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GUEST POST~ Discipleship Principles vs. Methodology

New blog post from Bob Logan

Methods, approaches, and styles change over time. Different strategies work in different seasons. Trends in ministry come and go. Yet I wonder: among all the change, what stays the same? As the culture shifts and changes around us, what proven principles remain firm and reliable? Applying those principles to discipleship methodologies can help your church grow more and better disciples. So, what are discipleship principles?

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” —Isaiah 40:8

6 Principles of Discipleship

When you study the way Christ discipled his followers, a pattern emerges. He applied different methods but the heart and purpose—the principles—behind the method is consistent. These are the principles behind discipleship:

     1.Discipleship is personal. It’s always tailored and customized to the individual and their own unique journey of growth. Their path of discipleship must fit them… otherwise it’s like David in Saul’s armor. 

     2.Discipleship is relational. It’s always done in connection with other people: never alone. One can never disciple oneself. 

     3.Discipleship is intentional. It’s never accidental, but on-purpose. There is a direction and flow of energy in that direction: toward fullness in Christ. 

     4.Discipleship is consistent. It’s constant over time, not one-and-done. “A long obedience in the same direction,” as Eugene Peterson put it. 

     5.Discipleship is Spirit-led. The Holy Spirit must lead the process because we don’t know ahead of time where he wants to take us or what specifically he wants us to do. There is no prefab template to follow; what we need to follow is the in-the-moment leading of the Holy Spirit. 

     6.Discipleship is outcome-focused. Obedience takes precedence over knowledge as we move more and more towards forming the character of Christ and the following the mission of Christ. What matters is what we do with it. 

    Consider: can you find any exceptions? Any instances in which the above items were not an essential component of discipleship?

Methodologies Measured by Principles

Principles never change. Methods can and should change. If you are doing discipleship the way it’s always been done or you are not experiencing growth, it’s time to take a hard look at effectiveness of your discipleship methods. People change. Cultures change. Context changes. If you are serious about living out the Great Commission, you have to ensure your discipleship methods are effectively reaching your community.

Take an honest look at your current discipleship methodologies by holding them up to the timeless principles. Here are some examples of low, average, and high effectiveness in each principle. Where does your discipleship program land?

Discipleship is personal.

•(L) If people are involved in our ministries we assume that they are growing as disciples.

•(A) We have a linear discipleship program. Everyone starts in the same place and follows the same path.

•(H) We meet people where they are at and help them determine and take their next best step toward Jesus.

Discipleship is relational.

•(L) We don’t have intentional, personal discipleship conversations.

•(A) We have some mature Christians who meet one-on-one to disciple others.

•(H) Our congregants have healthy relationships inside and outside of the church. People are growing as disciples while making more disciples.

Discipleship is intentional.

•(L) We seek to address discipleship needs through sermons and curriculum.

•(A) A high percentage of our people attend a small group.

•(H) We equip people to discern and live into their gifts and calling.

Discipleship is consistent.

•(L) Discipleship relationships tend to fall apart without ongoing staff involvement.

•(A) Our church has rhythms for classes and small groups that address discipleship.

•(H) We continually help people engage in their spiritual formation and build redemptive relationships.

Discipleship is Spirit-led.

•(L) We stick to a curriculum based approach to discipleship.

•(A) When the Spirit provides a word that directly speaks to someone we don’t follow up on it.

•(H) We discern the promptings of the Holy Spirit and maintain focus until the vision becomes reality.

Discipleship is outcome-focused.

•(L) Church is a come and see model. We provide solid biblical teaching for those who enter our doors.

•(A) We have a solid mission statement but only a few are actively engaged pursuing that mission.

•(H) We have stated goals and objectives that relate directly to the Great Commandments and Great Commission. We regularly assess our methodologies and adapt them for greater effectiveness.

Principle-based Discipleship Programs

Where did you come out? A good way to check your answers is to measure the overall fruit produced. If you landed on the Low side, your church has likely plateaued or even experiencing slow decline. If you determined you are Average, you likely have a solid core group of people who are close to one another. Growth is slow and mostly church transfers. However, if you are seeing new people come to Christ and people are experiencing lasting transformation, it’s safe to confirm you are indeed on the High end of discipleship programming.

Wherever you land, it’s always good to make sure your methods—and your people—are solidly formed in discipleship principles.

In what ways can you ensure that each of the principles listed above remains present and central in the discipleship process used by your ministry? What methods or trends are you including in your discipleship process are no longer working? How can you better connect them to the discipleship principles?

Resources

The Discipleship Difference– Are you frustrated with your discipleship efforts? Are you noticing an imbalance between personal growth as a disciple and passing it on? The Discipleship Difference lays out an intentional, holistic, and relational approach to discipleship. It is simple in structure and flexible enough to meet each person wherever they are and help them take their next best step in their relationship with God.

Guide for Discipling- Ready for serious growth as a disciple of Christ? This scripture-based guide will challenge you to take the next steps. This nonlinear guide is great for personal study but better done in community with others. Grab a couple of people to walk through this guide together to experience transformation. Available for the LutheranVineyard, and Episcopal church cultures as well.

The post Discipleship Principles vs. Methodology appeared first on Logan Leadership.

 Copyright © 2022 Robert E. Logan, All rights reserved.

Read more…
 
Happy 2022!
 
Good Questions allow the one asking to find out something they did not know!
 
Great Questions allow the one being asked to discover things about themselves that they were unaware of! 
 
Below are 365 Great Questions for you to ask others and yourself throughout 2022  to discover things you were previously unaware of!  Yes - a question for every day of the year.
 
I recently heard from a friend who shared that she and one of her friends connect for a quick phone call daily to ask each other the question for that day!  Other than discussing the usual topics of weather and family and what's on their schedule for the day, these questions allow both of them to discover new things about themselves and each other that they were previously unaware of!
 
Ministry is really about relationship!  A quote I love by Andrew Sobel says, "Telling creates resistance!  Asking creates relationship!"   Here is a steady supply of questions that will allow you to build relationships with the new acquaintances that God puts in your path and will allow you to deepen relationships with those you are already connected to! 
 
After you have had the opportunity to take a quick look at all 365 - I would love to know the Top 10 Questions you have identified from the whole list!  You can simply type the number of the question in the "Comment Section" below​.
 
Here are some that allow me to reexamine and rethink​:​ 7, 30, 71, 185, 209, 326 and 358.
 
Love in Christ,
Bob Tiede
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Leadership Development Team  /  Cru
bob.tiede@cru.org   /   214-213-2179
LeadingWithQuestions.com   /   339QuestionsJesusAsked.com
Happy 2022!
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365 Thought Provoking Questions to Ask Yourself and Others in 2022CeScgR6kd76Y6CBJ_V8H_frJDnscdqwcjqjvC4mnx1nuEWpVz5NvCudUavLuLjxKU_F7gVes53_dzuXRo65Yxf_uvMNrbL0NByp1hwVY3ZgZI7ypHJ_RAToHxwVOMJGPicjw3dacYUj7FPyB6twKyag97aE3fg=s0-d-e1-ft#<a href=

Guest Post by Marc and Angel Chernoff

 

Happy 2022!


       "Asking the right questions is the answer.”

That’s the tagline at the top of our sister site Thought Questions.  The site thrives on the philosophy that a question that makes you think is worth asking.  So we’ve made a ritual of asking one new thought provoking question every day for our visitors to ponder and answer.

Over the past years we have received countless requests to compile all the questions and place them on a single page that can be easily printed and reviewed.  So here it is.  A whole year’s worth of thought provoking questions to get your mind moving.

  1. When was the last time you tried something new?
  2. Who do you sometimes compare yourself to?
  3. What’s the most sensible thing you’ve ever heard someone say?
  4. What gets you excited about life?
  5. What life lesson did you learn the hard way?
  6. What do you wish you spent more time doing five years ago?
  7. Do you ask enough questions or do you settle for what you know?
  8. Who do you love and what are you doing about it?
  9. What’s a belief that you hold with which many people disagree?
  10. What can you do today that you were not capable of a year ago?
  11. Do you think crying is a sign of weakness or strength?
  12. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
  13. Do you celebrate the things you do have?
  14. What is the difference between living and existing?
  15. If not now, then when?
  16. Have you done anything lately worth remembering?
  17. What does your joy look like today?
  18. Is it possible to lie without saying a word?
  19. If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow this person to be your friend?
  20. Which activities make you lose track of time?
  21. If you had to teach something, what would you teach?
  22. What would you regret not fully doing, being or having in your life?
  23. Are you holding onto something that you need to let go of?
  24. When you are 80-years-old, what will matter to you the most?
  25. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards and just do what you know is right?
  26. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
  27. Would you break the law to save a loved one?
  28. What makes you smile?
  29. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
  30. If you had the opportunity to get a message across to a large group of people, what would your message be?
  31. If the average human lifespan was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
  32. What do we all have in common besides our genes that makes us human?
  33. If you could choose one book as a mandatory read for all high school students, which book would you choose?
  34. Would you rather have less work or more work you actually enjoy doing?
  35. What is important enough to go to war over?
  36. Which is worse, failing or never trying?
  37. When was the last time you listened to the sound of your own breathing?
  38. What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
  39. What does ‘The American Dream’ mean to you?
  40. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
  41. If you could instill one piece of advice in a newborn baby’s mind, what advice would you give?
  42. What is the most desirable trait another person can possess?
  43. What are you most grateful for?
  44. Is stealing to feed a starving child wrong?
  45. What do you want most?
  46. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
  47. What has life taught you recently?
  48. What is the one thing you would most like to change about the world?
  49. Where do you find inspiration?
  50. Can you describe your life in a six word sentence?
  51. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
  52. What impact do you want to leave on the world?
  53. What is the most defining moment of your life thus far?
  54. In the haste of your daily life, what are you not seeing?
  55. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
  56. What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?
  57. Have you ever regretted something you did not say or do?
  58. Has your greatest fear ever come true?
  59. Why do we think of others the most when they’re gone?
  60. What is your most beloved childhood memory?
  61. Is it more important to love or be loved?
  62. If it all came back around to you, would it help you or hurt you?
  63. If you had the chance to go back in time and change one thing would you do it?
  64. If a doctor gave you five years to live, what would you try to accomplish?
  65. What is the difference between falling in love and being in love?
  66. Who do you think stands between you and happiness?
  67. What is the difference between innocence and ignorance?
  68. What is the simplest truth you can express in words?
  69. What gives your life meaning?
  70. Can there be happiness without sadness?  Pleasure without pain?  Peace without war?
  71. What’s the one thing you’d like others to remember about you at the end of your life?
  72. Is there such a thing as perfect?
  73. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
  74. What does it mean to be human?
  75. If you looked into the heart of your enemy, what do you think you would find that is different from what is in your own heart?
  76. What do you love most about yourself?
  77. Where would you most like to go and why?
  78. Is it more important to do what you love or to love what you are doing?
  79. What do you imagine yourself doing ten years from now?
  80. What small act of kindness were you once shown that you will never forget?
  81. What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special?
  82. Do you own your things or do your things own you?
  83. Would you rather lose all of your old memories or never be able to make new ones?
  84. How do you deal with someone in a position of power who wants you to fail?
  85. What do you have that you cannot live without?
  86. When you close your eyes what do you see?
  87. What sustains you on a daily basis?
  88. What are your top five personal values?
  89. Why must you love someone enough to let them go?
  90. Do you ever celebrate the green lights?
  91. What personal prisons have you built out of fears?
  92. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?
  93. Why are you, you?
  94. If you haven’t achieved it yet what do you have to lose?
  95. What three words would you use to describe the last three months of your life?
  96. Is it ever right to do the wrong thing?  Is it ever wrong to do the right thing?
  97. How would you describe ‘freedom’ in your own words?
  98. What is the most important thing you could do right now in your personal life?
  99. If you could ask one person, alive or dead, only one question, who would you ask and what would you ask?
  100. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
  101. What is your number one goal for the next six months?
  102. Would you ever give up your life to save someone else?
  103. Are you happy with yourself?
  104. What is the meaning of ‘peace’ to you?
  105. What are three moral rules you will never break?
  106. What does it mean to allow another person to truly love you?
  107. Who or what do you think of when you think of love?
  108. If your life was a novel, what would be the title and how would your story end?
  109. What would you not give up for $1,000,000 in cash?
  110. When do you feel most like yourself?
  111. When you help someone do you ever think, “What’s in it for me?”
  112. What is your greatest challenge?
  113. How do you know when it’s time to continue holding on or time to let go?
  114. How do you define success?
  115. If someone could tell you the exact day and time you are going to die, would you want them to tell you?
  116. If I could grant you one wish what would you wish for?
  117. What have you read online recently that inspired you?
  118. Why do religions that advocate unity divide the human race?
  119. If you could live one day of your life over again, what day would you choose?
  120. What can money not buy?
  121. If you left this life tomorrow, how would you be remembered?
  122. Beyond the titles that others have given you, who are you?
  123. If you could live the next 24 hours and then erase it and start over just once, what would you do?
  124. Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
  125. What word best describes the way you’ve spent the last month of your life?
  126. What makes everyone smile?
  127. What do you owe yourself?
  128. What would your ‘priceless’ Mastercard-style commercial be?
  129. Can you think of a time when impossible became possible?
  130. Why do you matter?
  131. How have you changed in the last five years?
  132. What are you sure of in your life?
  133. When you think of ‘home,’ what, specifically, do you think of?
  134. What’s the difference between settling for things and accepting the way things are?
  135. How many of your friends would you trust with your life?
  136. What’s your definition of heaven?
  137. What is your most prized possession?
  138. How would you describe yourself in one sentence?
  139. What stands between you and happiness?
  140. What makes a person beautiful?
  141. Is there ever a time when giving up makes sense?
  142. What makes you proud?
  143. How do you find the strength to do what you know in your heart is right?
  144. Where do you find peace?
  145. When have you worked hard and loved every minute of it?
  146. How short would your life have to be before you would start living differently today?
  147. Is it better to have loved and lost or to have never loved at all?
  148. What would you do if you made a mistake and somebody died?
  149. Who do you trust and why?
  150. If you were forced to eliminate every physical possession from your life with the exception of what could fit into a single backpack, what would you put in it?
  151. When does silence convey more meaning than words?
  152. How do you spend the majority of your free time?
  153. Who do you think of first when you think of ‘success?’
  154. What did you want to be when you grew up?
  155. How will today matter in five years from now?
  156. How have you helped someone else recently?
  157. What is your greatest skill?
  158. Do you see to believe or believe to see?
  159. How are you pursuing your dreams right now?
  160. What’s the next big step you need to take?
  161. If today was the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today?
  162. If today was the last day of your life, who would you call and what would you tell them?
  163. Who do you dream about?
  164. What do you have trouble seeing clearly in your mind?
  165. What are you looking forward to?
  166. What is the number one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
  167. When is love a weakness?
  168. What has been the most terrifying moment of your life thus far?
  169. Who is the strongest person you know?
  170. If you could take a single photograph of your life, what would it look like?
  171. Is the reward worth the risk?
  172. For you personally, what makes today worth living?
  173. What have you done in the last year that makes you proud?
  174. What did you learn recently that changed the way you live?
  175. What is your fondest memory from the past three years?
  176. What are the primary components of a happy life?
  177. How would the world be different if you were never born?
  178. What is your favorite song and why?
  179. With the resources you have right now, what can you do to bring yourself closer to your goal?
  180. What are your top three priorities?
  181. Why do we idolize sports players?
  182. What is the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?
  183. What do you see when you look into the future?
  184. What makes you angry?  Why?
  185. What is the most valuable life lesson you learned from your parents?
  186. What does love feel like?
  187. What are your favorite simple pleasures?
  188. If you could go back in time and tell a younger version of yourself one thing, what would you tell?
  189. What do you do to deliberately impress others?
  190. What will you never do?
  191. Excluding romantic relationships, who do you love?
  192. What is your earliest childhood memory?
  193. What book has had the greatest influence on your life?
  194. What three questions do you wish you knew the answers to?
  195. What is the greatest peer pressure you’ve ever felt?
  196. What’s the biggest lie you once believed was true?
  197. In your lifetime, what have you done that hurt someone else?
  198. What’s the best part of growing older?
  199. What’s been on your mind most lately?
  200. What do you think is worth waiting for?
  201. What chances do you wish you had taken?
  202. Where else would you like to live?  Why?
  203. What motivates you to go to work each day?
  204. What do you wish you had done differently?
  205. What is your greatest strength and your greatest weakness?
  206. When was the last time you lied?  What did you lie about?
  207. What made you smile this week?
  208. What do you do with the majority of your money?
  209. What motivates you to be your best?
  210. When was the last time you lost your temper?  About what?
  211. What will you never give up on?
  212. When you look into the past, what do you miss the most?
  213. How would you describe the past year of your life in one sentence?
  214. What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?
  215. What makes you uncomfortable?
  216. If you had to move 3000 miles away, what one thing would you miss the most?
  217. What worries you about the future?
  218. What one ‘need’ and one ‘want’ will you strive to achieve in the next twelve months?
  219. What life lessons did you have to experience firsthand before you fully understood them?
  220. Do you like the city or town you live in?  Why or why not?
  221. What’s the best part of being you?
  222. When you look back over the past month, what single moment stands out?
  223. What do you do to relieve stress?
  224. What is your happiest memory?
  225. What is your saddest memory?
  226. What would you like to change?
  227. How many people do you love?
  228. What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
  229. What’s your favorite true story that you enjoy sharing with others?
  230. Right now, at this moment, what do you want most?
  231. What are you waiting for?  How are you writing your life’s story?
  232. What makes love last?
  233. What good comes from suffering?
  234. What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in the last year?
  235. Based on you current daily actions and routines, where would you expect to be in five years?
  236. What was your last major accomplishment?
  237. Through all of life’s twists and turns who has been there for you?
  238. What or who has been distracting you?
  239. What are you looking forward to in the upcoming week?
  240. Who is your mentor and what have you learned from them?
  241. What are you uncertain about?
  242. What do you think about when you lie awake in bed?
  243. What’s something most people don’t know about you?
  244. When you have a random hour of free time, what do you usually do?
  245. What makes you weird?
  246. If you could relive yesterday what would you do differently?
  247. What do you do over and over again that you hate doing?
  248. Would you rather your child be less attractive and extremely intelligent or extremely attractive and less intelligent?
  249. What white lies do you often tell?
  250. What is the biggest change you have made in your life in the last year?
  251. What do you understand today about your life that you did not understand a year ago?
  252. Whose life have you had the greatest impact on?
  253. What did life teach you yesterday?
  254. Who impresses you?
  255. What have you done that you are not proud of?
  256. When should you reveal a secret that you promised you wouldn’t reveal?
  257. How would you spend your ideal day?
  258. What is the one primary quality you look for in a significant other?
  259. What do you admire most about your mother and father?
  260. What is the best advice you have ever received?
  261. If you could live forever, would you want to?  Why?
  262. If you had to be someone else for one day, who would you be and why?
  263. What positive changes have you made in your life recently?
  264. Who makes you feel good about yourself?
  265. What is your biggest regret?
  266. Which one of your responsibilities do you wish you could get rid of?
  267. What’s something you don’t like to do that you are still really good at?
  268. What type of person angers you the most?
  269. What is missing in your life?
  270. What is your most striking physical attribute?
  271. What has fear of failure stopped you from doing?
  272. Who would you like to please the most?
  273. If you could go back in time and change things, what would you change about the week that just passed?
  274. When you meet someone for the very first time what do you want them to think about you?
  275. Who would you like to forgive?
  276. At what point during the last five years have you felt lost and alone?
  277. What is one opportunity you believe you missed out on when you were younger?
  278. What do you want more of in your life?
  279. What do you want less of in your life?
  280. Who depends on you?
  281. Who has had the greatest impact on your life?
  282. Are you happy with where you are in your life?  Why?
  283. In one year from today, how do you think your life will be different?
  284. How have you sabotaged yourself in the past five years?
  285. Other than money, what else have you gained from your current job?
  286. Whom do you secretly envy?  Why?
  287. In twenty years, what do you want to remember?
  288. What are you most excited about in your life right now – today?
  289. What experience from this past year do you appreciate the most?
  290. What is the most enjoyable thing your family has done together in the last three years?
  291. How many hours of television do you watch in a week?  A month?  A year?
  292. What is the biggest obstacle that stands in your way right now?
  293. What do you sometimes pretend you understand that you really don’t?
  294. What do you like most about your job?  What do you dislike most about your job?
  295. What’s something new you recently learned about yourself?
  296. In one sentence, how would you describe your relationship with your mother?
  297. What was the most defining moment in your life during this past year?
  298. What’s the number one change you need to make in your life in the next twelve months?
  299. What makes you feel secure?
  300. What is your favorite sound?
  301. What are the top three qualities you look for in a friend?
  302. What simple gesture have you recently witnessed that renewed your hope in humanity?
  303. What is your favorite smell?
  304. What recent memory makes you smile the most?
  305. In one word, how would you describe your childhood?
  306. What celebrities do you admire?  Why?
  307. What is the number one motivator in your life right now?
  308. What music do you listen to to lift your spirits when you’re feeling down?
  309. If I gave you $1000 and told you that you had to spend it today, what would you buy?
  310. What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
  311. What is your biggest pet peeve?
  312. Who was the last person you said “I love you” to?
  313. What is your biggest phobia?
  314. What are some recent compliments you’ve received?
  315. How many friends do you have in real life that you talk to regularly?
  316. How much money per month is enough for you to live comfortably?
  317. When was your first impression of someone totally wrong?
  318. How many hours a week do you spend online?
  319. What do you love to do?
  320. What specific character trait do you want to be known for?
  321. Are you more like your mom or your dad?  In what way?
  322. What is the number one quality that makes someone a good leader?
  323. What bad habits do you want to break?
  324. What is your favorite place on Earth?
  325. What do you love to practice?
  326. What questions do you often ask yourself?
  327. What are you an expert at?
  328. How would an extra $1000 a month change your life?
  329. What things in life should always be free?
  330. What is your favorite time of the year?
  331. What is something you have always wanted since you were a kid?
  332. What is the most recent dream you remember having while sleeping?
  333. What confuses you?
  334. In what way are you your own worst enemy?
  335. When did you not speak up when you should have?
  336. What is your favorite quote?
  337. What is your favorite fictional story?  (novel, movie, fairytale, etc.)
  338. Where or who do you turn to when you need good advice?
  339. What artistic medium do you use to express yourself?
  340. Who or what is the greatest enemy of mankind?
  341. What’s something you wish you had done earlier in life?
  342. What is the closest you have ever come to fearing for your life?
  343. How do you deal with isolation and loneliness?
  344. What do you know well enough to teach to others?
  345. What’s a quick decision you once made that changed your life?
  346. What have you lost interest in recently?
  347. What makes life easier?
  348. What was the last thing you furiously argued about with someone?
  349. What job would you never do no matter how much it paid?
  350. What is the number one solution to healing the world?
  351. What could society do without?
  352. What stresses you out?
  353. Now that it’s behind you, what did you do last week that was memorable?
  354. Where do you spend most of your time while you’re awake?
  355. What makes someone a hero?
  356. When in your life have you been a victim of stereotyping?
  357. When was the last time you felt lucky?
  358. When did you first realize that life is short?
  359. What is the most insensitive thing a person can do?
  360. What can someone do to grab your attention?
  361. What do you usually think about on your drive home from work?
  362. What’s one downside of the modern day world?
  363. What simple fact do you wish more people understood?
  364. If you could do it all over again, would you change anything?
  365. How would you describe your future in three words?

Also, we’d love it if you visited MarcAndAngel.comand shared some of your answers with us.

 

 
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marc and Angel Chernoff are professional coaches, full-time students of life, admirers of the human spirit, and have been recognized by Forbes as having “one of the most popular personal development blogs.”  Through their blog, book, course and coaching, they’ve spent the past decade writing about and teaching proven strategies for finding lasting happiness, success, love and peace.  Click "HERE" to purchase their newest book: "1000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently."

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GUEST POST: A New Call for Extraordinary Prayer

9973809292?profile=RESIZE_400xBy Dave Butts

With all that has been happening in our nation, it eventually becomes very easy to allow our attention to be diverted back to what we call “normal.” Unfortunately, “normal” often means life without God and without a dependence upon Him in prayer. I believe it is vital for us to hold on to our first response – – the response of prayer.

The Church desperately needs to both issue and respond to a new call for extraordinary prayer. Extraordinary prayer goes beyond the normal expectations of the past. It is prayer that can bring God’s power to bear on a whole new world facing us–a world of uncertainty, fear and war.

The Bible records times of extraordinary prayer like this. One good example occurred in the Book of Esther. The crisis there concerned the lives of every Jew held captive in Babylon. A decree had been issued that would result in genocide for the Jews. Queen Esther was going to risk her life by going to the King on behalf of her people; however, before she went, she called her people to three days of prayer and fasting for her mission. Extraordinary prayer brought about extraordinary deliverance.

The Book of Ezra gives another good example of extraordinary prayer. Ezra was preparing to lead a group of the exiles back from Babylon to Jerusalem. The king had even offered troops for protection on the perilous journey. But Ezra had refused the troops, pointing out that God Himself would protect them. As the people gathered, Ezra began to realize how dangerous the trip would be and that they should not merely presume upon God’s protection. So he called the people to humble themselves and pray and fast over the journey. God heard their prayers and gave them safe passage to their destination.

There are many examples of this in more recent history. The great British preacher, Charles H. Spurgeon, was used by God to bring many into the Kingdom and in the process, a large church was built in London. He challenged his people to extraordinary prayer if they wanted to see God’s hand at work in their church. He wrote, “Dear Friends, we do not know what God may do for us if we do but pray for a blessing of the Holy Spirit… Have we not tried to preach without trying to pray? Is it not likely that the church has been putting forth its preaching hand but not its praying hand? O Dear friends! Let us agonize in prayer, and it shall come to pass that this Music Hall shall witness the sighs and groans of the penitent and the songs of the converted. It shall yet happen that this vast host shall not come and go as now it does, but little the better; but men shall go out of this hall praising God and saying–It was good to be there; it was none other than the house of God, and the very gate of heaven. This much to stir you up to prayer.”

In the United States, the revivals known as the Great Awakenings came in response to Christians gathering for extraordinary prayer. Often called “Concerts of Prayer,” God used these times of prayer to bring awakening to His people. Robert Bakke in his wonderful book, The Power of Extraordinary Prayer writes, “It (the Concert of Prayer) was born out of convictions that say with certainty that, regardless of how bright or dark the hour we live in, God is about to do something greater than He’s ever done before. Furthermore, it said that God would not move forward with His ever-increasing and ever more marvelous plans until Christians agreed with Him and agreed with each other about what He was going to do. A great and lucid vision of Christ’s earthly reign was before their eyes–with every nation, people, tribe and tongue united as one company before the throne of God, Christ the Son, and the sevenfold Spirit. It was a compelling vision that would not let Christians rest or let go of God until the rule of God held sway in every aspect of life.” (Pg.133)

Read again that last sentence from Bakke: “It was a compelling vision that would not let Christians rest or let go of God until the rule of God held sway in every aspect of life.” Have you ever made a decision to pray like that? Not merely God bless us or even God protect us–but a life-changing commitment to pray until the “rule of God held sway in every aspect of life”? This should not just be a response made only by individual Christians. Has your church made a decision to pray extraordinarily for the working of God’s power? The key to the Concert of Prayer was for Christians to gather together for times of extraordinary prayer–as was the practice of the early Church.

We are living in times that are not “normal.” What has been normal for us in our prayer life and experience of Christianity will not suffice for this hour. God is calling us to extraordinary prayer! How will you respond?

Dave Butts is the chairman of America’s National Prayer Committee and the co-founder and president of Harvest Prayer Ministries. His popular prayer guide, Asleep in the Land of Nod has been used by hundreds of churches to help their congregations pray for revival.

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GUEST POST~ New Prayers for a New Year

GUEST POST ~ New Prayers for a New Year

By Kim Butts, Harvest Prayer Ministries9969384852?profile=RESIZE_400x

Our creative Father loves to develop newness in and around His people. He is at work to transform us from old to new. By the power of His Spirit, we are continually being made new day by day. As you look to this new year, consider studying these passages prayerfully by yourself, with your family, or with your small group. Take some time to consider the goodness of the Lord, and how He has made provision to transform you into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Talk about how God has, is, and will continue to make you new. See if you can find new things in every passage that you may never have considered before. Is there a promise? Is there something that gives you courage…or hope? Drink deeply from the well of the Father, who is able to make all things…and all people new.

 

New Birth

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet. 1:3-5).

Describe your new birth in Jesus. Why do you think God is so merciful to us?

Pray: Give God praise for the mercy He has shown you through your new birth, and thank Him for the inheritance ybeing kept for you in heaven that will never perish, spoil or fade!

 

New Life

“We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Rom. 6:4).

Why do you think it is necessary for God’s people to be buried with Jesus in baptism in order to experience new life?

Pray: Thank God for the new life you have through Christ as your old life was buried so that you could have a fresh beginning.

 New Things

“And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He *said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’ Then He said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son'” (Rev. 21:5-7).

“I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not give My glory to another or My praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you” (Isa. 42:8-9).

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland” (Isa. 43:18-19).

How thirsty are you for the water of life? Are you thirsty enough to be overcomers? Are there any idols in your home? What are they? (Keep in mind that they may be “good things.”) What are some things in your past that need to be forgotten? How can you keep from dwelling on them? What are the new things that God is doing in your lives?

Pray: Ask the Father to help you to recognize the idols in your life so that you can turn away from them and put your focus on all of the amazing new things God holds for you in His heart.

 New Songs

“I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD” (Psa. 40:1-3).

“Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples” (Psa. 96:1-3).

My friend, Dick Eastman, President of Every Home for Christ, felt the Lord leading him to sing his prayers for several months. At first, he felt self-conscious and a bit silly; however, as he began to be obedient, the Lord began to give him new songs; new ways to express his love to the Lord. Has God ever put a new song in your mouth? Describe the experience. Try to write and/or sing new songs to the Lord as you pay attention to His glory among the nations and His marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Pray: Father, help me to sing the new songs in my heart as an offering to You! May I glorify You among the nations and put all of my trust in You!

 New Names

“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow…I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth” (Isa. 62:1-2, 6-7).

What do you think God is saying in this passage about Jerusalem’s new name? Talk about others in the Bible to whom God gave a new name like Abraham and Paul. Could the Lord be calling you to be a watchman on the walls in this new year? Could Watchman be your new name?

Pray: Righteous Father, You give new names to people who seek to honor You with their lives. I want to step into my new name as a Watchman on the wall! Train me to be an intercessor for the sake of Your ingdom!

 New Heaven and a New Earth

“Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isa. 65:17).

“But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Pet. 3:13).

Here is an Old Testament passage with a promise, and a New Testament reminder of that promise. Talk about what a new heaven and a new earth might be like. What are you most looking forward to in this home of righteousness?

Pray: Grace-filled Lord, You have made ALL things new in my life. How I look forward to the promise of a new heaven and a new earth! Teach me to live a righteous life of expectancy, always longing for my new home!

 New Compassions

“Because of the LORD’S great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).

What could we be consumed by that God’s love and compassion protects us from? What does it mean to you that the Lord’s compassions are new every morning?

Pray: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your faithfulness that is new every morning! Thank You that you let me begin again with a fresh start each day because of Your compassion.

 New Spirit

“Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’ They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws. They will be My people, and I will be their God” (Ezek. 11:17-20).

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26).

According to the passage in Ezekiel, what will happen when God puts a new spirit in the people of Israel? Has God put a new spirit in you? If so, how do you know?  John 14:26 tells us that the Holy Spirit will be our teacher and our Advocate. How have you experienced His presence in your life through His teaching and advocacy for you?

Pray: Holy Spirit, how grateful I am that You have put a new spirit in me that compels me to follow You more completely. I am so glad to have a heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone! Most of all, I am thankful to know that you will always be there to teach me and to advocate for me! Holy Father, thank You for this amazing gift!

 New Wine and New Wineskins

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved” (Matt. 9:16-17).

Jesus brings a newness of life that cannot be contained within old habits and lifestyles. Have you prepared a new wineskin to receive the new wine He wants to pour into it? How is your new wineskin different from your old one? Perhaps you are still trying to pour new wine into an old wineskin. What has been the result?

Pray: Lord Jesus, You want to pour newness into my heart continually! Help me to replace all of the old habits and my sinfulness with a new wineskin that will contain all of the amazing life You have for me!

 New Covenant

“In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me’” (1 Cor. 11:25).

“He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor. 3:6).

“By calling this covenant ‘new,’ He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear” (Heb. 8:13).

“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant” (Heb. 9:15).

Talk about how the new covenant of Jesus is different from the old covenant of the law. How does the Holy Spirit give life to you? Consider taking communion as an act of remembrance alone or together as a family. Talk about the new covenant and why it is important to be reminded of the sacrifice Christ made for our sins.

Pray: Father, thank You for revealing God’s New Covenant through Jesus. How grateful I am to be free from sin and that I can look forward to the eternal inheritance You have promised!

 New Command

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).

How do you carry out this “new” command in practical, everyday ways? Why is it important for “all men” to know that you are Jesus’ disciples? What new things could you do this year to be obedient to this “new command”?

Pray: Lord Jesus, give me strength each day to carry out this amazing command. May I demonstrate Your love in every relationship and situation every day of my life so that I may bring honor and glory to Your name alone!

 New Creation

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17).

As a family, talk about how you became new creations because of Christ. What old habits and/or lifestyles changed when Jesus came into your lives?

Pray: Lord Jesus, thank You for making me a new creation! Continue to show me how to be made new day by day as I live out the life of Jesus!

 New Self

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:22-24).

What was your former way of life? What does it mean to “be made new in the attitude of your minds”? Do you still struggle with “deceitful desires”? If so, how does Jesus help you? If not, how has Jesus helped you?

Pray: Father, create a new mind and attitude within me as I learn how to  step into the newness of desiring only what You want, rather than indulging my own selfish desires.

 New and Living Way

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:19-22).

How will Jesus’ “new and living way” help you to live differently in this new year? What does this passage teach you about prayer? 

Pray: Father, by the blood of Jesus, You are teaching me day by day to live as He lived. Show me how to step into this new year by drawing near to You with a sincere heart, in full assurance of faith! 

Jesus came to make all things new! Will you and your family choose to honor Him for His sacrifice…this year…and for the rest of your lives? How will this new year be different because of the “new and living way” – the way of Christ Jesus?

–Kim Butts is the co-founder of Harvest Prayer Ministries and the author of The Praying Family.

-Originally posted here>>> here>>>

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Ministries of Francis Frangipane

GUEST POST~ #ReimagineCHURCH... As A Society of Redeemers

Francis Frangipane

There exists a certain degree of hypocrisy among us. What I mean is, without qualms, we condemn the world for not being Christian, yet without remorse we accept we are not Christlike.

I am not saying we shouldn't cry out against evil; sin exists and we must reprove it. However, at some point we must recognize there is more to our destiny than judging sin. God is looking for the perfection of mercy within us. "Mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13), and to follow Christ is to walk the path of mercy toward full redemption.

Recall the words of Paul. He tells us to "have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5). He goes on to explain that Christ existed in the form of God, yet He emptied Himself, took the form of a man, and died for our sins. In other words, He saw the need, but instead of condemning man, He died for man. Paul says we are to have this same attitude in us.

I do not want to be a typical American Christian. I am hungry for more. I want to "grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head [of the church], even Christ" (Eph. 4:15). Our call is to attain "the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ" (v. 13).

Jesus said, "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you" (John 20:21). As Christ was sent into the world to pay the price for sin, so in following Him we become a society of redeemers. When wounded, we forgive; when forced to go one mile, we go two. We bless those who curse us and turn the other cheek to those who strike us. As Christ hung on the cross at Calvary and prayed, "Father, forgive them" (Luke 23:34), so we stand before God, and on behalf of our sinful world, we pray the mercy prayer as well.

I am convinced that the more Christlike the church becomes, the greater will be the backing of Heaven. The more we become a society of redeemers, the more hope we have to see our nation turned back to God.

Adapted from Francis Frangipane's ebook, Spiritual Discernment and the Mind of Christ available in ebook format at www.arrowbookstore.com

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