to speak to me or lead me in a new way?”
KAIROS CIRCLE
When we recognize we’ve had a kairos moment, we can then enter the tool we call the Kairos Circle. This tool helps us process the event, moment, circumstance and discover what about our life needs to change or adjust to come more in line with the ways of Jesus. Using this tool, we are trying to answer two primary questions: “What is Jesus saying to me?” and “What am I going to do about it?”
REPENT – What Is Jesus Saying to Me?
In Mark 1:15, Jesus says, “Repent and believe the good news.” The first part, repentance, means that we need a change of mind and heart. The word communicates movement. We were moving in one direction, and now we will move in another direction. In the first half of the circle we observe the event, we reflect on the event, and we discuss with others. At the bottom of the circle we are trying to answer, very specifically, “What is Jesus saying to me?”
BELIEVE – What am I Going to do About It?
The second half of the circle is “believe.” Like repent, believing indicates movement. Repentance is movement away from something, belief is movement towards a new way. Before continuing around the circle, we must answer the question in response to what we discovered Jesus is saying. We must answer, very specifically, “What am I going to do about it?” Upon arriving at this answer we can now do three more things: Make a plan, invite accountability, and finally act.
When we have moved completely through the Kairos Circle we should come out on a new trajectory, living in new and transformed ways that are more in line with the character and ways of Jesus.
EXTENDED VERSION
INTRODUCTION: A Disciple of Jesus
The primary word used of Jesus followers in the New Testament is disciple. This word disciple indicates that someone is learning from another. Disciples are committing their life to become like the one from whom they are learning. With this understanding, we can recognize and indeed admit that people are being discipled everyday by something or someone. Most often it is subliminally done by the culture in which we live. We decide on a political party, what is beautiful or not attractive, what is ideal or frowned upon by what we see and who else is doing or believing those things. Disciples of Jesus should be looking to Jesus as their source for how to live. This takes intentionality and a willingness to pay attention to every moment in our life as an opportunity to become more like Jesus.
So how do we know what Jesus is saying? Do we know how to recognize his voice and respond to what Jesus is saying? We believe that using the Kairos Circle will help individuals and communities see life differently. This tool will help you take the mundane and the magnificent moments of the everyday life and listen for the voice of Jesus. This is what a disciple of Jesus does. They see all of life through the ways and character of Jesus and continually seek to reshape their life around his.
The Kairos Circle is a practical tool that offers a consistent pattern and process for discerning the voice of Jesus in community. Built into both halves of the Kairos Circle is an opportunity to live more deeply and intentionally with others who are seeking to live like Jesus.
So what is a Kairos?
KAIROS MOMENTS
In Mark 1:15, Jesus says, “The time has come, the Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the good news!” This is a declaration Jesus is often using within his ministry. He is declaring that with his arrival, a new way of life has entered, the eternal has broken in to the temporal. The day that we are looking forward to when there will be no more disease, no more loneliness, no more hunger, no more wars, no more brokenness, Jesus is ushering that in with his arrival. Jesus is saying, that life is already possible now, though we will not yet see it in its fullness.
There are two Greek words for time, Chronos and Kairos. Chronos indicates time that is moving in a sequence, think chronology or your watch. (Begin your image by drawing a straight line with an arrow at the right end indicating forward movement.) Kairos indicates an event, and point on that timeline that is significant. (Draw a star at the center point of your timeline indicating a Kairos moment has occurred.) Every time Jesus gives this declaration of what he is here for, he is saying, “Hey, pay attention, this is big. I’m inviting you into something. I’m inviting you to bring the kingdom with me.” As disciples of Jesus, we get to play a part in bringing the Kingdom of God to the kingdoms of this world. We get to help in making this present time look like what it will be one day.
That begins with us adjusting our rhythms and life to match those of Jesus. We do this through obedience to his word and by shaping our character in new ways when he speaks. Kairos moments are significant events in our life that help us pause and say, “Hey, pay attention. Something is going on here. Jesus may be using this present circumstance or experience to say something to me.”
Kairos moments can really be anything in our life that has that effect of creating a pause within us. The more we pay attention, the more of these we will begin to see in our everyday life. They don’t have to be a birth, a death, a marriage or a divorce. They can be very small events as well. They can be internal and personal, they can be external and distanced like a national crisis. Every one of these moments is an opportunity for growth is we are seeking to grow.
REPENT – What is Jesus trying to say to me?
Jesus says, “Repent and believe the good news.” This phrase is an invitation to action, not passive observation. When we hear repent, we might think of apologizing or stopping some behavior. The word in the original language communicates a change of direction, a change of mind and heart. Repentance is not always easy. It is always necessary in becoming more like Jesus. Repentance is a process, and there are steps to help us arrive at a new destination.
When we have identified a Kairos moment, what are the next steps? At this point, you have a choice. You can either continue on your current trajectory or you can enter into the Kairos Circle and discover the voice of Jesus. (Draw the circle with a dotted line through the center of the circle. Write “Repent” inside the right half of the circle). The first step in this learning experience is to observe what has happened. (Write “Observe” at the top of the right side of the circle). This is often an opportunity for reflection or for journaling. Really spend some time around what you experienced, what you saw, what you believe happened. Before you can make any movement, you need to know where you are, get your bearings and understand what exactly it is you’re feeling. Can you write down or communicate to someone the experience or is it still blurry? Continue to spend time in this step until you have some clarity about the Kairos.
After a period of observation, the next step of the journey is to reflect. (Write “Reflect” in the middle of the right side of the circle). Reflection in this step is different than what you experienced in the observation piece. Now you are going back and thinking about your filters, who you are, and what has happened in your life up to that point that may have made you see or experience that moment in a particular way. Why is this moment so significant? Is it because of a childhood experience? Is it because you have always adhered to a certain philosophy and now something has shaken that? Ask all the questions you can.
Now that you’ve done the work of observing and reflecting, it’s time to bring in an outside voice. The final step in the repentance half of the Kairos Circle is to discuss. (Write “Discuss” at the bottom of the right side of the circle.) Discuss the experience with a trusted friend, someone who knows you, who knows your filters and the way you see the world and ask them to help you discern why this may have been an important moment in your life. Remember, we weren’t made for isolation. We’re built for community. External voices often bring a sense of clarity and help expose our self-bias or blind spots.
After thoroughly working through the process of observation, reflection and discussion, we’re ready to make an attempt at answer this question, “Jesus, what are you trying to say to me?” (Write out this question on the right side of the circle.) If you can’t answer this question with clarity and some specificity, go back and work through those steps again. Not every Kairos moment is intended to take three minutes to process. Sometimes, we may go through a season of discovering the answer to the repentance piece. Sometimes we will arrive at an answer in a matter of moments.
Clarity and specificity are important. If our answer is something vague like, “I should love people more,” we won’t be able to act in very specific ways. The more specific we can be in this moment, the more focused we can be with our actions. If a Kairos moment has happened around a conversation with your spouse where they have communicated they feel lonely, and you have really worked through the repentance piece with yourself and with a trusted friend(s), your answer might be, “Jesus is trying to tell me that I’m over-committed to my career and not setting healthy boundaries to be present at home.” This type of answer will help you determine what you need to do next. It’s clear and specific and we can easily add some measurable outcomes.
BELIEVE – What am I going to do about it?
Jesus is not just asking for movement away from something. He is also asking for movement towards something new. (Write “Believe” inside the left half of the circle.) When Jesus says, “Believe in the good news,” he is inviting us to act in faith towards a new direction. Before ascending the left side of the Kairos Circle, we need to answer the second important question: “What am I going to do about it?” (Write this question on the left side of the circle.) For many Christians, we get stuck at the bottom of the circle. It’s far easier to think about doing something than to actually take steps. The truth is, if we have actually taken the time to go through the process of repentance and have genuinely changed directions, new actions are the natural result. They are expected outcomes.
Again, as with the previous question, we need specificity and clarity. Once more, if our answer is vague or unclear, we will not be able to create a plan that we can follow through on and we will probably not make much change.
Once you have answered the question, “What am I going to do about it?” we now have three new steps to help us exit the Kairos Circle on a new trajectory. The first step is to make a plan. (Write “Plan” at the bottom of the left half of the circle.) If the answer to our question was, “I’m going to limit my work hours and leave my electronic devices at the office,” then we can make some specific plans to go along with that. How will we limit those hours? Do we need to have a conversation with our boss? Are there certain tasks that can be eliminated from our day? Ask better questions that will help you formulate a plan to help you take actual next steps.
We’ve all made commitments that have lacked any follow up. Mostly this is driven by a lack of accountability. In order to take steps and see actual change, we need to share our decisions with at least one trusted friend who will hold us accountable. (Write “Account” or “Accountable” at the middle of the left half of the circle.) Remember, we haven’t made these decisions just because we think they are good ideas. We’ve made these decisions because we believe Jesus is calling us to live in new ways. Here again, we see the value and need for developed community. It is in trusted relationships that other believers can ask us the hard questions and hold us accountable to movement and becoming more and more like Jesus.
The final step of the journey is to act. (Write “Act” at the top of the left half of the circle.) This is often the most difficult part. However, it is now that we are empowered to act out of our new beliefs that are being shaped by Jesus. As we exit out of the Kairos Circle, we should come out on a new trajectory. (Draw an arrow slightly up and to the right of the original line you drew to indicate the timeline we are on. This will represent the new trajectory we can live on each time we exit a Kairos circle.) The distance from the old path we were on and the new path we’re taking represents our growth in becoming more like Jesus.
As we grow in maturity and awareness of the voice of Jesus, we will not always need to work through every individual step of the Kairos Circle. Remember that sometimes we can work the process in a matter of moments. Sometimes it may take days, weeks or longer before we arrive at the best answer. The purpose of this discipleship tool is to continually be in movement towards developing our character around the character of Jesus.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Do you feel that you consistently listen for the voice of Jesus? Do you recognize when he is trying to speak to you?
In the past, when you were attempting to discern the voice of Jesus leading you, what did you do to discover what he might be saying?
What part of the Kairos circle feels like it will be most challenging for you to practice consistently?
Can you identify a moment recently that may have been a Kairos moment?
The Kairos circle is a picture, a mirror, and a window.
Picture to understand: what does the Kairos Circle show you about being a disciple of Jesus?
Mirror to reflect: what does the Kairos Circle show you about yourself?
Window to see: what should you do about what you seen in and through the Kairos Circle?
KEY SCRIPTURES FOR THE KAIROS CIRCLE
Mark 1:15
Jesus said, “the time is at hand, the kingdom of god is near, repent and believe the good news.”
The Epileptic | Matthew 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-29
• The epileptic seizure | Kairos
• “...unbelieving and perverse generation!” | Observe, Reflect
• Lord, why couldn’t we drive it out? | Discuss
• This kind can only come out by prayer | Plan
• Mustard seed principle | Accountability, Act
Forgiving Wrongs | Matthew 18:15-20; Matthew 18:21-35
• A wrong is done, a resentment remembered | Kairos
• If your brother sins, go to him | Observe, Reflect
• Lord, how many times? | Discuss
• Therefore, forgive your brother from the heart | Plan, Accountability, Act
A Mother’s Request for Status | Matthew 20:20-28
• Coming to Jesus with a request | Kairos
• When other disciples hear this, they are indignant | Observe, Reflect
• Jesus calls them together for teaching and discussion | Discuss
• Not so with you! | Plan
• Whoever wants to be first must be a slave to all | Accountability, Act
The Rich Young Man | Matthew 19:16-29
• Conversation | Kairos
• When the disciples hear, they are astonished | Observe, Reflect
• Who can be saved | Reflect
• We left everything; what will there be for us | Discuss
• If you leave houses, family, fields | Plan, Accountability, Act
Discovery Bible Studies for the Kairos Circle
Luke 7:37-50
Luke 15:11-32
Luke 18:9-14
Luke 19:1-10
1 John 1:5-2:6
*The Kairos Circle has been adapted from The Learning Circle, which can be found in Mike Breen and Steve Cockram’s book, Building a Discipling Culture. The examples from Scripture can be found in that same work on pages 76-77. This tool is foundational in teaching people how to hear from Jesus and then respond in obedience. We are grateful for the influencing work of 3DM.