Who Are Your Heroes?
Ask my children who their heroes are and I fear they would speak of a cartoon superhero or sports figure. My prayer is that answer would change one day as they grow spiritually and see the man their father is and learn of other missionaries and spiritual leaders who have impacted the world for Christ. Our desire is to expose Matthew and Aaron to as many Jesus servants as we can, maybe some of them will be on their list.
When I was young I had several Christian heroes. Not being raised in a Christian home, I was hungry for role models. I was a voracious reader so authors like Hudson Taylor, Henrietta Mears, David Wilkinson, Corrie ten Boom, Dawson Trotman and Billy Graham became my heroes. God used these men and women in my life to help shape who I am today. Who would have dreamed that one day I would work for the organization Dawson Trotman started or move to the NYC where David Wilkinson lives and mentor one of his staff at Times Square Church?
What happens if a pastoral hero falls morally such as Gary Lamb admitted to at Revolution church last Sunday? That happened to me as a young believer when I was a teen. This can be painful and confusing. After going through this experience 3 times I began to question what traits put someone on my hero list. The result was that I narrowed the qualifications. The focus became more who they were in the heart vs. what they did. The inside vs. the outside. Character vs. charisma. Were they just starting out in ministry, in the middle or had they rounded 3rd base and close to the finish line?
People on my hero list today may be for different things. My husband, for his humility, integrity and his willingness to forsake all for Christ. Billy Graham for evangelism. Frank Barker for holiness and prayer. John Maxwell for leadership. Dan Reiland for wisdom, heart for pastors and the local church. Anne Graham Lotz for teaching Jesus. Missionaries who are serving in the middle of nowhere and pastors who are serving average size churches who are living a holy life and faithful to Jesus, their family and the church, you too, are numbered among my heroes.
As I live more years I see heroes can fall. Any of us can whenever we take our eyes off Jesus. For you readers today I pray I Corinthians 9:24-27. Please pray this for me too, so that “lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified”
Would love to hear who your heroes are.
Who Are You When No One Is Looking?
No matter how gifted you are, or what talents you possess, no highly developed leadership skills make up for a lack of character. Without strong character everything will eventually come crashing down. Dr. Henry Cloud says who a person is will ultimately determine if their brains, talents, competencies, energy, effort, deal-making abilities and opportunities will succeed.
Dr. Steven Berglas, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School believes that people lacking strong character are destined for one or more of the four A’s: Arrogance, painful feelings of aloneness, destructive adventure seeking or adultery. What can you do if you find yourself lacking a strong character? Or maybe you have already experienced one of the four A’s that Dr. Berglas identifies. What now? Immediately call a time out. Step away from some of the stress of your life and seek good professional counseling. Don’t buy into the lie that this is a phase which will pass. Trust me it will not go away. Unaddressed it will only grow and become more destructive.
While waiting for that counseling appointment here are 4 things you can do:
1. Recall. Look at every area of your life and see where you have compromised and let people down. Write down every instance you can recall from the last 3 months.
2. Repair. Look at the list you just wrote down. Are there patterns? Is there a weak area that keeps surfacing? You can’t repair what you don’t acknowledge.
3. Repent. Ask God to help you write down a list of people that you need to apologize to. Follow through with sincere apologies.
4. Rebuild. After repenting comes rebuilding your character. There are no short cuts to rebuilding your character and this will take some time. Create a growth plan that will help you become the man or woman that God wants you to be. Invite people into your life to be part of this process. A counselor will be one of your resources for rebuilding.
As we develop or rebuild our character we will have the peace and fulfillment that comes from living the life God desires for us. And we will experience a life that God blesses.
Character vs. Compromise
Before marriage and children I enjoyed posting quotes on my frig. One of my favorite by Chuck Swindoll…Integrity is keeping your commitment even when the circumstances surrounding the commitment have changed. Circumstances are a crossroads that make a person choose one of two paths: character or compromise. Every time we choose the character path we will grow stronger even if there are seemingly negative consequences.
Sometimes the character path seems very difficult. I remember a time when a staff person in an organization lied to support a decision he had made. We knew the truth but decided to take a higher road and trust in the sovereignty of God. Sometimes it’s tough not to take matters into your own hands. The Lord continues to teach me that I can’t control a lot of circumstances in life but I can choose my character.
The adversity and stress of life does not make our character but it will reveal it. We can achieve success in marriage, ministry, career,etc. but if our character is lacking we are headed for a fall.
Are You Headed Toward A Fall?
Yesterday I blogged about lessons we can learn from the fall of Pastor Gary Lamb of Revolution church. Today I thought about a conversation I had several years ago with John Maxwell, at the time Sr. Pastor of Skyline Church in San Diego. We were discussing moral failure and he stated that the root of this is always a character issue. Now I am thinking about how childhood impacts our character and who we are.
Every child growing up has basic emotional needs. These needs are put in the heart of each person by God. We are not only physical beings but emotional and spiritual. It is my responsibility to meet the needs of my children from the time they are born until they are grown. These needs include feeling loved, worthwhile, a sense of belonging, relatively free from fear, and relatively free from false guilt. Families should be living in such a way that the emotional needs of children are being met daily. The greatest responsibility given to Todd and I (other than sharing the Gospel with them) is for them to leave home at 18 with a strong, healthy, Biblical based self image.
Unfortunately in many homes parents may not be aware of these emotional needs much less meeting them. Parents can come from dysfunctional homes, have their own personal baggage and stress in life. Sometimes a father or mother may be so caught up in their own resentment, anger or issues that they feel it impossible to nuture their own children the way they need. Because a couple never saw a godly marriage modeled growing up they have no clue what a healthy marriage looks like.
A person can grow up and not really be aware of the emotional deprivations which stem from childhood. But they are there just the same. For example, a person may have many dysfunctional feelings that he is unaware of and he may throw himself into his ministry with great force, never realizing he is trying to meet those emotional needs that were never met. Of course ministry, marriage, relationships, career success, sex or money will never meet those needs in your heart. Until these deep issues are dealt with you will not be able to have the self image built on Christ that is necessary for effective leadership. Not to mention the ongoing problems that will rise up in every area of your life.
When a person falls morally, their actions may shock and surprise folks. But a professionally trained person who has been observing this man or woman could have predicted that it would undoubtedly happen sooner or later. When our lives are marked by childhood emotional deprivation, we will go to almost any extent in an effort to meet those needs. If a Christian leader is insecure or has other personality problems, he becomes a sitting duck for almost any sinful thing that comes his way.
Yesterday in my post Top Ten Lessons We Can Learn From A Fallen Pastor I spoke of the importance of getting real and knowing yourself. I suggested that a pastor see a professional counselor on occasion for check ups and evaluation. This is especially important in your 20’s and 30’s. It is critical to get any issues dealt with so that you are not headed for a fall. I saw my first counselor in my early 20’s and it was very beneficial. Desiring to be as healthy as possible I still include books on emotional health in my personal growth plan. One that I highly recommend is The Emotionally Healthy Church by Pete Scazzero. Even if you are not in ministry I highly recommend it. This book is often on the life coaching reading list that I recommend.
Are you headed toward a fall? What are you doing to maintain emotional and spiritual health?
Top 10 Lessons We Can Learn From A Fallen Pastor
Today I am saddened to hear of another pastor who has fallen morally. I did not know Gary Lamb personally but have felt connected to him because he is a church planting pastor who blogs and twitters. Because of his success he has spoken at church conferences. According to his confession letter which was posted on his blog yesterday, he has been having an affair with his personal assistant for the past 6 weeks. This pastor is married to a beautiful woman and they have young children.
In the past few years you have probably heard of pastors who fell morally. Maybe you have even had to hear your own pastor confess to this sin. I have certainly counseled more than a few people who had a Christian spouse who committed adultery. What can we learn from them? How can we ensure that the same thing does not happen to us? Here are 10 lessons for Christian Leaders but any Christain can apply…
1. Get Real. Most people don’t plan to have an affair. And most of them think it could never happen to them. Be smarter than this. I don’t care who you are or what you do, we are capable of any sin. When you think you are above adultery you are unwise and Satan is laughing all the way to the bank. You will never have the protection you need before first knowing that you need it. Before you can get real you really need to know yourself. How well do you know yourself? I suggest seeing the best counselor you can find at least once every couple of years. Although we may be shocked by the news of a person falling into sin, we can usually be assured that the problem has existed in some form for many years. Serious problems have long root systems. Problems don’t just happen; they usually start small in one’s early years, then grow and grow. The person may have struggled with a problem for decades. Be real with a professional counselor and deal with your issues on the front end of a potential moral failure.
2. Ask For Accountability. By accountability I don’t mean people who have you on a pedestal and think you are all that. Surround yourselves by godly men (or women if you are female) who are going to be in your face honest and see you for what you are, a sinner saved by grace. It would be great to have 2-3 men to hold you accountable but you have to have one. If you don’t have accountability it is because you don’t want it. Not because you can’t find it. I read that when Howard Hendricks holds a pastor accountable he will ask him 10 questions and the #10 question is “now which of these have you lied about today?” Have men on your accountability team who have the guts and courage to challenge you.
3. Guard Your Daily Quiet Time. Are you having daily devotional time? When Todd and I do church consulting we are amazed at the number of pastors who are not consistent in having a daily devotion. It’s so easy to buy into the lie that Sermon Prep, Bible study, prayer for God’s blessing or prayer for his people is a quiet time. It is not. The lack of a regular devotion is not a schedule problem it is a love problem. If you are not faithful in your devotional life your ministry will never be from an overflow of your walk with God. Without this what you are building will eventually crumble.
4. Keep Short Accounts With God And Others. If you have unconfessed sin in your life you are vunerable to bigger sin. Deal with it. Small things grow into big things.
5. Write A List Of The Consequences. I heard a Nav Staff conference speaker by the name of Skip Gray share once the consequences have already been decided, you simply make a decison regarding the cost. I challenge you to stop what you are doing right now and type out a list of the consequences that an affair would have on your life, family and ministry. Be detailed. Print the list out and keep it in your wallet. Share it with your accountaility group and read it on a regular basis.
6. Take Time Off. Maybe your church thinks you are Samson and admire you because you are such a hard worker. I’ve been a pastor and I am in full time ministry now so I’m going to be candid with you. If you don’t take time off you are so full of pride that you stink. Not to mention selfish which I will touch on in a minute. God created the heavens and earth and then on the 7th day he rested. When you don’t take time off you are living in disobedience to Scripture. God has a reason for every principle in the Bible. Trust that God is smarter than you are and take your off time each week. And take at least 2 weeks vacation each year. If you try to tell anyone you can’t afford it you are living in la la land. Show me a person who is not taking regular time off and I will show you someone who is not right with God. If you are not taking time off you communicate that you love the ministry more than you love the God whom you claim to serve.
7. Establish And Write Out Integrity Convictions. A few of mine: Never travel alone with person of opposite sex. Don’t have one on one meeting or lunch with opposite sex. Etc. Etc. These may sound rigid to the world but will help to protect you. I will meet with two or more men for a lunch or meeting but never one on one. Scripture tells us to avoid even the appearance of evil.
8. Enable Your Wife To Interview Any Potential Assistant. Years ago I heard Miles McPherson, Pastor of The Rock Church in San Deigo speak about the built in radar that women have. His presentation was funny but true. Women are naturally intuitive and can usually see things you will not. If your wife has a gut feeling listen to her. If you are smart you will.
9. Date Your Wife. Sex is great and is a wonderful gift from God for a married couple. Do you want maximum sex? Would you like your wife to initiate sex so often that you feel like you are newly married? Romance your wife. Romance does not start in the bedroom it starts days before. Date her. Minister to her. Treat her like you did before you knew you had her. Talk to her. Listen with the heart. Ask her questions. Hopefully you know what communicates love to her. Affirm her. Pray with for her and with her. Don’t allow unresolved issues between the two of you. Studies show that sex is more satisfying between two people who are committed, married and love each other. Remember that love is a choice. If you need help with how to romance your wife please invest in some books on the subject. It will be money well spent. And you will be glad you did. Promise.
10. Guard Your Eyes. Remember the childrens song with the lyrics Be careful little eyes what you see? This song communicates the biblical principle of guarding your heart. Webster defines guard as keeping safe from harm. How well do you guard your heart? Your eyes? Last January Todd and I had a pastor share with us that he and his pastoral staff view R rated movies. Their reasoning was so that they would be in touch with the culture and relevant. They also frequented bars to help them stay in touch. Same with TV shows. People (and especially men) are visual and nudity on screen or seeing sex scenes will not help you to live the holy life to which we have been called. Do you struggle with lust? Trash on the screen will only fuel an unholy life.
This is a huge issue to address on a blog. You could write a book on each lesson with plenty of Scripture to study. This post is not even the tip of the iceberg. Later in the week I will talk more about root issues, holiness and restoration. What would you add to this?
When a Christian leader falls, it should cause all of us who are born again to fall on our knees and ask the Lord to help us be loving and compassionate. God very plainly says to us in Galatians 6:1, If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day is out. stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived. (Msg)
#1 Key To Everything
I have become one of those people who enjoys having 5-10 minutes to wake up before I actually get out of bed each morning. An alarm is usually not necessary for me but I use one anyway. Since receiving a Blackberry from Todd on Valentine’s Day, this is what I use. As soon as I dismiss the alarm the emails and text messages download. Next I read any items that look good. It is a blessing that I am a fast reader. Always on my list…anything personal to me along with blogs/newsletters from folks such as Perry Noble, Mark Batterson, Dan Reiland’s Pastor’s Coach, etc. These leaders challenge and stretch me. I love this time of personal growth.
This morning I received a newsletter from Chris Conrad. Chris is a pastor and church planting coach. He is an amazing person (so is his mom) and the best friend a church planter can have. I believe today was his most powerful newsletter EVER. A big shout out to Chris! Today he shared his thoughts on what we preach about. And the difference between preaching our own personal vision and agenda vs. preaching Christ. Powerful! Such an awesome post. Can’t link you to his newsletter but if you want a copy you can email him at conradc@wesleyan.org.
Being a creature of habit I grab a cup of coffee (Todd gets up earlier than I and brews it) along with my Bible and journal. 90% of the time I choose my back patio garden area for my morning time with the Lord. Sipping my hot cup of joe I turn to John 14 this morning. Vs. 6 pierces my heart…I am the way, the truth and the life. I open another Bible and read I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. I’ve read these verses so many times but today I am struck by the simplicity of this truth, yet we (I) can so easily miss it.
Jesus is the #1 key to everything. Personal growth, relationship growth, church growth. Jesus is the key to every marriage problem. Jesus is the key to every decision you are in the process of making. Jesus is the key to your state of mind. Jesus is the key to building that dynamic youth ministry. Jesus is the key to peace. Not books, formal education, conferences or anything else, though these things can be good. JESUS is the key to everything.
What do you think about this?
Has Your Church Forgotten Their Purpose?
We have two local hospitals close to where I live. Not to mention the scattered medical offices throughout the city. Raising two boys who have spent many hours at the ER motivates me to be aware of the shortest routes to receive medical help. Can you imagine going to the hospital and finding out that their primary purpose is to host social events for folks vs. treat the sick? It would be crazy for a hospital to forget their purpose.
A few years ago Todd and I did consulting for a church in the northeast. The church had a beautiful facility in a highly populated area with multiple staff but had been declining for over 12 years. After an evaluation it was clear the church desired to grow but had lost sight of their purpose. Reaching the lost was not the highest priority. It was clear they had forgotten their purpose.
As a church consultant I have seen churches all around the country who have forgotten their purpose. I like to ask 30 evaluation questions to determine the health of a church. One of the most revealing questions is “how many people have come to Christ in the past 10 years? Past 5 years? Luke 19:10 says For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. This is our purpose.
I love the local church and I love what I do. I am so excited to help declining churches. If a church is willing to make some changes I believe they can reach the lost and they will grow.
We pray that you will live well for the Master, making Him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more how God works you will learn how to do your work.” Col. 1:10-11 (Msg)
The Principle of Empowerment
This morning in my quiet time with the Lord I read the book of Nahum. It is a small book but teaches us a big lesson about leadership. No matter how much power you accumulate, it will never compensate for failure with God. The Ninevites seem to have it all but leadership without spiritual success will eventually fail. We learn from this book that Assyria’s King failed to develop other leaders and paid for it.
In my lifetime I have served at a variety of churches and organizations either on pastoral staff or temporary consultant. The difference in those who develop leaders and those who do not are night and day. A church that does not develop other leaders will never see the success that God intended. The question some ask is why would any pastor ignore the principle of empowerment? Here are 4 reasons:
1. The pastor does not understand how. A seminary degree does not mean that a pastor is a leader or has been equipped to develop leaders.
2. The pastor is insecure. The root of insecurity is fear. Fear of being replaced or fear of failure will always hinder someone from empowering others. A symptom of insecurity is micro-management which will always hinder someone from living out the principle of empowering others.
3. The pastor does not understand church growth. I believe that every pastor would like to grow his church. When a church does not grow it indicates a pastor does not understand how to overcome obstacles to do so. Practicing empowerment is a requirement of church growth.
4. The pastor lacks vision. Scripture teaches that “without vision the people will perish.” Without vision a pastor will usually just go through the motions and live the tyranny of the urgent. The problem is that when a pastor lacks vision he is usually too blind to see it. A result will be that he struggles with attracting folks to the church or if they do visit they will not stay. The people who do stay because of their commitment to the church will thirst for the motivation and excitement that comes from being part of a vision imparted by the Sr. Pastor.
I’m excited that when we develop other leaders, our leadership will never be limited to:
- Only the the personal leadership ability and gifts we can offer.
- Only the boundaries of our own wisdom.
- Only the generation we live in.
- Only the scope of our own influence.
Before we can empower another we must first be supernaturally empowered ourselves. Whenever someone is filled with the Holy Spirit. something happens. Empowered leaders receive God’s power, then empower others.
Transformational Leadership
Jesus was the greatest leader in the history of the world. His model of leadership empowers. When we look at Jesus we will be motivated to ask what kind of leader we are. If I have false ideas of my strength, Jesus will expose my incompetence. When I feel totally beyond what I am capable of, he provides for me God’s enabling power. When we look at Jesus we can become leaders who create vision and empower change.
Some leaders work within situations, transformational leaders change situations. Some leaders accept talk about change, transformational leaders change what can be talked about. Some leaders talk about benefits; transformational leaders talk about vision and dreaming big. Some leaders talk about what they can accomplish; transformational leaders talk about how “teamwork makes the dream work.” (borrowed from John Maxwell)
I believe the world is desperate for transformational leadership. When we look at Jesus we can become leaders who create vision and empower change. Through Jesus we can become a transformational leader. Are you a transformational leader?
The Temptation To Be A Superhero
Matthew and Aaron love superhero cartoons, movies and action figures. They had superman tshirts, swimwear and even underwear. At their request I decorated one bedroom in Spiderman and one in Justice League. Whether you have boys or even if you have not had children, I believe everyone enjoys seeing a good guy come in and take care of the problem.
Because it is our nature to desire harmony it is easy to feel the temptation to be a superhero. Especially a Christian leader. Have people ever expected you to be superman or superwoman, solving every problem on your own? How did you respond to these expectations?
God Wants Your Church To Grow
God wants every church to grow. Let me clarify that I am not talking about transfer of membership, people joining your church after attending another church. Real church growth is people responding to the Gospel and praying to receive Christ. This is the purpose of the church. It is our responsibility as Christians. The Great Commmission was given to all of us, not just the pastor. Hudson Taylor (whom my youngest is named after) once said The Great Commission is not an option to be considered but a command to be obeyed. Unfortunately sometimes we lose sight of our purpose. We get so caught up in our little world, our stuff, our careers, our desires, our comfort that we miss out on the greatest privilege that a believer has…sharing the good news of Jesus. Even a pastor can lose sight of this and focus more on filling the church with people vs. reaching the lost world.
When we penetrate our culture the church will reach those without Christ. Bill Hybels once said that if your church is not growing you need to ask why. When working with churches he will ask what are you afraid of and what are you controlling?
On a personal level ~ when is the last time that you shared the Gospel with someone? Do you have a list of non-believing friends that you are praying for? What about a “Top Ten” most wanted list? If you don’t have anyone to pray for in addition to family how about asking the Lord to put someone who needs Him in your life. He will.
Who Are You Hanging With?
A crucial ingredient to becoming the influencer God wants is to spend time with leaders who motivate and inspire you to grow. Who are you hanging with?
The Heart Of Jesus
When reading the Bible I ask God to open my eyes to see Jesus. As I look at the Lord this is what I see…Jesus loved the world, helped many and discipled a few. How are we like Him? How are we different? How is the church like Him? Sometimes I wonder if we are more committed to packing our churches than to pentrating our culture. Jesus pentrated our culture. I love the local church. I’m committed to the local church. But we cannot forget our purpose of reaching those without Christ. I believe if Satan could keep us from one thing it would be this ~ pentrating the culture thereby reaching those in it.
One of my Favorite Places
Just returned from one of my favorite places with my children and visiting grandma. Before marriage and children it was my #1 place to spend half a day if not the whole day. The smell, the people, the filled aisles. After all these years it is still one of my fav 5. Sometimes I even take my laptop and indulge in a cup of coffee while enjoying the surroundings. I feel so at home when I go there. It doesn’t happen too often now, but when I do it is a gift to myself and pure luxury. I’m talking about the bookstore. Doesn’t matter to me if it is Barnes & Noble or Books A Million.
I love to see where our culture is. What people are drawn to. I love to see evidence in print of our need for Christ. Not that I don’t know this info already but somehow it deepens my burden for people when I see it with my own eyes. A bookstore visit motivates me to pray more. It reminds me of the importance of kingdom living. If reconnects me with the world around me.
This favorite place of mine also gets me excited about writing. I have a couple of projects going and recently had contact from a book agent and we are scheduled to talk again in a couple of weeks. Guess I will need to make a deadline commitment now.
Where is one of your favorite places to spend some off time?
4 Crucial Ingredients For Spiritual Transformation
In a previous post I clarified that spiritual transformation is the ongoing process of being shaped into the image of Jesus. I’ve often pondered what hinders us from spiritual transformation. How can someone who has been a Christian for only two years seem so much more like Christ than someone who claims to have been a Christian for 20 years? Here are 4 crucial ingredients for spiritual transformation…
1. The Holy Spirit
2. Spiriutal Disciplines
3. Key Relationships
4. Pain and suffering
Checkpoint: Are you walking in the power of the Holy Spirit? Do you keep short accounts with God and others? Are you practicing spiritual disciplines? Do you have key relationships? People who walk with Christ, ask you hard questions and are not afraid to be honest with you? Do you invite these kind of relationships into your life or shun them? Are you a good steward of pain and suffering?
American Discipleship
“The American Gospel separates justification from sanctification. Though these words have different meanings, sometimes we damage them by separating them. When we do this we give the impression that being a Christian means obtaining a protected status with God. We think that this act of justification settles the issue—“Come in where it’s safe and secure” rather than teaching that a call to believe in Christ should also compel following Him. The point of salvation (justification) isn’t the finish line but the starting point for a journey (sanctification).
Discipleship flourishes when we present the Gospel as a journey of transformation. The problem with our culture is that we have created and taught a faith that doesn’t transform people. There is often such a disconnect between Christianity and holiness. In Scripture this kind of Christianity doesn’t exist.
I fear that because we have preached this kind of gospel, a number of people think they are Christians/saved/born again when they really are not. We make the test for salvation doctrinal rather than behavioral, ritualizing it with walking down an aisle, saying a prayer or signing a doctrinal statement. Personally I was a church members for years before I became a Christian. I had an intellectual belief but not a Biblical faith.
American Discipleship has led to what some call bar-code Christians…people who belive the right things but don’t follow Jesus. The real Gospel requires us to repent of our sin. To believe means to follow Jesus daily. The Gospel requires us to make disciples who learn to obey everything Christ taught. By their fruits you will know them. The evidence of Christianity is living a life of transformation. I’m not talking about earning salvation but the proof of salvation. Bill Hull suggested we ask Does the gospel we teach produce disciples or does it produce consumers of religious goods and services. ”
Are you more like Jesus today? How have you grown in holiness since becoming a Christian?
5 Things Discipleship Is Not
Sometimes we try to make discipleship into other things that will diminish what the Bible says it is. Unfortunately that can cause leaders to make the wrong choice their main focus. Here are 5 things that discipleship is not…
1. Not a Program
The most common mistake is turning discipleship into a curriculum that a person completes. Instead of supporting an ongoing process, a program focuses on finishing material or learning information. Because discipleship is about a choice to follow Jesus, it needs to be a way of life for all of life. Discipleship is the heart of what it means to be a Christian.
2. Not a Production Line
At one time in my life I thought of discipleship as a production plan based on multiplication for reaching the world. The truth is only disciples who are passionate for Christ will be able to sustain any effort to reach others around them. I have learned that discipleship is much more about the depth of character and spiritual passion of each disciple than it is a plan for church growth.
3. Not Just For New Christians
When I hear people communicate that discipleship is for new Christians I cringe. It is a huge mistake to think that anyone arrives or is beyond the basics. Far too many Christians no longer practice the basics and are out of shape spiritually.
4. Not Just For Leaders
Sometimes lay people feel inferior spiritually to those who are in leadership or who are in full time ministry. Sure, pastors know more about religious matters than most lay people but this doesn’t mean they are more spiritual. The starting point and goal of spiritual formation and discipleship is transformation to the image of Christ. To goal of discipleship is for us to be more like Jesus, thinking how he thinks, feeling as he feels, loving as he loves and living as He wants us to live.
5. Not Just For People Who Like Structure
Remember that discipleship is not a program, although many of us have been taught that it is. Sure there have been tools published to help us. Todd and I even developed the Life2Life Notebook which is a discipleship tool. However, if we strip down discipleship to just completing something it becomes much less than God intended.
Discipline is tough to learn on your own. A discipleship tool can set you in motion with energy. Even if you are not drawn to structure, it can enrich your life in Christ. Maybe you think structure robs you of freedom and flexibility but I believe it gives you freedom and flexibility. Without it my life has a tendency to get out of control.
How are you doing with the basics of the Christian life? Are you listening to His voice? How is God speaking to you through His Word?
Spiritual Formation and Discipleship
The term spiritual formation comes from Galations 4:19. The word formed comes from morphe, which means “to shape.” When combined with the Greek prepositions, it is translated as “conformed” in Romams 8:29 and “transformed” in 12:2.
Spiritual formation describes the sanctification or transformation of disciples. The term has become popular for those who want to avoid the baggage that discipleship has carried in recent years. Disciple does seem to dominate the Gospels, while spiritual formation describes spirituality in the Epistles.
Because discipleship has stood the test of time and links believers directly to Jesus, it is the word I choose to use.
My Passion
For the next several posts I am going to be blogging about my passion…following Christ in discipleship. Though discipleship is the most basic of biblical principles, why is it that we so often miss it? Why is it that the church can have a gazillion programs and activities in the church and consider discipleship just another program vs. a Biblical mandate? Why is it that so many people and even leaders in the church miss what Biblical Discipleship is? I believe if Satan could get us to misunderstand one thing that it would be this. Because when we don’t get discipleship we miss living the radical life the Bible talks about and we don’t get Jesus’ strategy to turn the world upside down for Christ.
Currently my library has over 40 books on discipleship. Some I have given away and the remaining I am not ready to part with. I will be sharing some from over 25 years of ministry experience and my two favorite resources on discipelship. Of course the first is the Bible and the second is The Complete Book Of Discipleship written by Rev. Bill Hull which I believe is the most accurate book on being and making followers of Christ that I have ever read.
I’ll close my introduction to our new blogging theme with this quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.