Mentoring AND Discipleship Blog HAS MOVED

Hello, thanks to everyone who over the past two plus years have either followed this blog or read the posts during that time.  This little post is to inform you that this blog has moved to a new address: RelationalDiscipleship.wordpress.com and all new posts will appear at that location.

Thanks for your support of this blog and I pray you will come visit the new blog that will continue focusing on a subject near and dear to my heart and at the very core of who Christ made us to be.  This is how we change the world - Relational Discipleship!

In the Grip of Jesus,

Rob

Click here to go to the new blog:

Relational Discipleship

The Church Needs a RE-Focus

It seems the Church has focused more on the teachings of Paul than on the examples of Jesus in the gospels!  When I make this statement, I know some will cringe and some may even think this is heresy.  However, it is crucial for us all to understand the reason this statement may be true.

Paul’s teachings are relevant, biblical, and vitally important for us to grasp the totality of God’s word and how to apply it.  The gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) however, are often looked at as something the “new believer” or “seeker” looks to as they begin a relationship with Jesus, but if that is how we utilize His message we are missing a huge point!

Jesus’ life, some of which is documented in the gospels, is a real-life example of HOW to complete the mission He set for His Church – to make disciples.  Jesus repeatedly spent time with those the “religious” leaders of the day would not have been caught dead around…literally!  Tax collectors (one became His disciple who happened to write the Gospel of Matthew), prostitutes, thieves…Jesus spent time with real people that had real problems, and by the way, we are no better!  We have real problems and are sinful at our very core!

The religious people of the day (Pharisees and Sadducees) lived as if they had it all together and were better than everyone else…sound familiar?  Jesus said He would rather spend time with sinners who were honest with themselves (and with Him) than to waste His time on these self-righteous people (who by the way, wanted Him dead and ultimately crucified Him). 

Mark 2:13-17 says, Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.

While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

As followers of Jesus Christ, we must look to His example in all we do to be more like Him.  When we do, we will seek out those in our lives who do not know Jesus as both Savior and Lord and love them enough to share the incredible Truth of Salvation that Jesus offers to everyone who will humble themselves, pray, accept Him as Savior and make Him Lord of their life!  This is our mission from God; go into all the world—the world we live in and the people we come in contact each day— and make disciples by first loving the way Jesus did, and then by extending grace and truth as we seek to become more like Jesus!  Love others the way Jesus loved while He was here on Earth!

FREE LIVE Verge13 Conference Simulcast - March 1 & 2

Are you interested in changing the world?  Jesus created the local church to do just that.  The Church exists to connect people to Jesus!  Join us this Friday and Saturday for a LIVE (and FREE) Simulcast of the Verge13 Conference with speakers such as Francis Chan & David Platt, along with great worship music with Aaron Ivey Band and some amazing spoken word poetry that will really drive home the message!  This conference will be a great thing for you to attend if you understand the value in investing in lives and fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus in making Disciples.   Anyone desiring to make disciples the way Jesus did, regardless of denomination, church you attend, age, etc. please join us as we partner to change the world for Christ, and begin making disciples in our community and the world!

FREE LIVE Verge13 Conference Simulcast

Friday March 1, 2013 and Saturday March 2, 2013

At Ovid Community Church

www.vergenetwork.org/2013

So what exactly is going to happen at the Verge 2013 Conference Webcast?  Good question.

During the webcast, Francis Chan, David Platt, Dr. John Perkins, Dave Gibbons, Matt Carter, Jo Saxton, Mike Breen, Propaganda, Alan Hirsch, Michael Frost, Jeff Vanderstelt, Hugh Halter, Neil Cole and many, many others will encourage and challenge us to make and multiply disciples of Jesus.

The Conference will include longer plenary messages and shorter TED-style talks, as well as spoken word poetry and worship led by Aaron Ivey Band. We will be challenged and encouraged in the following areas:

The Priority of Disciple Making

The Patterns and Practices of Disciple Making

The Content and Motivation for Disciple Making

The Barriers and Bridges to Disciple Making

The 8 Non-Negotiable Parts of Disciple Making

The Context of Disciple Making

Location of the Simulcast:

Ovid Community Church

793 East 600 South

Anderson, IN  46013

For Map click HERE

Contact: Rob Boyland – (765) 621-6537 or email at rboyland01@gmail.com

Schedule:

NOTE: Attend all sessions or join in on the ones you can attend.  Extended breaks at lunch and dinner for off-campus dining.

Conference sessions are as follows:

DAY 1 - Friday, March 1

Arrive between 9:30am and 10:00am – Conference begins promptly at 10:00am EST

10:00am-12:00am – Main Session 1 | The Priority of Disciple Making: There Is No Plan B

2:30pm-4:30pm – Main Session 2 | Patterns & Practices of Disciple Making: Missional People & Missional Communities

8:00pm-10:00pm – Main Session 3 | The Content of Disciple Making: Getting To The Heart Of It All

DAY 2 - Saturday, March 2

Arrive between 9:30am and 10:00am – Conference begins promptly at 10:00am EST

10:00am-12:00am – Main Session 4 | Culture And Disciple Making: Building Bridges and Removing Barriers

2:30pm-4:30pm – Main Session 5 | The Process of Disciple Making: 8 Non-Negotiable Steps To Making and Multiplying Disciples

7:30pm-9:30pm – Main Session 6 | Living The Future Church: The Context of Disciple Making

Who are You and Why are You Here?

Have you ever heard the stories of someone pushing a person to safety from an oncoming car, or a dog that alerts his whole family to a raging fire in the home, both of which saved lives?  

The news stories (at least the good ones!) are riddled weekly with these “good news” stories of someone (even an animal in some cases) risking their safety or life to save someone else.  The reason these stories are so common is whenever they occur people cannot stop telling the stories of the amazing feat and the incredible compassion and love that someone showed for another person.  So why is that the same story, someone giving their life for the sake of yours and mine, is so hard to tell just because of the name of Jesus?

I have often heard the questions, “How do you know if someone is really growing in their faith?” or “How can you tell if someone is saved?”  The bottom line is this…growing people are changing.  People who are growing in their faith and in their relationship with Jesus Christ can no longer be the same as they have always been.  They don’t only grow in their knowledge of Jesus (head knowledge), they also are growing in their compassion (heart) for the things that God loves (lost and broken people).  Growing people cannot sit on the sidelines hoping someone else will step in and save the day.  Growing people are seeking God’s heart and are looking for opportunities to join Him in His mission to save the world!  Growing people are changing into the image of Christ!

There are really only three kinds of people:

1. People who are far from God.  These are the people we come in contact every day and have an opportunity to build a relationship that will allow opportunities to share how Jesus saved us!  Romans 8:23 says this: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
2. People who have accepted Jesus’ incredible gift of Salvation and in their selfishness keep it for themselves as some sort of fire insurance, never growing or even seeking to grow.  These are people who are not changing and many would say they do not truly know Jesus at all!   They may attend their local church often, but are simply not interested in change.  Revelation 3:16 puts it this way; “So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”  It’s probably not a good thing to have God want to spit you out!
3. People who are purposefully growing in their faith and seeking to make Jesus not only their Savior, but also Lord of every area of their life – 24/7/365!  Romans 10:9 says, ‘That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.’ 

So the obvious question is this:  Who are you?  Or maybe more importantly, Whose are you?  Spend some time in prayer this week and earnestly seek to understand who you are on this list. 

• If you are person number 1, I am praying for you!  I am here when you are ready to talk or ask questions!  God loves you and so do I! 
• If you are person number 3, be encouraged!  You are changing the world and as you join Jesus in His mission to save the world, the world will be a better place and the Kingdom will be bursting at the seams!
• If you are person number 2, my heart breaks for you, and so does God’s.  In one sense you may feel like heaven is in your grasp, but is it really?  That’s only between you and God.  I believe there will be many people missing in heaven who thought they were good enough or thought that salvation is a personal thing only.  My prayer for you is that you would accept Jesus as your Savior but not stop there…I pray you will make him Lord of every area of your life.  You cannot compartmentalize your life AND be a follower of Christ – God and sin do not mix!  He doesn’t want your Sunday devotion, He wants your every day, walking around devotion as you grow in your relationship with Him and are bold enough to share your life with others who need His saving grace and His Lordship over their lives!  Romans 12:1-2 from The Message Paraphrase says it like this: “So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”  That type of devotion leads to an amazing life of joining Him in His mission to save and change the world!

Wherever you are in your journey of faith in Jesus Christ, always remember there is another step to take.  God is never done with us!  Whether we are very young, very old, or somewhere in between, God wants to work through each of us to save this lost and broken world!  His plan is never for us to coast into the Kingdom…and reading His word and knowing Him personally, I cannot see how anyone could live a life claiming Him as Savior but not giving Him their life in return.  Don’t waste your life on this world, give your life and service to God to not only change this world, but to build His Kingdom for eternity!  He is that good and He is so worth it!!

A Personal Plea to You...from Me

This question has been piercing my heart over the past few weeks:

Will the Word of God stop with me or spread through me?

With that thought in my mind, I feel compelled to do something about it!  It’s easy for me to post the stuff God puts on my heart so that others can choose either to read or ignore…there’s very little skin in the game in that manner.  But I am pretty sure that Jesus did not tell His followers (disciples) to go make disciples so they would post witty God thoughts or scriptures randomly in hopes that someone may read and choose to follow.  Nothing inherently wrong with that, but I don’t believe it should stop there. 

So…this is what I feel I must do with what God is placing in my heart for those of you I call friends and those of you that Facebook calls friends or Twitter calls followers.  I’d like to personally invite any of you who may not know Jesus to contact me and begin a dialogue.  Not so I can try to convince you of anything.  What I mean is that if you have a longing in your heart, are hurting, have questions, or are simply willing to investigate this man I love named Jesus, please contact me.  I am not looking to debate with anyone about other religions or even the existence of God to those who would call themselves atheists; there will be time for that some other day.  I am talking to those genuinely open and wanting to know why we even exist and how Jesus changed everything for you and me.  He is my Savior, My Lord and my Friend, and He can be yours as well!  Message me on Facebook (Rob Boyland) or Twitter (@rboyland), or email me at rboyland01@gmail.com.  If you don’t feel comfortable with me, please seek someone out who will talk with you about this incredible Savior!

For those of you who are believers in Jesus, who have made Him Savior and Lord of your lives, I have a challenge for you.  When you made Jesus your Savior, you also made Him Lord which means every area of your life must reflect who you are in Christ.  Compartmentalizing our lives into church life and secular life is not possible for those who truly claim Jesus as Savior and Lord.  Your marching orders from Jesus Himself are to make disciples.  You are a disciple, and every disciple must make disciples according to the words of Jesus.  That may mean you copy a portion of this message and post to your friends.  It may mean asking some questions to those in your circles.  It may mean helping someone out in need, even if that need is a listening ear.  Jesus said to Love God and Love Others…that means everyone, but especially those in your circle of influence and in your path everyday.  If you feel stuck or just want some practical thought about making disciples, go to Multiply Movement and download the video in the orange box.  It is kinda long, but it is crucial for those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus to step up and begin fulfilling His Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 to go make disciples!

Guys, I am not trying to twist arms or trick anyone into believing something they shouldn’t.  I am simply tired of living a life where I feel awkward in talking to people about Jesus and the amazing gift He gives to each of us in this…while we were still sinners, Christ died for us on the cross as THE FINAL penalty for death and rose victoriously from the dead three short days later as He conquered death once and for all! For everyone who believes in Him and calls upon His name will be saved and will spend eternity in Heaven!  The reason I share this is simply this – I want to spend eternity with each and every one of you and I would not be a true follower of Christ if I didn’t make an effort to share the good news of Jesus with everyone in my little world.  I love you and most importantly, Jesus loves you!

Found People Find People

Yes, the title of this post was borrowed from NewSpring Church in North Carolina, but it holds an incredibly profound message in just four words!

God has impressed on me some questions to pass along for some thought provoking examination of our lives in Christ:

What do you pray for?

What are you pursuing?

What are you obsessed over or preoccupied with?

The first question on prayer – that one is between you and God.  Actually they are all between you and God, but the last two questions are a bit easier for those around you to see.  Kind of convicting isn’t it?  Just review your Facebook posts, emails, checkbook, conversations…are the majority of your “conversations” on subjects such as gun-control, healthcare, economics, sports, shoes, video games, social networks, television shows, etc.?  Many of these conversations may have spiritual implications, but is that where the root of your motives lie?  Is the time spent on these (and other) subjects taking away time that God may want to use to draw people to Himself?  Are the answers to any of these questions self-serving or others-focused?

In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus reveals to us what we refer to as The Great Commandment in response to a question asked of Him:

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

And then, in Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gives us our marching orders in what is referred to as The Great Commission:

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

We may care in our hearts, but do we show it in our schedule, time and resources?  Loving someone in our hearts means nothing until you show it with your actions!  James 2:14-17 puts it this way:

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

The Great Commandment guides and molds our thinking, shaping our minds to align with God’s will.  The Great Commission guides our actions when we have chosen to follow Christ, making Him Savior and Lord of our entire lives.

Simply put, if we love God and others we will go make disciples who will in turn love God and others and begin making disciples.  This is how we change the world…Love God, Love Others, Make Disciples!  Or as a church in North Carolina puts it:  Found People Find People!

Taking Inventory

In a sin-sick, fallen world, we, as followers of Christ, cannot sit by idling learning more about God, or worse, thinking we don't need to know more about Him...No! We must not only learn about Him, we must build a love relationship with Him, and show others His love and grace, applying what we have learned in relationship with God to the relationships we have...family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, restaurant servers, gas station attendants (everyone).  

We cannot only accept His salvation, we must make Him Lord of our life, giving Him full charge of every thought, word and deed.  Giving Him complete control of our lives is the first step in developing a biblical worldview where we live our lives for Him, the One we will live with for eternity!

This week, take inventory of a couple things as you go on your way:

1) Watch where and how you spend your money.  Is that spending self-serving or others-focused?  

Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

2) Watch where and how you spend your time?  Are you making the most of the time you've been given? 

Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.

3) Listen to those little nudges (that's the Holy Spirit)...when God prompts you to ask a question (something as simple as asking someone how they really are doing) or simply to spark a conversation with someone, are you focused more on the task you have at hand or the person you have come in contact?  

Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 

God wants to work through His people to bring comfort and love to a lost world.  Many, if not most, of the people in which we come in contact do not know Jesus Christ.  We have the transformative message that people desperately need.  We need simply to be obedient when God speaks to us in that little nudge we feel.  I guarantee you will never wish you hadn't when you trust Him enough to reach out to someone who is lost!

Defining Relational Discipleship

Relational Discipleship includes both mentoring and discipleship.  Relationships with God and with one-another are key in every aspect of our lives as we develop a biblical worldview.

Mentoring is building a relationship with someone and modeling how to live a life that reflects the character of God.

Discipleship is strengthening someone's relationship with Christ by teaching them how to live a life that reflects the character of God.

You mentor non-believers - seekers as well as people far from God - as well as believers who may be struggling or just stuck in their faith.  Everything we say and do must reflect the character of God when we claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  Mentoring always points others to Jesus by both words and deeds!

You disciple someone once they have received Christ as their Savior AND have made Him Lord of their life.  This is absolutely crucial - we can be very selfish in our faith if we think having Jesus as our Savior is enough...after all, He died for me, right?  Transformation in our lives only happens when we make Him Lord - giving Him complete control of our lives...our thought life as well as our active life!  Giving Jesus Lord status in our lives is the first step in developing a Biblical Worldview (viewing everything through the eyes of Jesus).  Making Him Lord is also the starting point in fulfilling the Great Commission to Go Make Disciples because we begin caring about the things that God cares about - lost people!

Living a life that reflects the character of God is an active, loving response to His love and grace.  We don't do anything to gain approval or love; we do everything in response to the love and grace He has shown us.  There's a big difference in both responses!  That difference is a matter of abundant life and bondage!

1 John 4:8 (ESV) - Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Holy Discontentment

OK, this may sound a bit like a rant, and in some ways it is, but God has placed in me a heart that wants to see change in His members of His Church.  My prayer is that some may make a change in their worldview while others may mentor someone into a healthy relationship with God and one-another.

During this Christmas season, and in many of the past Christmas seasons that I can remember, I am becoming very discontent – something Bill Hybels might call a Holy Discontentment.  Many of the people in relationships I have, as well as many other “Christians” I know, don’t really reflect the character and nature of the God I follow.  The commercialism of the “Holiday Season” has not only taken over the worldly culture, it has infiltrated the local congregations.  The negativity of spending money, busyness, annoying family members, and the occasional tone of the “Merry Christmas” that is being used more to separate and condemn than to spread love and joy of this miraculous season just breaks my heart. 

This time of year is meant to be there to celebrate Jesus’ birth and spread the kind of love and joy that He brought into our lives.  It was never meant to spread dissension, busyness and negativity, much of which comes right from the very ones that claim to follow Him!  Jesus is The Reason for the Season!

Bottom line is that when we think this season has anything at all to do with us, we miss the point.  When we think this season is about spending money, getting gifts, focusing on our happiness and the happiness stuff gives those around us, we lose out.  We, The Church, are called to spread His love and joy to the world around us.  We must realize that this life, once we gave our lives to Christ as our Savior AND our Lord, is not about us…it’s only about Jesus.  And this time of year is the best time of year to spread His message of love and joy to a sin-sick, fallen world.  Hearts are more open to the message of Christ this time of year than any other.

So this Christmas week, get out and purposely show His love to those you come in contact with on a daily basis.  Hold a conversation with the clerk at the gas station, the coffee shop, restaurant or grocery store.  Truly get to know them.  Ask them how you can pray for them…and if at all possible, do so with them right there.  If you are able, give anonymous gifts to those in need, in Jesus name (not your own).  There are so many in need in our very communities – homeless, prisoners, nursing home residents, etc.  Give a gift to someone you know has very little during this time of their life.  The opportunities are endless and God shows us these opportunities on a daily basis - we need only to open our eyes to the things He cares about!  Jesus said we are to be His witnesses…that means we are to show His love and mercy all year long, so why not start during the season where we are supposed to celebrate His coming as a baby to save the world!

Acts 1:8 - English Standard Version (ESV)

^“ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Merry Christmas to all and most importantly, Thank You God for sending your Son to this earth giving us the only reason to celebrate…Jesus Christ!  I pray we spend some time on our knees in holy communion with You during this time of celebration!

The Obedience of the GO

In some of the most pivotal moments in Biblical history, God gave a command to GO, without explaining the details of what He was calling His servant to accomplish.

In Genesis 12, God gives Abram his call:

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, "GO from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Even at the age of 75, Abram was obedient to God’s call and answered Him by GOING regardless of what he was to do once he got there!  Though advanced in years, He trusted God that He would find a way to make a great nation from his offspring…and as the story goes, God did just that by providing a son to this couple in their ripe old age – close to 100 years of age!

Romans 4 tells us of his faith:

20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." 

Faith in what he had not seen, the promise fulfilled by God, is the kind of faith that transforms a man such as Abram into a righteous father of nations…and to mark that transformation in Abrams life, God changed his name to Abraham, which means “father of nations”.

Fast-forward to the New Testament where an extremely “religious” person (in the very worst sense) receives his call from God to make a radical change in his life, resulting in a massive growth of God’s Kingdom. 

Saul was a religious zealot (the English word zealous comes from this term – which would describe Saul in many ways) who was killing people who followed this man named Jesus.  Because in his interpretation of the Scriptures, he felt Jesus was blaspheming the Word of God by referring to Himself as God’s son.  He was taught by the best religious leaders and became famous for his lynchings of Christians.

Then on one miraculous day, his true call came, as recorded in Acts 9:

1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and GO into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Jesus blinds Saul and commands him to GO into the city and if he obeys, he will be told what to do.  He could have run with fear of the unknown, however, he had just witnessed the power of God and to do anything other than obey would have been mindless!

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

11 The Lord told him, “GO to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Then Jesus tells Ananias to GO face his fears of this killer of men like him, and give Saul the message from God.  Saul is told to GO to Damascus, Ananias is told to GO to Saul, and with both men answering their individual calls from God to trust Him, the man Saul, who later became Paul, writes most of the New Testament and travels on many missionary journeys proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to the known world!  God then changed Saul’s name to Paul declaring his great transformation, one that can only be accomplished by God!

And then there are the rest of us…what is our GO?  God will call each and every one of us to a specific GO moment where we need to make a decision to follow God no matter what we think the consequences may be…and in that obedient moment God will reveal Himself to each of us in a very real and amazing way as He then gives us the next step or the rest of the call He has for us.

However, we cannot just sit back and wait for His specific call on our lives.  In fact, He has already given an overall call to every person who claims to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord.  In Matthew 28:19-20, He is very clear of that call:

19 Therefore GO and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We are to GO make disciples by first building intentional relationships with everyone we come in contact with.  You see, when Jesus is at our very core, defining who we are from the inside-out, everything we do will be to glorify Him and seek to share His Good News with everyone. 

Often times God tells us to Go before He defines what He will want us to accomplish.  I believe He does so because if we were to know what He truly wants to accomplish through each of us we would simply brush it off as something we can never accomplish.  However, if He simply opens the door to the first step, commanding us to go through that first door, and we obey, we begin developing a passion for His work and His call in our lives and the next step doesn’t seem like such a huge leap!

So don’t wait, answer His first call for each of us – GO into the world, the area where you are every day, and build relationships with everyone you have contact with, keeping Jesus at the center of everything.  Keeping Jesus in the center of all you do is what is called Biblical Worldview – viewing the world through the eyes of Jesus. If we keep our Biblical Worldview lenses on, it is impossible to look at the world and not hurt for the lost that Jesus wants us to build relationship with in order to introduce them to Him!

If you already have a GO pending in your life…what are you waiting for?  Take the first step and see what He has in store for you!  I guarantee that whatever He leads you to, it will be the most exciting, life fulfilling step you will ever take!

Follow Him and respond to the GO He is calling you to obey!

Invite Jesus to His Birthday Party

My hope and prayer in writing these posts is NOT to provide a little devotional to read and check off the list.  My desire is that you will be challenged to make a difference!  I hope at times you are convicted, challenged and maybe even a little defensive.  I say that not to condemn anyone, but to challenge those who are lukewarm to move to the side of on-fire for God!  Maybe to move a few from being stuck to thriving in their faith, and in turn walking along side someone else, helping them become fully devoted followers of Christ.  Or to encourage those on fire for God to share their lives with others as they walk closely with Him.  Our Monday through Saturday lives must reflect Jesus as Lord to those around us as well as in our own hearts.  We cannot just show up Sunday, put on a good show, and then live as though He doesn't exist as the sole reason we are here!  After all, we represent Him to a lost and dying world!

Matthew 5:16 - Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.  That means every day of the week, in everything we do and in every conversation in which we engage...people see Jesus in and through us!  The goal is never to glorify yourself or try to gain any favor with God...we have His favor!  Remember, He died for you and me and loves us more than we can ever imagine!  Our goal is to respond to His love by loving Him and loving others so that they will see beyond us and get a glimpse of a God Who loves them and wants to call them His child!

During this Christmas season as we celebrate our incredible Lord and Savior’s birth, let’s not forget to invite Him to every party, gathering and even the shopping adventures we embark upon.  Many times a simple smile or brief conversation with that person at the checkout counter can make all the difference in the world for them to open up to Jesus during His birthday celebration season!  Don’t be afraid the say Merry Christmas and be honored to call yourself His child! 

As the year winds down and we have the honor of celebrating our Lord and Savior’s arrival as a baby, I will leave you with one of my favorite lines of the many Christmas movies I love to watch with my family...a little revelatory moment as quoted in The Grinch, “He puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. Maybe Christmas, he thought... doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps... means a little bit more!

Merry Christmas and may Christmas this year mean a little bit more! 

Multiply: Disciples Making Disciples - New Book from Francis Chan

This is an excerpt from the new book out by Francis Chan.  A very timely book on a subject near and dear to my heart!

By Francis Chan & Mark Beuving

Two thousand years ago, Jesus walked up to a handful of men and said, "Follow me."
Imagine being one of those original disciples. They were ordinary people like you and me. They had jobs, families, hobbies, and social lives. As they went about their business on the day Jesus called them, none of them would have expected their lives to change so quickly and completely. The disciples could not have fully understood what they were getting into when they responded to Jesus's call. Whatever expectations or doubts, whatever curiosity, excitement, or uncertainty they felt, nothing could have prepared them for what lay ahead. Everything about Jesus-His teaching, compassion, and wisdom; His life, death, and resurrection; His power, authority, and calling-would shape every aspect of the rest of their lives.

In only a few years, these simple men stood before some of the most powerful rulers on earth and being accused of "turn[ing] the world upside down" (Acts 17:6). What began as simple obedience to the call of Jesus ended up changing their lives, and ultimately, the world.

What Is a Disciple?

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? The answer is fairly simple, but it changes your life completely.

The word disciple refers to a student or apprentice. Disciples in Jesus' day would follow their rabbi (which means teacher) wherever he went, learning from the rabbi's teaching and training to do as the rabbi did. Basically, a disciple is a follower, but only if we take the term follower literally. Becoming a disciple of Jesus is as simple as obeying His call to follow.

When Jesus called His first disciples, they may not have understood where Jesus would take them or the impact it would have on their lives, but they knew what it meant to follow. They took Jesus's call literally and began going everywhere He went and doing everything He did.

Its impossible to be a disciple or a follower of someone and not end up like that person. Jesus said, "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher" (Luke 6:40). That's the whole point of being a disciple of Jesus: we imitate Him, carry on His ministry, and become like Him in the process.

Yet somehow many have come to believe that a person can be a "Christian" without being like Christ. A "follower" who doesn't follow. How does that make any sense?

Many people in the church have decided to take on the name of Christ and nothing else. This would be like Jesus walking up to those first disciples and saying, "Hey, would you guys mind identifying yourselves with me in some way? Don't worry, I don't actually care if you do anything I do or change your lifestyle at all. Im just looking for people who are willing to say they believe in me and call themselves Christians."

Seriously?

No one can really believe that this is all it means to be a Christian. But then why do so many people live this way? It appears that we've lost sight of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. The concept of being a disciple isn't difficult to understand, but once you understand what it means, it changes everything.