Discipleship isn't for whimps

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

Pastor Bud (CRMC) spoke a powerful message this morning about discipleship. Powerful doesn’t translate, easy or warm and fuzzy, it translates, if you are serious about your relationship with Christ, then you need to understand this… Jesus gave the great commission to His disciples. We are His disciples.
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If we are neglecting this commission, then aren’t we also denying our role as a follower of Christ? Let that sink in for a minute. Scary, isn’t it.
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Craig Groeschel of Lifechurch.tv say’s that “Christians enjoy a personal relationship with Jesus. Disciples enjoy a shared relationship with Jesus. Our relationship should be personal, but not private".

Without an expressed desire and a plan, we find ourselves just going through life day after day. Let’s start living “intentional” lives. Tell the Lord you want to be His disciple, and show the Lord you will be His disciple.

Good Soldier by Mark Driscoll

If we are going to win the war, we need to know what needs to be done, and how to do it. This video gives us some valuable insight into Church planting. Check out Marks Blog for more info.

Let's give it all away

What if I gave you $500 cash and ask you to spend it wisely. What would you buy?

What if I said you had to spend it on someone else, whom would you choose?

Lets say the money needs to be spent to further Gods kingdom. Perhaps you would give it to the poor. How creative can you get? Could you use this cash to attract a non-believer to church? How many non-believers could you attract? How would you do it? Do you think you could lead someone to the Lord with only a few bucks for coffee? Imagine how far that would go. Maybe you could pay someone’s rent, fix their car, or mow their lawn.

How far can $500 go?

World Missionary Press can produce a 48-page scripture booklet and mail anywhere in the world for only 4¢ each (that’s 12,500 booklets).

Where will you invest yours? Think outside the box. How can you make your money go further. What will make the biggest impact?

Your Sunday school room might need new carpeting, but is that how you want to spend YOUR money? Will that make the difference when visitors come in, Will that be what it takes to push them over the edge, into the arms of Christ? (disclaimer: I'm not against new carpeting. I know that we have a responsibility to maintain our facility. Would you please stay focused on the point.)

Once we figure this out. We'll brainstorm on how we can get $5oo each. Did I mention, our Father owns a thousand cattle on a thousand hills. Maybe He could help.

This is the post most worthy of your comments. So please lets get creative together.

Stupid Dog

Ok. Something lite-hearted for today :)

Why me?

Do you ever feel frustrated by your situation? My wife and I have experienced several difficult ordeals that would qualify as real faith-shakers. I can’t say we ever blamed God, but we have been frustrated as to why, why, why. Why can’t anything seem to go right?

Our son Tyler lived only eight months, all of which was in the hospital. Tyler was premature, weighing only one pound, nine ounces. We were there every day, holding him, feeding him, changing his diapers and caring for him, as any parent should. Tyler didn’t struggle with one main disability, he fought many. At the time of his death, he was blind, deaf, had a tracheotomy, a shunt, brain hemorrhages, rickets, four rectal prolapses, and possibly cerebral palsy and retardation. I remember one of the doctors at Riley’s Children Hospital, telling us that they have seen all of this before, but never all in the same child. Doctors were good at giving us statistics. If ninety-seven percent were one way, Tyler was always in the other three percent. Why?

Our son had lots of love, not only from us, but the nurses loved him too. Tyler had plenty of prayer, not just from us, but also from the whole community. Sometimes as time passes, we can look back with greater understanding, we see how God was working. I’m not bitter, but I still don’t see it. Other times yes, just not this time.

Suppose and big black bear wandered from it’s home in the forest into a crowded resort. The bear had not had contact with humans before and was disturbed by the yelling, screaming and general chaos. In no time, he was surrounded, the men closed in on the bear and he became unnerved and riled up, so one of the men shot him with a single dart. Soon the bear was taking a nap. Several hours later the bear woke up back in the woods. He was safe and had no interest in returning to the resort. The experience was traumatic, “they only wanted to scare me and hurt me,” the bear thought.

Is it possible that we view God in a similar way? We can’t see the bigger picture, and we may never understand it. Sometimes God needs to corner us, or even stick us with a dart for our own protection or good. Not because we were wrong, but because he wants something better for us. Job wasn’t angry with God because he lost everything, He was angry because he had no answers as to why. When God did finally respond to Job, it wasn’t a cozy conversation about why He allowed those afflictions into his life, but rather, God began to mock him “Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand (Job 38:4).

My faith isn’t able to tell me bad things wont happen. Bad things happen everyday. Maybe not to us, but everyday someones son or daughter, mom or dad, will die. Faith is trusting that whatever the outcome, no matter the cost, God is still God, He knows what He is doing, whether or not we understand, He still loves us.

Iraq - to stay or not to stay

When it comes to Iraq, we could be critical on many levels. But as to whether to stay or not, ponder the following illustration. You are on a boat in a body of water. Your boat sinks. Do you plan to swim for an hour and quit, or do you plan to swim until you get to shore or are rescued?

Still saved?

I’ve heard the debate over once saved always saved, since I was in high school (a long time ago). I have never felt this theory could hold water. One argument for this has been the passage John 10:27-28 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. Ok, but can the sheep leave on their own?

Let me tell you where I am coming from and let you decide for yourself. Eli and his sons were priests during Samuel’s childhood. His sons were wicked, with no reverence for God. 1 Samuel 2:30 "Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and your father's house would minister before me forever.' But now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. Did God plan this from the beginning or did Eli and his sons walk way from God to suffer the consciences of their own choices? I say the latter.

What about when God chose the king of Israel. Saul was hand picked, and then later God removed his blessing and replaced him with king David.

Does this confirm the principle of; once you’re in, you can’t get out, even if you willingly choose to? I understand that Gods grace covers us even when we stray. I’m not suggesting that one day your saved and the next day your not, until next week when your saved again. That’s silly. In a marriage you make a commitment. That marriage might be rocky, but you are still married. You will have ups and downs. There maybe unfaithfulness, but your still married. However, you can choose not to be married, even without a legal divorce, the marriage can be dead and lifeless. At what point does it actually cross over, I can’t say. God knows when our hearts have left Him. The thought that God will forgive my unbelief and rebellion even when I don’t seek forgiveness is a deception of false security. Paul writes in Phil 2:12b continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. God is always ready to welcome back his wayward children. God deserve more than a bunch of fence walking Christians planning on His grace to cover their lack of commitment. Live full abundant lives, pressing onward toward the goal, loving God and loving people.

Signs of the heart

In the movie “What women want” Mel Gibson acquires the ability to hear what women are thinking. These sometimes funny and sometimes disturbing thoughts give us a glimpse of the contrast between what we do and say, and what we are really thinking.
Suppose the next time you go to a high school basketball game, everyone in attendance is wearing a sign around their neck with a statement about the condition of their heart. Signs may read; "I’m lonely”, “my dad hates me”, “I hate my dad”, “I’ll give in, if he says he loves me”, “I’m no good”, “nobody loves me”, “I want to die”. That basketball game would become a real drag. Is this a true sample of some of the things what we might find? Suppose you found other signs reading; “if I were invited, I would go to church”, “I need to talk to someone who cares”, “does God know who I am”. How would you respond in these situations? It would be a lot easier to minister to peoples needs if they were right out there for us to see. The truth is, we meet people every day that have these needs. We go right on about our day with no idea what struggles our neighbors are facing.
The next time you are at youth group, at work or school, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you. Pursue an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit so that critical opportunities to minister don’t get overlooked. He can give you openings, lead your conversation, and empower your relationships with virtual strangers. But first we must seek Him. Jesus showed us how to do this when He spoke to the woman at the well. He got right to the point of her greatest need and then He filled it. Her life was changed. The rich young ruler might have had a sign that read, “I’m unwilling to surrender all”. Jesus saw this, and confronted his need. The young man rejected the call to change, and confirmed his own inability. If the next time you are at a restaurant and a little voice encourages you to ask your waiter if you can pray for him, will you do it? This is not a hocus-pocus mind game; it’s simply learning to hear and the willingness to obey when the Spirit.
Father, I pray that your Holy Spirit will be my companion as I strive to do Your will. Amen.

Are you ready for change?

Are you in need of a change? Are you ready to set the course of your life, as it is right now? Do you have the courage to say I want to do better? I grew up in the church. When I look back to when I got saved, I remember being six or seven years old, and I simply prayed that if I hadn’t ever said the words before I wanted to be a Christian. This was just a confirmation of what I had believed all my life. I wasn’t turning the course of my life; I was acknowledging the course of my life.

As a teenager, I attended a large bible study. It seemed that everyone who was “on fire” were ex-druggies. They had a life changing experience when they turned to Christ. 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! I envied such an experience. Not that I desired to dive into sin, but rather to feel the joys and the hope of forgiveness. Like the frog in the frying pan, I’ve gotten so comfortable in “the church”. It’s hard to turn from sin that is socially acceptable. Even in the church.

Sin is bigger than the bad stuff I’ve done.
It’s all the stuff I should have done, but failed to do so.

Are you ready for a change? I am. Although I ‘m not sure what that change will look like, I pray that God will resurrect these dry bones into His service.

Power plant tour

A school class took a field trip to a nearby power plant. As they walked thought the complex the guide would explain how the raw materials were brought in, then converted to produce electric power. They were shown the engineering department, research & development, production and receiving areas. At the end of the tour, the guide asked if there were any questions. One little boy raised his hand and asked how they got the power to his house. The tour guide smiled at the young boys question, and then explained that with such a big facility, they needed all of the energy themselves just to keep the factory running.

In the business world this would be unheard of, in our churches it is to often the norm.

How to Not Mess Up the Great Commission too Much.

I saw this on Under the Dome blog. Definitely worth sharing here.

About me

I’ve updated the “about me” profile the right. As a new blogger, I am still developing a theme or style that is both rewarding to me and interesting to others. I have already, and may continue to share articles from others, but I want this to be more than just a collection of posting of other things I’ve seen. Of course, I guess nothing is truly original.
We are all sums of our experiences. The good, the bad and they way that we have responded to them is what we are today. Whether we are reading, listening or watching, we have the ability to grow from what others have already experienced. As always I welcome your comments.

I'm Anrgy - part II

Our newly elected congress isn’t wasting any time while they pursue their agenda. Two bills are very disturbing to me. The first is the “hate crimes” bill. This is supposed to protect the more vulnerable in our society from being singled out and then persecuted. The opposite is true. This bill will make outlaws out of anyone who speaks anything that is not politically correct. Groups such as the ACLU and moveon.org will define what is considered politically correct speech. We are in trouble folks.
The other bill S.1 (grassroots gag bill) will restrict or eliminate non-profit groups such as Focus on the Family from mentioning any proposed legislation that may negatively or positively affect it’s listeners. In other words congress wants to be able to do what ever it wants without anyone finding out, until it’s to late. This may also affect others such as Rush Limbaugh or Shawn Hannity.
Is our Government out to get us? Perhaps you think I’m paranoid. Don’t be deceived there is a real war against our values and our beliefs. John 15:19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Check out this broadcast from Dr. James Dobson or CitizenLink for more details. If you think common sense will prevail, I’m afraid it may not. Remember we have real enemies, so lets respond in a powerful way by our fervent prayers.

A bike called grace

Paul from church was working in his back yard and struck oil. He became instantly wealthy and because he thinks I am a nice guy he wanted to buy me a brand new Royal Star Tour Deluxe (motorcycle). It was top of the line with all the extras. He wrote out a check for over twenty five thousand dollars and while we were checking out the clerk forgot to add a small fee of $5.30. Paul pulled out a five-dollar bill and was fishing for some change. I said let me get it, and toss down the thirty cents. A few days later I was showing off my new bike and mentioned that Paul and I had both chipped in to pay for it. Although technically I did help, logistically I had nothing to do with covering the cost. Don’t let us get confused about our good works in comparison to Gods grace. Gods grace has paid the bill for us, our works will never compare.

The part about Paul striking it rich and buying me a new motorcycle is fictional…..for now :)