Disciple-Making Pastor's Plan

I used to assume Jesus didn’t have a plan for his life and ministry and that he was just “free-styling” it. Maybe you’ve thought that as well? Was Jesus just living day by day? Was he driven by pressure or priority? Was he telling his time where it ought to go, or was he letting everyone else tell his time where it ought to go? I feel that it is unlikely that Jesus started the greatest movement in history in just three years with no method or strategy.

How do we know that Jesus was living by a plan? How do we know that Jesus wasn’t just reacting to whatever set of circumstances or needs came his way? There are several references in the Bible that show us how Jesus lived by a plan. Let’s take a closer look.

Jesus knew his mission! One of the ways we know Jesus had a plan is because Jesus was on a mission. Jesus was on “assignment” during His days on the planet. He came to make redemption possible and to start a movement of messengers of redemption. In John 17:4 we see that Jesus completed his mission: “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” Jesus had a mission, and he had a plan to accomplish it.

Jesus knew the objectives for his mission! Jesus knew that in order to accomplish his mission, he had to fulfill the objective of building a team of disciples to carry on the movement after he left. For three years, Jesus was equipping and training these disciples to lead his Church. The objectives Jesus lived by were determined by what it took to accomplish his mission. It was easy to know what to do and not do because he knew what was required to make disciples of all nations.

Jesus made daily decisions that were aligned with his objectives! Where Jesus went, what he did, and who he made time for were all determined by the objectives that allowed him to fulfill his mission. Jesus knew his daily agenda would end up leading Him to the place he wanted to be. Each day, Jesus was living proactively based on what his Father was leading him to do. Jesus led a strategic and intentional life.

Are you living by a plan or by pressure? Are you telling your time where it should go or is someone else? Do you have a clear mission, clear objectives for accomplishing your mission, and a daily agenda that gets you there?

Some Days

Acts 9:19b, “For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.”

Acts chapter nine gives us the account of Saul’s (also named Paul) conversion to Christ. Shortly after his conversion, the Bible says he spent “some days” with the very disciples he had come to Damascus to persecute and imprison. Isn’t that a twist of events?

We don’t know precisely how long these “some days” were, but we know they were critical in Paul’s first steps as a new Christ follower. I don’t think we can overestimate how important these first days and these initial relationships were in Paul’s development and spiritual growth as a disciple. This fellowship of believers and the influence of Ananias had a profound impact on Paul’s spiritual journey.

It would seem that Paul’s relationship with these believers in Damascus had a great deal to do with his commitment to baptism, his new understanding of the gospel, and his desire to go out and preach his newfound faith. This group of believers in Damascus had a powerful investment in the man who would eventually write half the New Testament and plant churches around the Mediterranean region.

The impact of these “some days” in Paul’s life drives home the need for some days in my life. I need to be in an environment with other believers to help me strengthen my faith. I need fellow believers who will encourage me, challenge me, grow with me, pray for me, and do ministry with me. For me, “some days” is for the rest of my days. There will never be a time when I don’t need the community of believers to surround me and help me be the disciple that Jesus wants me to be.

I hope you have committed to spending “some days” with a group of disciples. If you haven’t, I strongly encourage you to find a group that will make you better and stronger after you are with them.

In Acts 9:20, God’s Word says, “And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues.” Paul’s actions indicate the impact spending time with other disciples had on him. Paul accomplished more for God because he grew in his faith by being in the right environment. Just think how differently Paul’s life might have turned out if he had not had the influence of these other disciples in his early days as a Christ-follower.

Let Your Light Shine!

We recently sent a group of people from Crossroads Church to the country of Brazil to be part of an English teaching team. As you can imagine, when I first approached folks about being a part of the team their first response was, “I cannot teach English!” The goods news, I reassured them, is that we are not teaching them English as much as we are really helping them to practice their English. For this reason, we have aptly named the school Practically Speaking English. 

As we prepared to go and teach English and share the good news of Jesus, many of the people on the team asked about how we were going to share the Gospel. To help them understand, I shared one of my favorite passages where Jesus explains about sharing our faith. 

We read in Matthew 5:16, In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. (NLT)

This verse explains so well what happens when we go anywhere in the world to teach English. The truth is that when we come to a community and invite them to be part of the school, our main objective is not to convince them to follow Jesus. Our main objective is to give them the best conversational English school we can. We really do want to be a blessing to these people. When we let our light shine in front of them, we point them to Jesus. By keeping our word, we open a door to share the Gospel when the students begin to ask why we would come. We share Christ with them as the one who motivates us to love people the way that God loves them, and, as His followers, to be blessing to others. This makes them want to know more. After spending hours teaching and become friends, we get to share our stories of coming to Christ, and we see the Holy Spirit begin to change people’s lives. 

We got a chance to see life-change happen in a young Brazilian lady named Fabryna. Fabryna came looking to learn English but gained a relationship with Jesus and friends from the church to help her grow in her new faith. The amazing thing is that we had 218 Brazilians come and be a part of the school, and 187 of them indicated that they had prayed to receive Christ during the week. We had 40 students join us at church on Sunday for worship for the very first time, and Fabryna received her very first Bible. Praise God as we see the words of Jesus coming true right before our eyes! 

Maybe you have been praying for God to show you some next steps to take on your spiritual journey, and right now He is encouraging you to begin to think about being a part of our Global mission. I want to encourage you to not just let that thought pass, but really begin praying about being part of a mission team. If you want to know more about Crossroads mission trips, click HERE.

Let us all let our lights shine this week, and we will be amazed at what God will do!

Has 30 Years Been Worth It?

The church where I have been serving for the past thirty years, Crossroads Baptist Church, just celebrated its 30th anniversary. In 30 years of ministry, there have been a lot of highs, and a lot of lows. You may wonder after all that time if three decades of ministering in the same church has been worth the effort. I say that it is worth every minute. The following letter is why I have kept going for 30 years. It is written by the daughter of a guy who helped me start our church 30 years ago. My buddy passed away a few years ago, but the words penned by his oldest say it all for me. I hope you enjoy what Morgan wrote. I know that Stanton would.

“My parents met at this church.
They learned how to lead at this church.
They built relationships of the deepest impact at this church. 
They were challenged to raise children in scripture at this church. 
I was saved at this church.
I was baptized at this church.
I learned the books of the Bible at this church. 
I learned to memorizes scripture at this church. 
I learned how to worship at this church, and learned that if you ain’t sweating you ain’t worshiping. 
I learned how to pray at this church. 
I learned the value of tithing at this church. 
I met leaders that have changed my life at this church. 
I met my best friends at this church. 
I have been through immense heartbreak and grief at this church. 
I have experienced pain from people at this church. 
I have had to chance to share a story of brokenness at this church. 
I have been able to practice being a servant at this church. 
I am learning how to lead at this church. 
I learned my passion for preschoolers at this church.
I am learning how to better study the Word at this church. 
I am learning the unbelievable need for community and small groups at this church. 
I am learning that people are people, and they sometimes fail you. That’s okay, because faith isn’t people-based but God-based. 
I am learning that the “cool new thing” may not always be the Jesus thing. 
I am learning that people dug a well that I GET to drink from every day. 
I am learning here. I have learned here. I have done things here. I wasn’t even alive 30 years ago, but people who wanted to make a difference were, and they started digging and planting seeds, and studying the Word and building relationships. This campus building we are standing in wasn’t here 30 years ago. The other campuses were far-off dreams that these people digging didn’t even know they had yet.

This church did so much. This church is doing so much. It’s changed my life, shaped my life, has been my life some days. But this church wasn’t built by people in a day. It wasn’t built easily. It wasn’t built without pain and challenge and death and joy and persecution and heartbreak and disagreements and disappointment and people coming in and people walking out and people being called in and people being called out.

This church is me. This church is us. This church is because of Jesus. It’s not this building or that building or dreams or good days or bad days. It is a faithful to calling pastor we have. It’s the elders who stay in the Word and wisdom so as to best make the decisions that represent our church. It’s the people who woke up early to set up in a high school and stayed late to break it down. It’s the people that rocked babies and chased three-year-olds and read little Bible stories to 4th graders. It’s the people who passed the offering buckets every single week down the aisle. It’s the people who lead us to the throne room in worship. It’s the parking lot guys who help us park or greet us with a happy face when we aren’t feeling it. It’s the middle school pastors who gave up their sanity to love on 13-year-olds who are always just so loud. It’s the people who stay with high schoolers and work through their pain and brokenness with them. It’s the people who sit in counseling offices or hospital rooms or funeral homes and showed with their actions that Jesus was still there. It’s the people. It’s relationships. It’s me. It’s you. It’s us. That is this church.

Jesus is good. He has been so good. Jesus is using us. He’s using you and me, and He’s using the broken and the messed up and the crazy and the mundane to build the Church. We get to be a part of this! For 30 years people got to be a part of something that didn’t stop – that isn’t stopping! Jesus is still going. And now I get to dig. I get to start things and be part of things that just maybe will mean something in another 30 years. I get to build relationships with people who might just change the world in 30 years. And it wouldn’t have ever happened without the people who dug for me 30 years ago. They didn’t know who they were digging for. But they dug anyway because the Lord asked them to dig.”

"Tetelestai" It Is Finished, Now Go...

What a glorious few days we experienced this past week celebrating our Resurrected Lord! After seven church services and a huge community outreach event, it’s amazing to think of the thousands of people that were touched and changed by the incredible love displayed for them on the Cross. As hard as it is to believe that Easter Weekend 2019 is finished, every year I’m reminded that while church services may have ended, Easter outfits may be back on their hangers, and Honey Baked Hams may now return to normal prices, the story of the Resurrection is far from over. 

From elementary school through college, I did not enjoy academic subjects involving numbers, formulas, or scientific methods, but I loved learning about all areas of social studies and history. My Bachelor of Arts in History indicates just how serious my pursuit of the subject became. Among other reasons, I continue to love history because of how it contributes to my study of God’s Word and my understanding of the life of Jesus. Historians often hesitate to make broad, subjective claims or conclusions about periods of time from the past, but anyone who has carefully examined the evidence surrounding the period between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday could easily conclude that those moments represent the most profound three day period ever recorded in human history. A man that suffered a humiliating public death at the hands of His own people was nowhere to be found just a handful of hours later, and his body hasn’t been located since. Many claim to have seen him alive, spending a brief amount of time on Earth with his disciples before leaving for his rightful place in Heaven. A profound sequence of events to say the least. In the midst of this unthinkable story, Jesus provides us with possibly the most profound statement ever spoken by a human being, and only he had the power to say it. As he surrendered His spirit to death on the cross, Jesus uttered a single word that altered the course of human history and countless lives for eternity:

“Tetelestai,” literally translated in Greek

to mean “it is finished.”

Tetelestai comes from the verb teleo, which means "to bring to an end, to complete, to accomplish." It is a crucial word because it signifies the successful end to a particular course of action. As Dr. Ray Pritchard says, “It's the word you would use when you climb to the peak of Mount Everest; it's the word you would use when you turn in the final copy of your dissertation; it's the word you would use when you make the final payment on your new car; it's the word you use when you cross the finish line of your first 10K run. The word means more than just ‘I survived.’ It means, ‘I did exactly what I set out to do.’”

But the significance is much greater than just the word itself. Tetelestai is in the perfect verb tense in Greek. That’s significant because the perfect tense speaks of an action which has been completed in the past, but whose results continue into the present. It's different from the past tense which looks back to an event and says, "This happened." The perfect tense adds the idea that “This happened, and continues to happen today.”

Jesus died for all the sins of mankind, past, present, and future, but Jesus’ intentional choice of word, “Tetelestai - It Is Finished” really means that Jesus is just getting started. The story of the Resurrection has continued ever since. Jesus has huge plans for the lives of those who choose to believe in him. His command is clear for the redeemed to now go and make disciples of all nations. His redemptive work on the Cross is now the launching pad for disciples to spread the good news of the Gospel with the confident hope that the finished work is still working, alive and active and prepared to rescue all who confess and believe. 

History really is HIS-STORY isn’t it?

This week, what will you do to share the finished and continuously fresh work of God?

The Value of Recreation Ministries

The Church has utilized many ministry strategies to reach people for Christ throughout history: hospitals, schools, dramatic arts, music, dance etc., but sports ministries have a few distinct advantages over other worthy endeavors. 

1. Relevance

Sports activities and sports facilities attract people and translate to any community. There’s just something about seeing men running up and down a basketball court playing pick-up games, young adults running and jumping while playing ultimate Frisbee, women "digging" and "spiking" volleyballs, or families cheering for their kids as they kick up dust on a baseball field. Recreation and sports attract a wide range of people, and because of this, they have the unique ability to draw in people who have no church connection.

2. Long Term Approach

Recreation ministries provide a natural “back door” activity that give church members an opportunity to invite friends, families, and co-workers. Whereas, many people are not receptive to invitations to a church service, they are very open to playing a basketball pick-up game or signing their child up for a baseball league. Furthermore, it provides a continual opportunity for relationships to develop and deepen because practices and games occur at least once a week for months at a time. Most church outreaches last a couple of hours, one day or perhaps, or on the rare occasion, one week. Sports activities keep people involved for months to even years which greatly encourages successful long term relationship building and outreach. 

3. Built-In Accelerators 

The accelerator of relationships is crucial to the overall goal of reaching and discipling those who don’t yet have a relationship with God. It’s very hard to share the gospel with someone you have no relationship with. Sports create a unique opportunity to build trust and accelerate the relational process through teamwork. Sports ministries also have the ability to accelerate the process of communicating faith. Sporting analogies, metaphors and experiences provide unique, insightful and relevant ways to communicate a personal and growing relationship with Christ. 

Recreation and sports are a unique tool to bridge the Church to communities for the purpose of leading people into a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Have sports and recreation been a positive influence in your life? Share in the comments!

The Disciple-Making Dentist

Last night, I had an awesome experience. I went to a dental office for a discipleship group. Yes, you heard me right: I went to a dental office for a discipleship group. I did not go to a church, a house, or a restaurant. I went to a place where they work on teeth! In thirty years of ministry, this is the first time I have ever sat in a discipleship group meeting in a dental office. It was beautiful.

A dentist who attends the church where I pastor has taken the mission of making disciples seriously. He has decided to be obedient to Christ’s command to “make disciples.” He has eliminated a multitude of excuses and obeyed Christ’s command. Here are a few observations and thoughts from my experience with a disciple-making dentist.

Anyone Can Make Disciples! 

My dentist friend has only been a Christian for a few years, and he will tell you that he has had his ups and downs in disciple-making. He will also tell you that he is growing and trying his best to obey what Jesus commanded two-thousand years ago. Similar to a guy named Peter, my dentist friend is not letting his past mistakes be excuses for his present obedience. 

Disciples Can Be Made Anywhere! 

My dentist friend is not waiting for the perfect setting to make disciples. Actually, he has found the perfect setting for him. He is using the resources God has given him, and he is making disciples in his market place. Imagine what could happen if disciple-making left church buildings and ventured out into dentist offices, doctor offices, classrooms, fitness centers, and office complexes.

Anybody Can Be a Disciple! 

The discipleship group meeting in this dentist’s office was not what I expected. It was a mixture of men. They were different ages, races, and professions. They were all at different levels of spiritual growth as well. They had one thing in common: they all had a desire and hunger to grow. Desire is all that you really need to start making disciples. We will see what God is going to produce from this rag-tag group of guys.

I love seeing people make disciples, and I love hearing stories of disciple-makers. If you have story to share please share it with us in the comments!

Abundant Life Always Works

Today I ate lunch with a couple of fellow ministers that were both asking the question, “What is wrong with the Church?” Both men care deeply about Christ’s Church and our effectiveness in making disciples. We had a good robust debate about what is working and what is not working in the Church today.

As I engaged in the conversation at lunch, my mind kept going back to the Church in Acts. The Church described in Acts 2:42-47 worked! It was a place where people wanted to be. It was a place where disciples were being made. It was a place where people were coming to Christ and growing in Christ. It was a place where people were experiencing the abundant life that Christ offers.

The Acts 2 Church is described as a large group of people who were “devoted.” They are also described as a place where people “were praising God and having favor with all people.” Church was fun. They were experiencing the abundant life Christ offered. They loved the music. They loved the teaching. They loved the fellowship. They loved serving and giving to each other. They loved inviting new people to join them. They loved these things because they loved God and they loved others.

Please understand that I am not saying the abundant life is an easy life. In fact, the abundant life might even come with more problems and difficulties. I am saying however, that the abundant life is a life that allows you to rise above the circumstances and problems of this world. The abundant life is a life that can only come through knowing Jesus. Jesus even told us that He has come to “give us life and life more abundantly.” The abundant life is a life overflowing because you have Christ living on the inside.

Christians and churches are dispensers of abundant life. We help connect people to Jesus, and He gives them life and life more abundantly. Abundant life always works. People will always want to have a life that is more full than empty. People will always want a life that is overflowing rather than dry. Our job is simply this: to connect people to Jesus so that they can have abundant life. We can’t give them abundant life, only Jesus can. We can lead them to Jesus.

To be honest, I wrote this blog for me. I needed to write what I was thinking after my lunch conversation. If it helped you, that is even better. I just needed to be reminded that my job as a pastor is to help people find abundant life. Life that is overflowing, not begrudging.

Do You Feel Like It?

A few days ago, I was speaking to our church staff when I made the statement that some people, “feel their way into the grave.” I made the statement without much forethought in the moment, but as I thought about it, I realized how much truth was in it. 

The context for making this statement was regarding spending time with the Lord on a daily basis. I was saying that if we wait until we “feel like it,” we may never make the time to meet with God or read our Bibles. We meet with God and read our Bibles because it is the right thing to do, regardless of how we feel. If we wait until we feel like it, we may never grow spiritually.

There are so many examples of why waiting on your feelings before you act is the wrong thing to do. If you wait until you feel like exercising, you may never workout. If you wait until you feel like attending worship or a small group, you might never make it. If you wait until you feel like giving an offering, you could probably talk yourself out of it. 

The truth is that you can either feel your way into actions, or you can act your way into feelings. The latter is always the better option. When I workout, regardless of how I feel, I always feel good when I am finished. When I read my Bible even if I don’t feel like it, I always feel good that I have done it. After attending church, I feel great even if I initially didn’t feel like going. 

Feelings are great. God created them! However, feelings should always follow the right disciplines in your life – they should never dictate them. As a disciple of Jesus, our goal should be to follow Christ’s example no matter how we feel or don’t feel. No one ever follows Jesus’ example and regrets it. On the other hand, lots of people have decided not to follow Christ’s pattern and wish they had followed it. 

I encourage you to make Jesus the model for your life. Like Paul consistently encouraged us to do, follow the example of Jesus. You will be glad you did.

Are You Disengaged?

I recently had some trouble with my lawn mower. The blade wasn’t engaging and therefore I wasn’t getting any grass cut. My motor was full throttle, but the blade was not making any progress. 

This problem with my mower is the same problem some church members have: they are disengaged with the Church. Their motor still works, but they are not making any real progress in the mission of Christ. 

Thirty years of ministry has given me the opportunity to see lots of good-hearted folks disengage with God’s Church and His mission. They still love God and love people, but they have lost steam when it comes to God’s Church. At one point, they were monster leaders, and now, they hardly attend, or just don’t attend weekend services at all. As I ponder what has happened to my friends, here are a few observations.

First, you can’t separate Christ’s mission and Christ’s Church! 

Two thousand years ago Jesus decided to accomplish His mission using His Church. This was His decision, not mine. I cannot claim to be fulfilling the mission of Jesus apart from His chosen vehicle. 

The Church is supposed to be “on mission.” If it is, then I am called to be engaged with the church. Jesus did not make the Church optional. It is His chosen plan and His chosen vessel to fulfill His mission in this world. You don’t give up on the plan, and you don’t check out on the Church. 

Second, you must stay a contributor and not become a consumer! 

Oh my goodness! Many of the people I see that become disengaged with the Church have slowly transitioned from a contributor to the cause to a consumer of goods. They subtly lose sight of what the mission is really about. The mission actually becomes more about them than it is about making disciples. 

When the mission is about you and “your needs,” you will develop a “take it or leave it” attitude toward the Church. Mission-minded people are willing to do whatever it takes, and consumer-minded people are driven by what they can take. 

Lastly, you never separate the mission from your stage of life! 

I know a lot of people who have disengaged with the Church because their stage of life has changed. In other words, their kids are now grown, and they don’t feel the need to be as committed as they once were. They are retired and don’t want to be tied down like they used to. Are you kidding me? The world is dying and going to Hell, and you don’t want to be committed? 

Listen, you may change things as life changes, but not being committed to the Great Commission is not acceptable. Jesus did not say, “Make disciples as long as it fits your stage of life.” Fulfilling the Great Commission is for every stage of life! 

Don’t disengage from the Church. The mission is too important, and the world needs the Church more than ever. Be sure that the longer you live, the more engaged you are with the mission of the Church and not less.

To find out how to become more engaged at Crossroads,

check out our Next Steps class!

The Three Disciples

You are probably thinking the title of this blog post has a major typo. It doesn’t. Yes, we typically talk about the disciples in terms of a dozen men Jesus spent the most time with and personally trained to eventually oversee His mission. No question, Jesus did have twelve disciples in whom He strategically invested. However, He also had three disciples that He took to a different level than the twelve. Peter, James and John might well be considered the inner circle of the original twelve disciples. Here are a couple of thoughts to consider regarding Jesus and His three. 

Jesus took the three to places He didn’t take the twelve! 

A quick survey of the Gospels reveals that there were some places that Jesus only took Peter, James, and John. He did not take the twelve everywhere He went. When Jesus went to the Mount of Transfiguration, He only took the three. When Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law, He took James and John with Him into Peter’s house. Jesus took only Peter, James, and John when He went to heal the daughter of the Synagogue ruler. While praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a place where He did not take the rest. How and why Jesus took these three to places where he did not take the other nine we will never know. The fact remains that Jesus took Peter, James, and John to places He didn’t take everyone else. 

Only the three are named in Acts! 

If you read the Book of Acts, the only disciples mentioned out of the original twelve are Peter, James, and John. It appears that they took leadership responsibility after Jesus left that the other nine did not take. Peter preaches at Pentecost. Peter and John heal the lame beggar while going into the temple. Peter and John are brought before the Jewish council. Peter and John were sent to the Samaritans when they received the Holy Spirit. James is killed by Herod in Acts chapter twelve. None of the other disciples are mentioned in the Book of Acts, leading us to believe that the fact Jesus spent more time with them was preparing them for more responsibility than the rest.

So, here is the question of the day-who are your three? Who are the individuals you are pouring your life into at a deeper level than anyone else? Who are the individuals you are taking places in ministry that you don’t take anyone else and who are you giving more responsibility? Who is in your inner circle?

Disciples Never Graduate

This is the time of year when students are graduating. People at all levels of education are “walking,” as they say, and receiving their diplomas. As graduations take place all around me, the thought occurred to me that disciples never graduate. Learning never stops in the school of discipleship!

On this side of eternity we will never figure it all out. We will never understand it all. We will never finish the course. We will never arrive spiritually. We are forever in the school of learning what it means to live like Jesus.

Character and conduct require a lifetime of continual development. All the discipleship notebooks in the world won’t get you to a place where character development is complete. All the fill in the blank outlines will never bring you to a point where your conduct is fully transformed.

For the rest of your life you will need the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and the People of God to help you become more like the Son of God. Stay committed to the classroom of discipleship!

If you have grown tired of small groups, accountability, scripture memory, Bible discussion, outreach projects, and prayer–it is time to re-enroll. The disciples of Christ never graduated. They never ceased to grow and learn how to be disciples and how to build more disciples.

Someone once said, “The best time to grow an oak tree was ten years ago. The next best time is today.” Don’t waste ten years, one year, or even a day not being in an environment of growth. Make a commitment today to be part of a disciple-making small group.

One day you will “walk.” Let that day be the day you enter into eternity. Until then, keep learning and growing and stay enrolled in the school of discipleship.

You're God's "Plan A"

There are 7,609,617,230 people besides you living on planet Earth right now. That number increases by an average of 97,400 people every day. Over 326,000,000 of those people live in the United States of America, the third most populated nation on Earth. 10,500,000 Americans reside in the state of Georgia, and close to 140,000 Georgia residents live right here in our county. 

For a guy with my personality, these are exciting numbers. I am a relationally driven extrovert with a natural desire for connection and conversation. A day filled with abundant human interaction excites and energizes me, especially when the dialogue moves beyond ordinary small talk or a brief greeting. I cannot interact with every person on the planet, but population data reminds us that there are plentiful connection opportunities for us each day. More importantly, there are lots and lots of unique souls alive right now that God loves deeply and sent His son to die for.

Whether your personality is like mine or not, God’s clear design is for human beings to interact with one another regularly. No one is wired for or intended to live in isolation, but sadly, modern research indicates our world is more lonely and socially deprived than ever. The non-stop progression of technology and increasing consumer convenience are making everyday interaction less common or even necessary. Some of us no longer shop for our own groceries, and perhaps the majority of your daily “socializing” occurs while staring at a soul-less screen. “Social” media has hardly made us more social; more likely, it has made us more cynical and judgmental of the people around us. 

Despite these cultural shifts and the decrease of everyday human interaction, God’s plan to the reach the world remains unchanged. We, God’s dearly loved sons and daughters, are Plan A for reaching those around us. There is no Plan B. 2 Corinthians 5:20 reminds us that we are Christ’s ambassadors, and He is making His appeal to the world through us. Therefore, we must pursue one another with the love of Christ and consistently connect with each other through conversation and shared community. It’s not a convenient or narcissistic plan. It’s not the path of least resistance, and it will require that we tear down the barriers we have put in place to shield ourselves from others. Godly love and authentic connection require self denial, sacrifice, and a servant’s heart. 

I challenge you to renew your commitment to connection, conversation, and community with others this week. Invite people to church or work on building relationships with those around you. Don’t be afraid of strangers! Everyone you come in contact with deserves a warm, personalized invitation. Don’t let your non-social media platforms do all your talking and interacting for you. God didn’t have Facebook posts and creative digital graphics in mind when He commanded us to love others and make disciples. Jesus began His ministry on Earth by establishing genuine relationships and personally inviting people to be a part of the greatest mission of all time. The strategy of God has been the same ever since. It works, and you were designed to be a part of it. Make it your priority to speak up and speak into the lives of those around you!

Seven Steps

I love the New Year! I love the New Year because it is filled with possibilities and potential. I get excited when the blank page of a New Year is ahead of me waiting to be written on. So much opportunity exists as the old year rolls into the new, and people begin making changes and taking on new adventures. 

I always think of the New Year as a chance to help people make desired changes in their lives. I see part of my role as a spiritual leader as helping people discover the adventure of walking with God. I always feel like part of my job is to help people take steps each year in becoming the disciples they were meant to be. This year is no different. As much as anything else I do as a Pastor, I would love to see every person in our church take as many steps as possible in their walk as a disciple of Christ. 

One of the first steps I would love to see people take is the step of membership in a local church. Membership gets a bad rap these days, but it is still important and still a much needed step in our spiritual growth. People who bash the idea of membership these days ought to ask a believer in first century Jerusalem if it was important. 

Another step I would love to see people make is becoming a consistent magnifier of Christ. Being a consistent magnifier simply means being a person that worships both privately and publicly. Never underestimate the importance of what a commitment to personal and corporate worship will mean to your spiritual growth.

The next step I pray that people will take is a step into maturity. Maturity is the process of growing from an infant in the faith to an adult in the faith. This growth or maturity process does not happen by accident. It takes an intentional plan and an environment like a small group to grow and get deeper in your walk with God.

A fourth step I hope people will take is the step of ministry. Wow! Imagine what could happen if the majority of people in our church took a step onto a ministry team? It would be incredible to see everyone in our church doing something, big or small, to serve God. I have to think Jesus would be pretty honored by that.

The fifth step I would love to see people take is the step into managing. In other words, being a good steward of what God has given them. If everyone decided to be a better manager of their time, their money, their bodies, or their abilities, it would make a huge difference in the growth of God’s kingdom.

A sixth step I encourage people to take is the step of becoming a messenger. If everyone in our church shared Christ with someone else in the coming year that would be incredible. Being a messenger just takes a willingness to let God use you to share with someone else.

The last step is to take the step into multiplication. A multiplier is someone who makes a disciple that makes another disciple. When we have a church filled with multipliers, Satan starts trembling in his boots. I would love to see more people making disciples than ever before.

So, what about you? Are you ready to take a step? Would you be willing to take more than one? Let this be a year of growth for you. Don’t keep crawling when it is time to start walking!

Walking as a Disciple

A man coming home from work noticed his neighbor struggling with a large box in his front doorway. Desiring to help, he parks his car and quickly runs to pick up one side of the box. The two struggle and fight with the box for 10 minutes until finally the helpful neighbor sets his side of the box down and proclaims, “Friend, I don’t think we will ever get this box in the house!” Frustrated and bewildered the neighbor in need barks out, “In the house? I have been trying to get the box out of the house!”

I can think of countless embarrassing moments in my life where what I thought was going to be a help actually wasn’t. Has that ever happened to you? Many times we as believers can see what we think is a need and charge in to solve it, but actually end up stopping all progress and keeping the Kingdom from moving forward. 

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul lays down the tracks for how the believers are to live as the body of Christ.  

Ephesians 4:1-6

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

If we want to help the Kingdom of God move forward (help get the box where it is designed to go) then we must all understand what we are to do. 

We are to walk worthy

What does it mean to walk in a manner worthy of our calling? To be a disciple, a part of the body of Christ, a member of the church, is a high calling. It is something that we are not worthy of in our sin, and when we are called out of our sin to follow and walk with him, we are given something we could never buy. We become children of God! We are now no longer our own, we were bought with a price! Our lives are found in Christ, and we live our life through him! Our lives are rescued by Christ, and his calling to follow him changes the direction of every decision we make.

We are to consider others greater than ourselves

In verse 2 we are urged to be humble, gentle, and patient with each other. Showing love and maintaining unity causes us to think less of ourselves and more of others. In the letter to the Romans, Paul tells us to outdo one another in showing honor (Rom 12:10). This can’t happen unless we believe that others’ needs are greater than our own needs.

We are to trust God and love his Church

God is serious about the church. It is his chosen method of reaching the world. And the church will not change in its make-up and in its purpose, ever! We are a body of disciples who are focused on making more disciples. We have the promise that God is over all things, working through all things, and in all things. If we trust that God is working through his church, then we must trust the church and serve with everything we have.

Reminder of the goal (being and building disciples)

We must never forget that the greatest thing we can ever do or be a part of is the body of Christ. Our faith in Christ is the only thing we truly have that can never be taken from us. This same faith is what we take to the people around us. We pray that they will place their trust in Christ as well. We need to be disciples who build disciples. This is how we came to Christ, and it is our duty to do the same for others around us!

A challenge for your life

Are you a disciple? Have you placed your trust in Christ and begun to follow him? You can begin that journey today! Place your trust in Christ and follow his lead found in the Bible. Join a small group and get in an environment where you can grow.         

How are you being a disciple? What marks can you point to as evidence that you are a disciple? Could you be convicted in court of being a disciple of Christ?

Want to learn more about what it means to be a disciple?

Check out "Seven Steps" by Ken Adams!