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Discipleship 101: If Your Brother Sins Against You

Posted by Doug Morrell on December 4, 2010 at 15:38
How different we would be if we were to follow Jesus' plan for Biblical reconciliation.

Disciples must confront each other about their sins privately,
and never engage in or be a party to gossip and tale-bearing. This article provides a step-by-step process "If a brother sins against you."

This should be one of the first lessons taught and lived out by those discipling others. Disciples must confront each other about their sins privately, and never engage in or be a party to gossip and tale-bearing.

Read and do what Jesus said without addition or excuse:
Jesus said, “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother” (Matthew 18:15).

First, Christ is speaking about a brother. This passage applies only to believers.

Secondly, Jesus is talking about sin. “If a brother sins….” The Greek word used is hamartano which means to miss the mark and not share in the prize. The mark is God’s holy law. It means that we should not take offense over personality differences, cultural differences, socioeconomic differences, etc. Because we are sinners, we do not need fairness – we need mercy.

Thirdly, the sin committed is personal - it is against you and not someone else. Christ is discussing private offenses and not public sins. If the sin is committed against you alone, or if you observe a brother commit a sin in private, then you are required to keep the matter private and go to your brother. Public sins are handled in a different manner. A sin that is public and known by the whole church requires a public rebuke and repentance.

If a disciple overhears a conversation between two believers in which he thinks something offensive was said by one believer to another, it is the person’s responsibility to whom the statement was directed to either overlook the matter in love or confront the person who made the statement. The person who overheard the conversation has absolutely no business taking offense and spreading the matter around the church when the person to whom the statement was made has not taken offense and would like to drop the matter altogether. If you believe that a brother is covering a sin that is so serious that you think it needs to be dealt with, then go to him privately and discuss it. But Christians who go about the church and meddle in affairs that should not concern them are gossips and busybodies and unnecessarily disturb the peace of Christ’s church. Gossip is sin.

Lastly, the offended brother is to go and confront the brother who sinned in private and alone. “You, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” This is the first command in the text. This is a divine imperative from the lips of our Lord Jesus Christ. This procedure for dealing with a brother who has committed sin is not optional for disciples. These are not suggestions. These are not just words of advice.

Often when accusations are leveled against a brother behind his back and spread throughout the church and the accuser and accused disagree, factions or camps develop within the church. People have a tendency to take sides in a dispute. When those on opposite sides become heated and obstinate, often the result is a serious schism among the brethren. How many churches have a split because someone did not obey Christ’s simple command to go to a brother privately and keep the matter private? Such divisions often take years to heal. It is a great sin to bring dissension and strife into the body of Christ. Elders have a solemn responsibility to ensure that Christ’s instructions are followed. Those who disobey Christ and bring strife and bitterness into the church must be rebuked publicly before all. When church leaders know that Christ’s command has been violated and yet do nothing, they are partly to blame for the resulting chaos this brings to God’s Church.

Why are you to go to your brother?
You are there to bring about biblical reconciliation. The passage says: “If he hears you, you have gained your brother.” Which means that the erring brother has agreed with you, admitted his sin and that you are now reconciled with your brother. But what is biblical reconciliation?

Apologies are fine when you accidentally bump into someone at the shopping mall but they should never be used as a substitute for biblical reconciliation. Whenever sin is involved it is simply not enough to say “I’m sorry” or “I apologize.” Jay Adams explains why: “An apology is an inadequate humanistic substitute for the real thing. Nowhere do the Scriptures require, or even encourage, apologizing. To say ‘I’m sorry’ is a human dodge for doing what God has commanded.” The biblical response is to say: “Yes, I am guilty. I have sinned against you. Will you forgive me?” The reason that an apology is inadequate when actual sin has occurred is because it does not elicit a proper biblical response. When a believer admits his guilt and then says: “Will you forgive me?”, the Christian who has come to confront him regarding his sin must say: “Yes, I forgive you.” This places the ball in his court. He must either explicitly forgive or openly rebel against God. When the brother says, “I forgive you,” he promises never to bring the matter up against you; never to bring the matter up again to others (even his spouse); and never to bring the matter up to himself by dwelling on it and dredging up bitterness, etc. This is biblical reconciliation.

Are you offended or angry with someone right now? What are you doing to resolve your differences? Don't let this day end before you begin to work on mending your relationship. Be a doer, not just a hearer of God’s Word.

Let us purpose to grow in grace and in truth.

Doug Morrell
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Spike the Ball

Posted by Melody Richeson on December 3, 2010 at 23:00

Spike the Ball


A friend of mine thinks that we who do ministry need to learn to “spike the ball.” When football players finally get the ball into the end zone, they don’t stand around the goal post looking depressed, grumbling to one another about how many plays they had to run or talking about how they fumbled the ball on first down ten minutes
ago. No! They celebrate! They give each other high fives and jump up in the air and they spike the ball. At that moment it doesn’t matter whether or not they played flawless football. It doesn’t matter how many interceptions were thrown, or how many times the quarterback got sacked. They got the ball in the end zone and that’s the whole point of the game. It puts them six points closer to victory.


There is a conversation I often hear among women who work in ministry. It is a conversation that
begins with the sentence, “I feel like a failure.” It has surprised me to discover how widespread this feeling is. I have not merely heard it from one or two women who had a bad year or from a woman on a campus that has suffered a significant drop in numbers around their ministry. It appears to me that it is the appraisal of many women I know regarding their lives and ministries.


I have been thinking about this and trying to figure out why we often feel this way. (Is it just the women?) I’m sure there are many possible reasons. My guess, though, is that this vague feeling flows mostly from a failure to remember how the kingdom of God works – through ordinary people living ordinary lives. It also works slowly and out of sight, like the mustard seed and the yeast in the parables Jesus tells in Matthew 13:31-33:
“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.” The second parable says: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."


I think most of us long for and expect our ministry to have more “wow” factor:

  • The series of weekly meetings where worship was awesome and the messages were creative, clear and compelling (move over Louie Giglio!)
  • The small group Bible study you led that turned into genuine community, where girls shared their hearts, and brought their friends and they encountered God’s Spirit at work through his word
  • That one on one where your words were not your own and seemed to penetrate to the very heart of the issue and a girl’s life was changed
  • The party you pulled off and everyone is still talking about how much fun it was
  • The ten women you personally led to faith in Christ this semester

A lot of parties are fun, but not that memorable. Not every Bible study or one on one will be so clearly effective. Sometimes you only get to be one link in someone’s journey to faith in Christ. So, be as faithful as you can with the ministry God has given you. Work hard. Pray hard. Learn from your mistakes. Accept the fact that both big events and small group Bible studies rarely come off without any glitches. Don’t beat yourself up over events or
conversations that were not “perfect.” (I often labor over these occasional articles and then don’t send them because I can’t get them just perfect.) Never forget for one moment that God is the ONLY ONE who is always faithful, perfectly insightful and, of course, wondrously creative. Consider the possibility that good is sometimes good enough. Go ahead and spike the ball.



© Melody Richeson, July 2010

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Can I Really Disciple Someone?

Posted by Melody Richeson on December 3, 2010 at 22:30

I remember when I first began to understand that I wanted to give my life helping make disciples. I was introduced to the idea when I was still in high school. I began to grasp it and actually try to do it as a college student. I was captured by the vision of helping young men and women walk with God. It was a compelling life purpose; however, I often felt handicapped because I had never “been discipled.” Then, in my late twenties I went on staff with a collegiate ministry where this was to be my full time job: Making disciples. Suddenly, I felt woefully inadequate as I was faced day after day with the needs, questions, eagerness and sinfulness of a
large group of college students under my care and direction.


My network of relationships at the time put me around a lot of people who came from large,
prominent disciple-making ministries. They all seemed to have skills I didn’t. I perceived them as smarter than me, more effective than me, and likely more spiritual than me. They shared a common vocabulary which I was unfamiliar with and often spoke of their past mentors. I regularly felt like a misfit, an imposter, or worse, a hopeless case. I found myself thinking, “Gee, if I had only had gone to college there” or “I wish I could have attended that church.” Of course, that kind of thinking quickly deteriorated into, “Well, not much can be expected of me, after all, I didn’t have the right training. I’ll just have to muddle along and do the best I can.”


One weekend I was invited to join some friends who were hosting one of their mentors, a man who was well known as a very effective disciple-maker. God had used him tremendously in these friends’ lives and, although I had never been around him personally, I had a lot of respect for him. It was a small group of ten or twelve and we sat casually in the living room as he shared his thoughts on making disciples and tried to encourage us
regarding our various ministries. Toward the end of the evening he invited us to ask questions. Somewhere during the next few minutes I took a deep breath and found the courage to ask, “What if no one ever discipled me? How can I learn how to disciple someone else if no one ever discipled me?” (I’m pretty certain I said this with a distinct whine in my voice.) He looked at me and replied, “No one ever discipled me.” I was
stunned. And convicted. And challenged. Here was a man who had influenced hundreds of people and no one had ever personally discipled him. In that moment it began to dawn on me: there is no magic wand. No secret handshake. I am a disciple by following Jesus with all my heart, and I make disciples by loving people and coming alongside them on their journey to know, love and follow Jesus.


Not long after this encounter, I was reading Romans in my Phillips Bible. It translates Romans 10:12*
this way: “For all have the same Lord, whose boundless resources are sufficient for all who turn to him in faith.” Finally, after all my self-pity and excuses I began to understand. I have all I need to love and minister to people because I have the Lord Himself. His boundless resources are available to me. To me! There are no formulas, no charmed curriculum that “works” better than others. I have everything I need in Him.


(*Note: I realize this verse in Romans is about salvation not equipping, but I don’t think it is a stretch to apply it as I
felt God applied it to my heart that day.)



© Melody Richeson, August 2010

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10 Must learn Phrases for Making Converts instead of Making Disciples.

Posted by Miguel Labrador on December 3, 2010 at 17:20
10 Must learn Phrases for Making Converts instead of Making Disciples.
2:11 PM | Author: Miguel Labrador
goat.jpg



Phrases for when you make converts instead of Making Disciples.


#1 - “Now that you have been baptized, and while we are still in this water, let me wash my hands of you."

#2 - “After you fill out that information card, you will probably never see me again."

#3 - “Jesus has a wonderful plan for YOUR life that doesn't include ME."

#4 - “Now that you have prayed that prayer, go in peace and leave me in peace."

#5 - “Well, lets cover these Denomination Distinctives 1st, and then we'll get to the other stuff... eventually."

#6 - “For now, just keep eating that Goat Chow. I'll be back with the Sheep food later."

#7 - “Let me introduce you to Fred, he will follow up with you.”

#8 - “Yes, of course you may keep your consolation evangelism gadget. You earned it.”

#9 - “No, no, no - absolutely no strings attached.”

#10 - “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed”

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Fish Tanks and Fire

Posted by Kathy Beagles on December 3, 2010 at 13:53
Not long ago I opened an e-mail from a young person preparing for baptism. She asked the following question: "How do you explain a God of love destroying the world by fire? Doesn't that seem harsh to you?"

Sitting wordless at my computer, I began to think. Those were good questions, but in my youth I had never thought to ask them. Yet, as an adult, I sensed that at some level they might not be answered convincingly for me either.

I tried to screen out my preconceived reaction and gut response to these questions and look at them from an adolescent point of view. I could see how the words "fire," "destruction," and "harsh" could possibly grate against the spiritual sensibilities of a young person whom we as a church had intentionally sought to ground firmly in an understanding of God's grace. Did she comprehend God's big-picture plan?

I was sure that God wanted her to have an answer that would bring peace to her heart without me rewriting the entire history of the plan of salvation, or her getting overwhelmed and clicking the "shut down" button. But did I, in my own spiritual arsenal, have an answer that would be personally genuine, as well as true?

I sat back, prayed for insight from the Holy Spirit, and began clicking the keys on my keyboard:

"Satan's main job on earth is to get us to think that God is harsh, judgmental, and unloving--everything that He isn't. Satan wants us to think these things about God so we won't trust Him to save us from the yuckiness of sin.

"Here is one way to think about why a God of love would cleanse the world by fire.

"Imagine that you spent lots of time and money creating the most awesome fish aquarium you could. You got everything set up just right--plants, statues, decorations, rock formations, etc., then bought some exotic fish to put in it. You enjoyed watching them swim around their beautiful tank, and you didn't feel so alone when you were in your room doing your homework.

"But, let's also imagine that you have a really pesky younger cousin who is out to ruin your life. Every time he comes over to your house he puts nasty stuff in your fish tank when you aren't looking. It starts to cloud up the water, stick to all the pretty things, and make the fish sick.

"So you get one of those little net things and try to catch all the fish so you can get them out of that awful environment and save them until you can make a new, clean home for them. You are able to get some of the fish--the ones that will let you pick them up in your little net and save them. But a few just avoid your net and won't let you catch them. They hide behind the yuck-coated scenery.

"Finally, you have to call your rescue mission to a halt so that you can dump out all the slimy decorations and foul-smelling water (and the few fish who won't let you catch them), scrub the tank with special cleaners, and start all over to create a beautiful home for the fish you rescued.

"Imagine if some of the fish kept swimming around out of the reach of your net, saying, 'I hear that mean old girl who set up this tank and put us here is going to clean it out with bleach and destroy us all. How can someone who pretends to love us do something like that? Isn't that kind of harsh?'

"What would you tell that fish if you could get through to it?"

The computer keys stopped clacking, and I sat back to ponder. I had just preached a sermon to myself. Sure, I had never thought to ask those questions when I was an adolescent. But now I asked myself how much of my adult like has been spent swimming around the idea of a God of judgment who is watching to see how and when I will mess up again? And how often have I forgotten about the sad tears of a loving Creator who doesn't want to miss any little fish when He dumps out the tank filled with sin?

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Basic Faith

Posted by Federico Aguelo on December 3, 2010 at 11:30

The emissaries said to the LORD, “Increase our trust.” The LORD replied, “If you had trust as tiny as a mustard seed, you could say to this fig tree, ‘Be uprooted and replanted in the sea!’ and it would obey you. If one of you has a slave tending the sheep or plowing, when he comes back from
the field, will you say to him, ‘Come along now, sit down and eat?’ No, you’ll say, ‘Get my supper ready, dress for work, and serve me until I have finished eating and drinking; after that, you may eat and drink.’ Does he thank the slave because he did what he was told to do? No! It’s the same with you – when you have done everything you were told to do, you should be saying, ‘We’re just ordinary slaves, we have only done our duty.’ (Luke 17:5-10)


The emissaries of the religious leaders clamored for the LORD YESHUA to increase their faith. Surprisingly, the LORD told them a parable. To the disciples of the LORD YESHUA, the
secrets of the Kingdom is revealed; but to curiosity seekers, the message is veiled.


The basic amount of faith or trust in a believer is the size of a mustard seed. Yet, with a little mustard seed faith, a fig tree would obey him! It is quite uncommon in our present world to witness this kind of faith, even with all the faith teachings that abound in our midst. YESHUA once posed a question,
“When the Son of Man comes, would He find faith in the earth?”


So, the parable is a rebuke, not just to the emissaries, but even to the disciples who exhibited so little faith. If a believer cannot even use the mustard seed faith which the HOLY SPIRIT has given him, how could he ask for more? If we have not even done our duty in exercising our little faith, we are faithless servants, not sons. A faithful servant does his duty but a son has the FATHER’s DNA and acts like the FATHER. A son speaks the FATHER’s words and works the FATHER’s works.


To believe in YESHUA is the FATHER’s work. Whatever YESHUA did, the adopted son also does because he bears YESHUA’s character (Name) (John 14:12).


GOD’s power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through our knowing the One who called us to His own glory and goodness. By these He has given us valuable and superlatively great promises, so that through them you might come to share in GOD’s nature and escape the corruption which evil desires have brought into the world (2 Peter 1:3-4). We need to declare the promises of GOD to be true in our lives and act accordingly. This is the truth that every believer must stand on daily.


We walk by faith and not by sight. The righteous shall live by his faith!


מלאך

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By Appointment

Posted by Federico Aguelo on December 2, 2010 at 10:30

“You and Aaron are to number all in Israel who can serve in the army, those who are twenty years old or older, by their divisions. And to help you there is to be a man from each tribe, each man the head of his family. Now these are the names of the men who are to help you…”


-Numbers 1:3-5



When GOD instructed Moses and Aaron to take a census of Israel, He appointed leaders for each tribe to assist them in the project. GOD was concerned that the project will be implemented in the most expeditious and efficient manner so He called out the individuals who are to lead their families.


The purpose of the census is not merely to find out how many Israelites there are, but to number the warriors 20 years old and above, determining the military strength of each tribe; forming four divisions to determine their position during their march through the desert; to determine their position in
the encampment around the Tabernacle; and to form a genealogical registry of each tribe.



We observe that GOD established order for the relatively new nation. Without GOD, there was no Israel. GOD was the one who called out His people from Egypt and formed them into a new nation. GOD is King of Israel and His representatives were Moses and Aaron, ably assisted by the heads of each tribe. It
was GOD who appointed each leader and anointed them. This is a theocracy established in the midst
of a burning furnace in Sinai. GOD covered them with a cloud by day so they won’t die from the heat and warmed them at night with a pillar of fire. He fed them daily with manna and brought quail for meat with the east wind. The Rock followed them around the desert and gushed out water to refresh the people.
Enough water to cook, to drink, to wash, and yes, to tend to their animals. Their clothes and sandals did
not wear out and it grew with them. GOD protected Israel and fought for them. Every minute was a gift, every day was a miracle. GOD is enough!


Lessons:


  • · It is GOD who initiates. He first loved us while we were yet sinners.

  • · It is GOD who calls and appoints. No man takes it upon himself to become a minister without the call.

  • · It is GOD who empowers. Only GOD is supernatural, so to become supernatural GOD has to delegate His power to His anointed.

  • · It is GOD who forms righteous government. Only a theocratic system of government works because only GOD is incorruptible, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and just
    at all times.

  • · It is GOD who generously provides, protects and cares equitably according to our ability. He
    is the only One we can trust and He is unchangeable.

  • · GOD keeps His promises and His multiplication is exponential and without limit.

  • · GOD wants to be involved in every area of our lives.

מלאך
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From Outreach to Inreach: Continuing on 7 God-Directed Deviations in Disciple Making.

Posted by Miguel Labrador on December 2, 2010 at 10:07
:49 AM | Author: Missional Organic
InAndOutBubble.jpg
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

Posted by Federico Aguelo on December 1, 2010 at 11:18

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

Posted by Doug Morrell on November 28, 2010 at 14:23
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

Posted by Federico Aguelo on November 27, 2010 at 11:39

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...

Posted by Federico Aguelo on November 27, 2010 at 11:36

“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

Posted by Miguel Labrador on November 27, 2010 at 9:04
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

View from Original Source

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Just need to be fed? Grow up!

Posted by Michael Mack on November 24, 2010 at 21:30
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

Posted by Michael Mack on November 24, 2010 at 21:27
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

Posted by Jeremy Amick on November 23, 2010 at 22:34
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

Posted by Jeremy Amick on November 23, 2010 at 0:06
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

Posted by Mary Elizabeth Whitlow on November 22, 2010 at 17:06

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

Posted by Margie Williamson on November 22, 2010 at 11:08
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

Posted by Jeremy Amick on November 21, 2010 at 15:48
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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