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:49 AM | Author: Missional Organic
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Continuation of:

7 God-Directed Deviations in Disciple Making

and...

From Follow-Up to Follow-In: Expanding on the 7 God-Directed Deviations in Disciple Making





I do not want to force an unnecessary dichotomy between outreach and inreach. A Bi-directional approach is both necessary and biblical. These “deviations,” represent movements and movers. The constant focus outwards often results in ripples without remembering the drop of living water which caused those ripples. Many get caught in the waves and ride those waves but often don’t understand why. Getting caught up in a movement is very different from partaking in a movement. An excessively outwardly focused movement often knows exactly where it is going, but its foundation degrades ever so slightly with more and more distance and some times neglects to acknowledge where it came from. This is demonstrated often by those who find great ease in ministering to those outside of their contexts and find great difficulty within.
Our spheres of interaction are always expanding and contracting. The size of those spheres are often determined by need. When others have need they come into our spheres, our churches, our community groups, and our homes. Likewise when we have need we enter into other’s spheres. Inreach, then, seems the most natural way of initiating a gospel work. It is like coasting downhill. Gravity draws inward. Again, I am not speaking against outreach, but trying to equalize the two by lessening the focus on the one. There are times when the natural rhythms are interrupted by supernatural desires and we have to be sensitive to those.
In ministering to others, we often have to “go find” where the needs are verses “already knowing.” This happens when we disproportion outreach. Think of it as filling a balloon with water. The more you put “in,” the bigger the balloon gets, the more internal pressure it has. Eventually the balloon will burst and the water is projected outward quite naturally. The same occurs within our spheres of influence. The more that are effected by the gospel, equipped to minister to others, and are encouraged unto good works, the more spiritual pressure exists. Eventually that pressure has to release itself and does so through expanding outward in outreach. There is a plant here where we work in the Cloud Forest of Ecuador that develops a flower of sorts that contains seeds the seeds are “spring loaded.” When the internal pressure of that flower is just right, it only takes the slightest touch to explode and send those life generating seeds outward.
These deviations, as I said earlier represent movements and movers, shifts in direction, refocusing, and in many instances going against the established patterns of artificial momentum. Each of us must decide within our own spheres as to whether it is time to “Get Out of Here,” or “Get in There.” I believe these deviations can be applied regardless of where you find yourselves and are reproducible regardless of your context.
In and For Him,
Miguel Labrador


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Age-wise

Age should speak; an abundance of years should teach wisdom.

But it is the spirit in a person, the breath from SHADDAI,

that gives him understanding.”

-Job 32:7,8

When I was young, I sought the counsel of many elderly and to my dismay, I discovered that wisdom does not necessarily come with gray hair. I was not seeking wisdom that comes from muchformal education but a wisdom that is gleaned from fruitful experience. I met many pretenders who assumed thatbecause they had the credentials that they were wise but again, their behaviorbetrayed their foolishness.


When I took the entrance test to enter university, I only passed it by a hair-breathe. During my first year, Imet a 17-year old missionary who introduced me to the LORD YESHUA and instructedme strictly in the Scriptures. His walkof faith inspired me to embrace the way of YESHUA. There was one thing I asked of the LORD aboveall else – wisdom. I knew that I neededwisdom to consistently walk by faith: wisdom to discern what is right and whatis wrong; wisdom to understand theScriptures, interpret it and apply it to my daily walk; wisdom to “see” GOD’s activity around me; wisdom to see problems and know itssolutions; and wisdom to choose GOD’s way and not my way.


The search for wisdom is never ending. But one thing I have learned, man’s spirit must work in tandem with theHOLY SPIRIT to operate effectively in the physical realm and in the spiritualrealm. It is only when man’s spirit isattentive to the promptings of the HOLY SPIRIT that he avoid much grief andwalk a joyful, abundant, even if not easy, life. It is only when the HOLY SPIRIT is theprimary Teacher, even when asleep, that man will grow in wisdom. It is only when man confronts his dailychallenges with his hand on YESHUA’s hand, that he overcomes. It is only when man consciously involves GODin his thoughts, his plans, his speech and in whatever he finds his hands todo, that he truly becomes wise.


When man discovers that he is not the center of his universe but YESHUA, he finds wisdom.


Let it never be said that we have lived long and learned so little!


מלאך

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The Most Powerful Word In The Bible

If.

Two letters, one word.
Jesus said: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)

What is it to be a disciple of Christ?
It is to come after him. A true disciple of Christ is one that follows him in duty and will follow him to glory. A disciple of Christ comes after him like a soldier after his commander. A disciple is one who wants only to see God glorified - one who walks as he walks and is led by his Holy Spirit.

What is required?
If any man will come. Discipleship begins with an option – IF. If any man would come... Discipleship is a deliberate choice, an act of the will. Many fall into discipleship at other’s request or by situation, but Jesus desires that his disciples choose to volunteer themselves as his disciples.

The terms:
1. Let him deny himself. Admission into Christ’s school of discipleship begins with self-denial – it is the first lesson learned and the foundation from which all other lessons are built upon. Those who have learned self-denial are those who deny themselves absolutely and do nothing to seek life on their own terms. They are those who lay down their lives for others and only for their good. They have understood the difference between time and eternity and have chosen to forsake this life for the time to come. They no longer love this life’s rewards such as thinking their time is their own, no longer love leisure, power, authority and financial security for they have discovered how empty these really are. They become free to follow Christ and in so doing, will inherit eternal life and begin immediately to experience abundant life and the benefits of truly following Christ Jesus.

2. Let him take up his cross. The troubles of believers are rightly called crosses – troubles including God’s afflictions, persecution for righteousness’ sake, troubles we encounter whether for doing well or for not doing evil. Isaiah calls this the bread of adversity and the water of affliction - my cross, my troubles are my substance (Is. 30:20). Every disciple has his cross. Every disciple must bear the cross that God has provided. My cross is not your cross. Your cross is not mine. I must not avoid, add to, or take away from that which Father God has made for me. I must take up my cross and not think what I am facing as an accident or evil, but I must rejoice in my afflictions for I know that it is working for my good. I must deny myself the pleasure of sin and the fleeting, deceptive advantages of this present evil age for Christ.

3. Let him follow me. If I have denied myself, have taken up my cross, I now can follow Christ. He then bears my cross for me and bears it from me. I must follow Christ in all instances of holiness and obedience. As a disciple, I must study and imitate Christ, conforming myself to his example, regardless of what the world suggests or what troubles lie ahead. I must do well and I must suffer troubles for this is the way of Christ. A disciple studies to imitate their Master, and conforms themselves in every thing to his example, and continues in well doing, whatever troubles lie in their way. To do well and to suffer ill is to follow Christ. If any man will come after me, let him follow me. Those that come after Christ must follow after him.

If anyone would...
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The Lamp of ADONAI

The Lamp of ADONAI

“The human spirit is a lamp of ADONAI;

It searches one’s inmost being.”

-Proverbs 20:27

Paul once said, “Who knows the inner workings of a person except the person’s own spirit inside him?”(1 Cor 2:11a) This is true of every person who hassurrendered all of himself to the LORD because only those who belong to GOD aretruly alive in their spirit.


The LORD YESHUA once said, “Unless a person is born again from above, he cannot see the kingdom of GOD” (John 3:3). Just like Adam, he did not become a livingsoul until GOD breath into his nostrils the breathe of life. Only GOD can give spiritual life. All other beings are “nephesh,” – Hebrew fora breathing creature. Adam was aspiritual being able to communicate, understand and fellowship with GOD. In the same manner, a born again person is aspiritual being endowed with spiritual faculties that perceive and communicatethe things of GOD because he has been transformed into GOD’s kind by the bloodof YESHUA shed on the cross at Calvary. He is indwelt by the HOLY SPIRIT and isintimately the Temple of GOD.


The human spirit, therefore, is GOD’s searchlight illuminating the inner workings of man so that his old flesh may be renewed andtransformed into the image of CHRIST as originally ordained from the beginning. The human spirit, prompted by the HOLY SPIRIT,creates hunger within the soul of man, causing him to desire for the things ofGOD especially the Word, and keen to the instruction of the HOLY SPIRIT. The spirit enables the man to discern thework of GOD around him, attracting him to join in the work of redemption. Slowly but surely, he becomes an extension ofGOD’s hands and feet and speaks as GOD’s effective witness.


The new man is the image of CHRIST. Nothing is impossible to him!


מלאך

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The LORD gave us brains...

“One who doesn’t think believes every word, but the cautious understands his steps.”

-Proverbs 14:15

When you hear the news on TV, what goes on in your mind? When you read the newspaper,especially the editorial, do you ever question their line of thinking? When you read the newspaper account ofsupposed events or published economic data, did you ever stopped to ask ifthese information are accurate? You mightbe surprised at how much are actual facts and how much is fiction.


Did you ever notice the disparity between the claims of economic growth and actual expansion of the economy or the rate of inflationversus actual price increases of different products on the groceryshelves? With the prevailing attitude onpolitical correctness at the cost of truth, can you trust the establishment totell you the real truth and nothing but the truth?


I am not encouraging distrust, but in the face of so much subtle and crafty manipulation through media, can you expect the bland,unadulterated truth to be revealed?


To determine the truth, one must know the truth. And the only way, is to know the Truth of GOD in Scriptures. There is no othercredible basis, because knowledge change with time but the Scriptures hasremained the same throughout the ages, just like its Author. Its message is consistent from beginning toend, and it speaks with the wisdom of eternity. Worldly knowledge changes as man progresses in technology; however, hisdemeanor and morals retrogresses towards the pit. History is man’s main hostile witness. Civilizations have come and gone because ofman’s depravity.


The next time you hear a news report, take it with a grain of salt. Most of it is probably exaggeratedbad news! Instead, look around you atGOD’s creation. The heavens declare theglory of GOD. The trees in the fieldsreach out to GOD. The birds sing theirbeautiful melodies of praise. See thebeauty of each animal and witness how great our GOD is!


To think is to use GOD’s gift of imagination. To surrender one’s thought process to GOD, is to sanctify your imagination resulting in creativity and clarity. To inquire of GOD is the most important partof thinking because you invite the HOLY SPIRIT to instruct you in the way offruitfulness in the Kingdom.


The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…the knowledge of the holy.


מלאך

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7 God-Directed Deviations in Disciple Making
5:58 PM | Author: Missional Organic


Surpassing 4 Generations of Disciple Making Disciples in less than a year.

What does that mean? It means that disciples were made who made disciples who made other disciples who in turn made others and that all generations continue to make disciples. How did we pull it off? We didn’t, Jesus did. But I will tell you how it happened.

There are scores of methods including one of my own for sharing the gospel with people and most are cursory introductions to the person of Christ at best. I will not say that any in particular are incorrect, but I will say that most are incomplete. If we assume that evangelism is not a method to win souls but a manner in which to communicate the good news of the person of Jesus to the world and we further assume that evangelism ( proclaiming good news) is a necessary part of making disciples, then for better or worse, you can begin to understand how this amazing thing happened.

Let me provide a little background. My wife and I, after having left our careers, home, and family in the United States, answered a call to go to Ecuador and serve as missionaries. We work in a region of Ecuador where there have been no other missionaries for many years. It is not the city and the population no where nears the populations of the cities in Ecuador. On any given day, there are hundreds of missionaries, short and long term visiting the cities and doing Kingdom work. In our region, the Cloud Forest, harvest workers are few and far between. We are often challenged in ways which most would find intolerable. Many times we have been trapped by mud slides, without electric, phone, water and a myriad of other and sometimes life threatening situations. We have been attacked from without and within by people and spiritually. Nothing here works out the way we want it to and if it does, it usually takes twice as long than expected.

In spite of the renewed interest in being missional and reaching our native communities, which we think is absolutely encouraging, we were called by God to serve in a foreign mission field and become part of another community in a different part of the world. We do believe that Making Disciples is an integral part of every believers life regardless of where you are called or where you find yourself. In that light we have moved from what would be considered more traditional methods to what we believe are God inspired processes. In fact, I would call them “7 God-Directed Deviations in Disciple Making.”


From Follow up to Follow in - Following up with a person or a community usually entails a consistent pattern of entering people’s day to day lives for a time and then leaving again for others to do more follow-up. We have chosen to follow people into their lives and live amongst them, work amongst them, suffer and cry with them, grow with, encourage and be encouraged by them. Following in and staying in, to us at least, seems more like the biblical pattern of Jesus.

From Outreach to Inreach - Closely related to the first, it remains somewhat different. In outreach, when you have to leave where you are, where you live or where you have been called to, to reach others “outside” of where you would normally live, there always comes a time when you have to return to where you came from. That place is often contextually different from the place you reach out to. Reaching inward, within your sphere of influence is naturally more productive because your context is already defined. You should not have to seek how to be culturally relevant, you should already be culturally relevant.

From Fly Paper to Flying like Eagles - The desire to attract and trap is replaced by equipping and setting free. We have to trust God in that when our time of influence over a community or a person is done, that He will propel them into the next phase of their lives.

From Dependency to Development. - We do not want to be pushers of the gospel offering all sorts of addictive attachments so that we can report large numbers of “salvations,” but are more focused on developing those that God has appointed us for and to. Though it may seem to us to be too few at times and hurt our prideful effectiveness, we know that focusing on a few at a time in equipping and development have much greater long term impacts. We focus less on being leaders and more in the development of leaders.

From Verbal to Tactile - In the abundance of words there is foolishness. (Proverbs 10) We don’t minimize the eternal power of the scriptures nor the use of those very same scriptures to bring people to salvation. At the same time we are convicted that there has been, in most cases, entirely too much talking and not enough action. A woman whom we recently visited in a remote town said “They come to preach sometimes, but never has one come to visit the poor, pray for the sick, or help those in need." This was the answer she gave when asked if any Christians have visited. Our desire is to never be one of the “they.” My wife and I make sure we physically touch in every single person in appropriate circumstances. A hug, a kiss on the cheek, the laying on of hands, or even a simple pat on the back. Then we evaluate how we can touch their lives in most effective way with our current ability and capability.

From Regimental to Relational - Routine is good for some actions, but a routine implies that there is little or no change in the execution of a task. Discipleship is more of a process and like a relationship, there is give and take and constant adaptation. We have a relationship with Jesus and yet we hopefully become more Christ-like all the time. In any relationship, there is continual shifting, giving, and receiving. Methods may change, manners may be different, but the message of the gospel remains steadfast.

From because “They say so,” to because “He says so.” We could easily employ the latest and greatest ideas in how to disciple others, how to win souls, and how to effectively grow the church, but we are more interested in what God says to us and for His people that we have been called to work with. There are many times when certain pragmatic approaches will not work in different contexts, so we do our best to go where the Father says to go, say what He says to say, and do what He says to do. For the record, I love analyzing trends in disciple making and seeing how our iron can be sharpened by others who are also making disciples.

These 7 God-Directed Deviations from the status quo discipleship that has prevailed for years has produced remarkable fruit in our region of Ecuador.

Not all traditional methods are invalid - “Do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set.” (Proverbs 22:28) To be fair, we have used many traditional methods at times which seemed appropriate in the moment and context. We have practiced door to door evangelism, used gadgets, gizmos, and gifts as ice breakers to reach the lost. We have used tracts and dramas, street preaching, medical incentives, and clean water projects to effect positive changes within the communities in our region. We have hosted mission teams from the United States for the benefit of all involved, those ministering and those being ministered to. We have had a discipleship group meeting at our house every week for the last year covering a wide range of topics in a sometimes formal and sometimes informal teaching mode. All of these traditional methods have been brought under the guiding principles of the 7 God Directed Deviations listed above and they may not look exactly like what people are used to, but it has produced multi-generational disciples and disciple-makers.

The subject matter of our weekly gatherings has not been so traditional. With each week we encourage discussion amongst new believers and we have practical homework. For example, we in the States are used to finding bargains like “buy 2 get 1 free.” We decided as a group on several occasions to “buy 2 give 1 free.” We instructed in this manner: In the course of your daily lives this next week, whatever you need to buy, and if possible, buy 2, milk bread etc. Then find a person to give the second item to, someone in need. If they ask why you are doing this, explain the love of Christ to them. In this manner entire communities were affected.

All of our subject matter has also come under the guiding principles above. We have had a Discipleship Conference that was very successful at motivating others to make disciples in their communities. As a capstone to these practices, we have also instituted small discipleship groups of no more than 4 people (a variation of “Life Transformation Groups”*) and entire communities are involved in these as well. We can’t say that we have figured out the secret to making multi and trans-generational disciples, nor would we want to, but many have asked how we have gotten where we are. I hope this helps to answer some questions and I would be happy to give further details to those who would like them. You may also leave your comments below.

In and For Him,

Miguel Labrador

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Just need to be fed? Grow up!

Tomorrow our family will gather, like most of yours, to celebrate Thanksgiving. I'll be giving thanks for many things this year, but one of the tops is for my kids.

I'm particularly thankful that not one of my kids will ask me to cut up their turkey for them or feed them their cranberry sauce tomorrow. In fact, the girls are ready to help prepare the meal. We won't have any babies with us this Thanksgiving, but if we did, they could feed them their Gerber Turkey and Gravy. This is no big deal, of course. It's just a natural part of growing up.

So why do we so often hear long-time church folks say, "I just need to be fed!"?

I blogged about this the other day (click here to read) and shared about two possible reasons. Today I want to share my thoughts on what we can do.

If you consider yourself a mature Christ follower, you are now responsible to do 2 things: (1) feed yourself and (2) feed others. See Hebrews 5:11-6:1. The writer's main message here is what I'd like to tell those who say, "I just need to be fed!": GROW UP!

Pretty simple and should be pretty natural as we develop, but for some reason, this is often the exception rather than the rule in churches and small groups.

There is no magic formula here. Your way of feeding yourself may be very different than mine, but I will share here how I am making room in my own life to feed myself.

When I was a young Christian, I read the Scriptures kind of like a young child reads a picture book. I wasn't going for a whole lot of depth, just getting some basic understanding of the Bible. I read through the whole Bible, but could not have told you much more than the basic story. It was good; I needed that introduction to God's Word, and I was just learning how to feed myself as I read through it. But (and here's the important part) I'm glad I'm not still reading the Bible that way.

Today I read with more concentration, and by that I don't mean mental focus as much as I mean intensity or purity, like a laundry detergent is more concentrated. So now I read less, usually much less, Scripture each day, but I really take time to hear from God in what I read that day. This is the spiritual practice of meditation or reflection on God's Word.

I take an hour or two each day and I usually read one chapter of Scripture, sometimes even less, depending on how I sense the Holy Spirit leading me. Sometimes I read the passage from two or three or more versions. I read a couple good Bible commentaries. (My favorite right now is Warren Wiersbe's commentary set, although I also consult several others as well. I use WordSearch, so all of this is right there in one place.) I also journal my thoughts as I meditate on the Word, writing what I hear God saying, and I often include a prayer.

I'm just finishing reading through the minor prophets. Lots of people skip over these, thinking they're boring or irrelevant. As you learn how to feed yourself from the meat of God's Word, however, you'll find, as I have how much rich flavor and nutrients God has placed in these books. If you will take the time, God will reveal himself and his will through these passages like you've never seen before. You can do this. Your small group members can do this. It must become just as normal and natural as learning to feed ourselves from the dinner table.

Once I begin feeding regularly on God's Word myself, I can also feed others as well. But notice that I used the word begin. You don't have to have it all completely figured out to start feeding others.

When my kids were very young, I began involving the older kids in helping to feed the younger ones. So 3-year-old Jordan would hold Dru's bottle in his mouth. Four-year-old Sarah would feed Annie her strained peas. Yeah, it was messy sometimes, but it was worth it!

Tomorrow I won't be feeding my kids their Thanksgiving meals. And not one will say, "Daddy, I just need to be fed!" They've learned how to do that long ago. Now it's time that you and the members of your group learn to do the same in your growing relationships with God. I'm writing more about that in my new book, Small Group Vital Signs, to be released early next year.

How would you respond to someone who says, "I just need to be fed!"?

How can you as a leader help your group members learn how to feed themselves?
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Peter Pan and Adam Sandler Christians

I just need to be fed.

I love hearing people say this when they are very young followers of Christ. Babies need someone to feed them. My role and responsibility as a mature follower of Christ in the church (and by that, I mean the body of Christ, not an institution) is to help feed those babes in Christ.

I despise hearing people say this when they are mature followers of Christ. And yet I hear it often from many of them.

The New Testament is so clear on this. Infants need to be fed (1 Cor. 3:1-2; 1 Peter 2:2; Hebrews 5:13). They need pure spiritual milk. But the mature need to be feeding themselves. In fact, by that time, they ought to be feeding others (Hebrews 5:12, 14; 6:1). They grow not by being fed, but by feeding themselves on the meat of God's Word and then by becoming spiritual parents who feed others.

Something's wrong!

But I'm not sure which it is. I see two possible conditions at play here:

peter+pan.jpg
The Peter Pan (or Michael Jackson) Syndrome
Do we have a bunch of mature believers who simply refuse to grow up? Perhaps they have never been taught along the way how to feed themselves--or that they're even supposed to. Somehow they have never put childish ways behind them and became mature (1 Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 4:13). Has the church coddled church members and enabled this kind of immature attitude? These are people who have attended church services and small groups for years. They may even be in positions of leadership, but they still expect others to teach them rather than taking on the adult responsibility of teaching others.

billymadisondesk.jpg
The Adam Sandler (or Arrested Development) Syndrome
Another possibility is that some people who we assume are mature are actually still just infants who have an emotional, mental, or spiritual condition that keeps them from growing up. (Adam Sandler has played lots of these kinds of roles, like Mr. Deeds, Billy Madison, and Bobby Boucher.) They may have been baptized 20 years ago, but their spiritual development stopped 19 years ago. They actually still do need to be fed. The question here is, How can we get them unstuck so they can grow up as they should?

I remember a man who lived up the street from me when I was growing up. When I was 10, he was about 40 but still had the maturity level of a 10 year old, living with his mom and dad. As I grew up, he grew older, but not more mature.

Truthfully, I have a lot more compassion for the latter group than the former. One is simply childish while the other is childlike. And I think that there are more Peter Pan than Adam Sandler Christians in our churches.

So ... what do we do about this? What do you think?

I'll blog later on some more of my thoughts about it.
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Key to Ministry #4

I once tried ice skating. It didn't go so well. I once tried the trumpet. No so good either. I have tried to grow watermelons in my garden. Vines look great but nothing remotely edible makes an appearance. After going to the pet store four times and replacing ten Africa Dwarf frogs (aquatic frogs for a fish tank), I gave up on the amphibians and bought a betta.

Sometimes we learn best by trial and error. Sometimes we realize an activity is just not a fit for us. This is not a failure, but a reality check. God has not made us all the same. There are activities that you excel in that I cannot comprehend. The uniqueness of every member of the Body of Christ is something to celebrate. One of the attributes of God is that He is creative.

When it comes to those unique and special gifts that come from the Holy Spirit, believers can come to understand their purpose in life. God would not give us a task to do in the church that is outside of our giftedness. So the question many Christians ask is: How do I know what my gift is?

This question comes most often from two types of believers. The first is the believer who has yet to plug into ministry. This is the pew warmer. He or she may not understand the gift he or she has, or he or she may have little interest in service. Maybe this believer is too busy with life "outside of the church" (it is theologically incorrect to think that there is any life "outside of the church," for we are the church). The second type of believer that asks me how to know his or her gift is one who is serving but is frustrated and unfulfilled. There is this unsettled feeling (a.k.a. the conviction of the Holy Spirit) that this is not the right area.

Those in my research (see my previous blogs on the Key to Ministry #1-3 for the research explanation) who have served faithfully, joyfully, and effectively in ministry have pointed to their spiritual gifts as their motivation and source for fruitfulness. They love what they do, from Sunday school teaching, deacon ministry, youth ministry, music, counseling, to serving the Lord's Supper, because they believe they discovered God's plan.

These participants also recognized that God confirmed their gift in the midst of the service. Most of them did not go into the ministry role with a strong confidence that this is where the Lord wanted them to serve long term. They saw a need and someone asked them to try it. They tried it and God blessed their effort. The Spirit confirmed their decision (and the will of God) by allowing these participants to see the results. Fifty-six percent stated that they were encouraged to stay in that ministry role because they saw the life-changing results in the lives of others. The key to ministry is to look for the area of ministry that God uses you to produce Kingdom-building results. The ministry area God has for you will edify the church. "...let us grow in every way into Him who is the head —Christ. From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part." (Ephesians 4:15-16, HCSB)

The pondering thought for today: Is it possible for churches to give members an avenue to "try" different ministry areas, to see if it fits? Do we have to require a long term commitment upfront? What is an encouraging way to do this? If your church has a way for members to "test the waters" in ministry, please leave a comment on how it is being done. I am terribly curious about this.
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Key to Ministry #3

Ministry is really not rocket science nor is it complex. At least it does not have to be. Over the last few years, I have read a couple of bookshelves worth of books on church leadership. Everyone has a theory about how to get people involved in ministry and how to keep them there. There are no lack of strategies and advice in the Christian bookstore.

What if the process is very simple? What if God just gave us a gift for ministry and then provided a place for us to use this gift to edify the church? What if He made this experience more gratifying and joy-filled than anything else we could do? What if the Holy Spirit would take this effort and make it fruitful and effective? This is exactly what happens when a Christian discovers his or her spiritual gift and chooses to yield to the Spirit's leading in how to use this gift!

I have had the pure joy of interviewing participants in a ministry project that I am conducting for the last few months. These are church members from a variety of churches who have been serving in a particular ministry area for no less than a decade. The pastors of the churches recommended the participants because these members met a strict criteria that included service with a high degree of joy and effectiveness. The responses to my questions have provided me with a simple theory. The research questions include: what do these people have in common (as far as their ministry experience) and what can be beneficial information for the recruitment of others in ministry service?

Ninety-two percent of the project participants responded that their spiritual gift was an important part of their ministry service. More than half stated that their spiritual gift was critical (many used the words "hand in hand"). I must say that, prior to this research, I had heard very little about spiritual gifts. I found the topic to be confusing and complex. Not to mention controversial. For so many years I have recruited people to fill ministry positions without the slightest thought that they might not be gifted for the ministry role. No wonder I have spend countless hours in frustration because people would quit shortly after their orientation (or worse, stay in the position out of duty but lack any passion or ability to do the tasks).

The key to ministry is that we (church leaders) have to help people discover God's plan. We need to teach about spiritual gifts. We need to be willing and ready to counsel members who are seeking God's will. We must make the discovery of spiritual gifts a forefront topic in our recruitment for ministry position. Why else would the Spirit give gifts?

Question to ponder for today: How did you discover your spiritual gift? (Feel free to leave a comment)
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Surrender leads to joy

I have been chasing after and not capturing the joy Jesus claims He can give us in our lives. Some have told me, and I think it is part of it, that I feel I don't deserve joy. What I keep being brought back to is that surrender is what brings joy, peace, and contentment.

That is hard, because being in control of your own life is hammered into us from a young age. Never surrender. Never give up. If it is to be, it is up to me. I don't know about you, but a lot of the things that are up to me just are not coming to be and won't, no matter what I do. This frustrates and shames me to no end.

I don't know that control is something I cling to because I am a control freak, but because I was taught that no one else would or should take care of me. Don't ask for help, because people won't, they'll just squash you and brush you off into the gutter.

If I can just work harder, make more money, do more stuff to help others, at some point I'll have the money I need, the fullfillment I crave, and that ever elusive joy. Nope....I keep going back to this formula and it keeps not working.

So...surrender already! Just say, "I cannot do this. I cannot make enough, I can't serve enough, I don't have the words to say to motivate my husband or myself to get out of this rut we are in."

So, Lord I surrender. I give over my finances, my hoped for career, the family I desire, the husband I have and everything I want for our relationship. I give it all to you because I cannot do anything more with it.

I praise you for all I do have: your extravagant undeserved love, the wonderful husband you have given me who loves you and loves me, the wonderful Angel of a dog you've given us, the ministries you've blessed me to be part of, the friends you've given.....

I rest now in you and wait for you to tell me what to do.

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Being Thankful for Things Less Obvious

Years ago, our family was headed out of town on vacation after some really difficult days at the church. My husband asked that we not discuss anything about the church while we were gone. I snapped, "Well, if we don't talk about the church, there's nothing left for us to talk about." He responded by creating a two-page, single-spaced list for me of discussible topics. The list reminded me of how deep our relationship ran throughout our lives.

A friend of mine has put forth a challenge to create a list every day between now and Christmas which lists 5 things we are thankful for. The only thing is you cannot repeat anything from day to day. She says the first days will be easy because there are obvious things in our lives that we're thankful for . . . our families, our churches, our friends, our health. Down the way, though, we'll have to dig deeper to discover the depth and abundance of God's blessings in our lives.

My list is pretty long already, but today I'm most thankful for a 6-year-old boy who named me himself and loves me unconditionally. What a gift! Are you willing to share something you're thankful for?

Margie Williamson
Community Manager


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Key to Ministry #2

When was the last time you were asked to do something at church? How did you respond? Your response to being asked makes less of a statement about your commitment to the church than many leaders would want you to think. If you ask me to fulfill a task in which I have been spiritually gifted to do, you will not have to beg me to do it. The worst enemy to this desire is the distraction of other opportunities.

I love to teach. When I was saved at age 19, I did not receive a grand revelation that I was going to be used by God to teach His Word. There was a need in a youth ministry for a teacher and someone asked me to give it a try. A church leader saw something in me and was prompted by the Holy Spirit to extend the offer. Eighteen years later, my passion for teaching is ever-growing.

How did Joe know? A mentor named Joe saw something. Why did he choose me? He had a hunch. He had never heard me teach before (nobody had). But, he had full confidence that God would use me.

Professional sports scouts look for what are called "intangibles." These are qualities of a player that cannot be taught. Training can make a player faster and stronger. What makes a player special is not his speed but his character on and off the field of play.

Christians have something that makes each believer special. We have the Holy Spirit and He has given us a gift for ministry. Our spiritual gift is the tool we need to play our position on the team (the Body of Christ). When church leaders help a believer discover his or her gift, ministry becomes a real blessing. The believer serves with joy and effectiveness. In my research on the link between ministry roles and spiritual gifts (see my first blog, "Key to Ministry #1," for an explanation of the research) most of the project participants explained (without prompting) that they began a fruitful and joyful ministry when they were asked by a ministry leader. They did not seek the position, but were asked. For example, one participant has taught 1st Grade boys for over 50 years at the same church! Praise God for the pastor who had that kind of wisdom. This is the second key to ministry: Church leaders must ask people to serve.

My question to ponder for today is this: How can church leaders increase their ability to know who to recruit for ministry positions?
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Live Christ Deliberately

9570796294?profile=originalHenry David Thoreau wrote, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion.”

Discipleship is not an 8-week program, an occasional small group study, a sermon series on the Great Commission or trying to be godly. Discipleship is what Jesus lived and breathed and taught and commanded us to do. Discipleship is doing what Jesus did in His ministry of power, personal transformation, and following in His footprints. Discipleship embraces Jesus’ words, Jesus’ model of taking only a handful of people committed to the process, surrendered to and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead, accountability, humility, submission, confidentiality, and a brave heart willing to live the life of Christ Jesus here and now, forsaking everything until Christ is fully formed within. Discipleship is the process wherein a person becomes Christ-like. It is living Christ deliberately.

Live Christ Deliberately.

Doug Morrell
CoreDiscipleship.com
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Key to Ministry #1

Let me introduce myself (since I just joined this network). My name is Jeremy Amick and I am an Associate Pastor of Discipleship and Outreach. My job is to mobilize the people of God to do the work of the Kingdom. I have a deep passion to equip believers for the task of ministry. I am absolutely convinced that the every aspect of Christian growth (salvation through glorification) is a work of the Holy Spirit. Lastly, by way of introduction, I am completing a doctor in ministry research project on the link between ministry effectiveness (among lay leaders) and spiritual gifts.

With that out of the way, let me give you the first key to ministry. The data I have collected via personal interviews indicates that those who have served for more than a decade in the same ministry role, showing a higher than average degree of joy and effectiveness in ministry, began by recognizing a need in the church. The concept of need recognition comes up constantly in the interviews. In general, I can state that people who are enjoying ministry recognized a need and discerned the leading of the Holy Spirit to fulfill that need.

Our world and our church has no absence of needs. Every ministry area in my church could use more volunteers. When I think about the needs of our community, the array of opportunities is almost as numerous as our town's population. God has not called me to fulfill every need. Yet, through my spiritual gift, He is leading me to the part that I am to faithfully play.

Over 75% of the interviewed participants (that met a stringent criteria) have indicated (without prompting) that they saw a need and sensed God's leading. My pondering for today is this: How can church leaders foster a culture within the congregation that will increase the ability of the members to recognize a need?

Check back each day this week as I unveil more keys to ministry and questions to ponder.
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God Gives the Direction

I'm preparing to teach Bible study tomorrow on verses from Genesis 12 and 13. One thing sticks out to me tonight . . . when God called Abram, He didn't give him any details. He only told Abram to go "to the land I will show you" (Gen. 12:1). There are times in my life when a couple of words or a phrase jumps out at me. This is one of those.

I've talked to a lot of people lately, some through this network, who have lost their jobs and are struggling to know what to do next. Wouldn't it be great if God gave us a roadmap with specific directions to tell us exactly where we're going next and how we're going to get there? We all know that God doesn't always work that way.

What does He gives us? He gives us a direction, the first step or the next step along a journey in which we often don't know what the end destination will be. That and a promise . . . that He will bless us. Look at what He did through Abram (Abraham). He blessed the world through Abram's descendant, Jesus.

The destination for Abram was one that he could not possibly have imagined for himself. But God could.

Like Abram, God has plans for us that we cannot imagine for ourselves.

But God can.

That's a pretty amazing promise.

Margie Williamson
Community Manager
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Developing A Discipleship Ministry

We know that Jesus was the greatest disciple maker who has ever lived, but how did He begin?

Though Jesus had many who followed, He chose only twelve ordinary men with a mixture of backgrounds and personalities to be His disciples. Jesus’ entire ministry depended upon these men who would go on to start the Christian Church. He began His discipleship ministry in prayer:

“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles” (Luke 6:12,13).

Jesus then selected the men His Father told Him to choose for He only did what He saw His Father doing – Jesus saw these men in prayer and then hand-selected them from the multitudes: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19).

Jesus focused His time in prayer, communion and fellowship with His Father and then He selected His men. This is paramount to fulfilling Jesus’ model for making disciples.

Jesus chose a few in prayer, and prayer was His first priority as He continued to make them into life-long disciples.

Jesus focused on a few and He did nothing without first having prayed.

Though Jesus’ vision was enormous, He focused on just a handful of men. In so doing, He demonstrated the power of small beginnings:

“He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches” (Matthew 13:31,32)

Our Lord Jesus focused on twelve men to change the world and to whom He would give the task of building His church. He spent the majority of His ministry life pouring into an obscure, seemingly insignificant group of twelve very unlikely men. As Lord, He knew the power of small beginnings, the power of seedtime and harvest.

What we learn is that bigger is not always better. In discipleship, it is better to do more with a few than to do little with many. It is better to have a few very committed people than it is to have an army of mediocrity. We are so programmed to believe that the evidence of a successful ministry is how much, or how big, or how many. We turn to programs again and again that create mechanically produced leaders, but who are not prepared to stand, walk, and engage in spiritual battle. They lack much for they are still entangled in past hurts, offenses, bitterness, divisiveness, not firmly established in the Word of God, and have not learned to walk in the Holy Spirit of God. Too often, they are released to work for Him before they understand their position in Him.

These first two steps are important in developing a discipleship ministry that produces disciples into the third and fourth generation.

May God grant that we become disciple-making churches.


Doug Morrell

CoreDiscipleship.com

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Hutzpah!

I tell you, even if he won’t get up because the man is his friend, yet because of the man’s hutzpahhe will get up and give him as much as he needs.” (Luke 11:8)


What is hutzpah? It is a Hebrew word meaning shameless persistence. In the Greek, it is “aneideia” meaning impudence. It is a picture of a man who uses all thatis necessary, shamelessly, even taking advantage of his friendship to prevailon his request; even at the face of all that seemed reasonable and evenrefusing any denial. It reminds us ofthe shameless prayer of the Syro-phoenician woman in behalf of her demonizeddaughter for YESHUA to heal her (Matt 15:22-28). It also reminds us of the impudence ofAbraham in petitioning ADONAI in behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:23-33).


The LORD YESHUA is telling us to shamelessly persevere in our prayer to our heavenly FATHER knowing that He is “rich toward everyone whocalls on Him”(Rom 10:12). In everything,we are to pray according to His will and character and we are certain toreceive what we have asked.


To pray in the Name of YESHUA is not a formula. In Hebraic culture, the name is synonymous to the character and presence of the person. In this case, YESHUA meant that to pray in His Name is to ask accordingto GOD’s will and His holy word which embodies His character. The posture is one of shameless surrender tothe will of the One who is sovereign over all.


Hutzpah, anyone?

מלאך

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ONE WORD...

Ever hear a song or jingle and just not be able to get it out of your head? Not too long ago, I attended the Fall Leadership Conference at Jack Hayford's Church on the Way. The worship leader led us in a worship song called, ONE WORD FROM GOD.

One word from God can make everything new again...everythings better with one word from God...so speak Lord and I will listen, show me your word...guide me today.

That song has blessed me SO much. I have it on my iPhone and on a CD in my car. I have about worn both completely out.

Reading the letter from Paul to his beloved son in the faith, Timothy, I was impressed by a verse (2 Tim. 1:13):

"Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith, and love which are in Christ Jesus."

The "one word" that is speaking to me is RETAIN. As a disciple of Christ, I see so much erosion of "sound words" in the Body of Christ. Everything is done like an "Etch-a-Sketch." We rapidly sketch a worship song, sermonette, and a quick prayer we copied out of a book somewhere and then, shake-shake-shake, we are ready for the next "hit" of spiritually. The Church seems in need of a constant "fix" of the latest, greatest. Nothing seems to "stick." No stamina, no continuity, no cohesion.

I read a quote somewhere that said, "When everything is amplified, nothing is heard." I guess that is why the Scriptures tell us..."Be still and know that I am God." In the silence, in the "unplugged," unamplified moments of life, we can pause and catch that still, small voice and ONE WORD for us, for you, for me...

JESUS, Name above all names...
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Frogs named Will and Grace

I used to envy the thief on the cross. He accepted Jesus and was immediately told he would be in the kingdom of God. He didn't have to figure out this Christian walk, this path of discipleship.

Growing up I didn't understand the concepts of righteousness by faith or the power of grace. Having been a "good little kid," I also found my moment of conversion a bit hard to pinpoint. But with a good bit of guilt, repentance, prayer, devotional reading, and more guilt, I plodded on--a battle and a march and a use of "will" (as I understood it).

Another concept I only vaguely comprehended was that there are ditches on either side of the path of discipleship. I could slide into the ditch on one side by giving up the walk because of guilt or apathy. But the more hidden gully on the other side was reached by way of the slippery slope of pride and self-righteousness. The optical illusion on that side was that I could be in the gully and still appear to be on the road.

That leads me to my first green plastic frog: Will.

I named a plastic frog Will because of a book that intrigued me called Eat That Frog: 21 Ways to Stop Procrastinating (Brian Tracy). I thought that maybe it would provide the answer to the dilemma posed by Paul in Romans 7:21. In my discipleship walk, when I wanted to do good, old habits seemed to be right there keeping me from doing it.

The book made the point that if people knew when they woke up in the morning that they needed to eat an ugly frog that day, if they just ate it first thing, they could enjoy the rest of the day. Will power! Just do it!

And I could sanctify this concept with one of my favorite verses: "I can do all things through Christ" (Phil 4:13, KJV).

So I bought a small, green, plastic frog and named it Will to remind me.

But even with the reminder, life was still a good bit of guilt, repentance, prayer, devotional reading, and guilt as I plodded on--a battle and a march and a use of "will" (as I understood it...).

Then God faced me squarely with the concept of grace.

At first He hardly got my attention. I already knew about grace. It was what brought Jesus to the cross to pay for my past sins, and what would cover even future ones that I repented of and confessed. But I often went for spells of being too embarrassed to look Him in the face and admit that I had "done it again."

It was then that I came across a line of "Christian" trinkets. Everything from bookmarks to lapel pins were being offered with pictures of frogs and the letter F.R.O.G. printed across them. The letters stood for "fully rely on God," and they attached themselves in my mind with John 15:5--without Him I could do nothing.

Pieces of the puzzle began to slowly come together. I needed to be reminded of both things at the same time. I could do anything with Him, and I could do nothing without Him. And thus began my study of the power of grace. Grace was not just what brought Jesus to the cross to forgive me. Grace was also what freed me from the power of sin and filled me with everything I needed to live a productive, non-procrastinating, being-transformed life of discipleship.

I found another small, green, plastic frog; this time I named it Grace.

Will and Grace. The boundaries between which I follow Jesus on the path of discipleship; the fences on both sides of the road to protect me from falling into the gullies; the nothing I bring to the process of salvation, no matter how many frogs I eat, and the everything that God is committed to doing in me that will fit me for the life in the hereafter as His child forever.

The power of grace: Now that I get it, I don't envy the thief on the cross anymore.
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