Discipleship

District Assembly Recordings

noreply@blogger.com (SDMI Team) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:47:00 +0000

The good folks at Nampa College Church of the Nazarene recorded sermons during the 2009 District Assembly and have made them available:

Wednesday evening (Dr. Jesse Middendorf)

Thursday morning (Dr. Stephen Borger, partial)

Thursday evening (Ordination Ceremony)

Friday morning (Dr. Jesse Middendorf)

(Depending on your connection speed, you might be able to simply click on the link and listen, or you may be more successful left-clicking on the link, saving the link target to your hard drive, and then listening once it has downloaded completely.)

Also, delegates from around the globe are even now beginning to gather in Orlando, Florida, for the 27^th General Assembly and Conventions. Every four years, tens of thousands of Nazarenes come together for worship services, legislative sessions, workshops, service projects, exhibits, and fellowship. More information is found at www.gacorlando.org, and events will be broadcast live during the event.

Why Do You Do This?

noreply@blogger.com (Debi) — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:06:00 +0000

Acts 1:1-8 contains an incredibly speedy review -- Jesus came, taught, died, resurrected, and taught some more -- which sets the scene for the next three verses. He promised again the coming of the Holy Spirit, who would empower the disciples to tackle their God-given mission. Then "he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight."

"They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going..." Makes sense, doesn't it? This Jesus, their Savior and Teacher and Lord, was not just leaving, but leaving in a pretty spectacular manner. I wonder how long the disciples would have stood there watching if not interrupted by the "two men dressed in white" who prompted them with this question: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky?"

It reminds me of the question asked of the women by two similar figures at Jesus' empty tomb: "Why do you look for the living among the dead?" (Luke 24:5), and it reminds me that God does not meet my expectations of how the world works.

Travel Time

noreply@blogger.com (Debi) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:28:00 +0000

The Apostle Paul was intentional about discipleship in its many forms. He was a preacher and a teacher, but did not limit his discipleship to the crowds. He invested in individual people, in individual conversations. Perhaps no one was so thoroughly influenced by Paul as young Timothy. They spent time together -- not just "doing ministry," but traveling, eating, talking. I imagine they both challenged each other and grew quite a bit through those times.

That's what a lot of world-changing discipleship looks like -- friends talking about life while sipping coffee, parents talking with their kids while driving from place to place, groups of people chatting before and after church on Sundays. We are shaped in significant ways through our everyday relationships with others.

I'll be going to youth camp again this year. It is not an insignificant distance -- around seven hours of drive time each way, in addition to the usual stops. Because camp starts in the morning, we will leave the day before and stay that extra night in Idaho. Practically speaking, the distance adds quite a bit of expense and inconvenience to the whole experience. But there is far more to life than speed and convenience.

I'm looking forward to the trip because it is an opportunity to invest in relationships with these young people, and I pray that God will guide and bless our time together.

Take time to evaluate

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Tim) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:43:00 +0000

We finished up a series of small group lessons on prayer last evening. At the close of the lesson, we spent some quality reflecting on what we had learned over the last several months. I enjoyed the responses that came from various people, but the one that grabbed my attention was a young man who said "I never considered myself a guy who prays all the time, but I have found myself talking to God throughout the day." From that comment, I knew the topic had penetrated his heart and God was drawing him closer to Himself.

Taking time to listen to the impact of God's Word on someone's heart helps us to know if what we are teaching is changing lives and helping them on the journey of following Jesus.

Works For Me

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Turner) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:45:00 +0000

I tend to be a very relational guy. For me discipling is all about the journey, the relationship. It is not about having the right curriculum, God already gave us that, nor it is about having all the right answers, I don't. As Jesus walked with his disciples he often assessed their understanding of himself, of the Father, of the mission. One of those times, out of his time of communion with the Father, Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" This opened the door to a new revelation that the disciples may not have been able to articulate had he not asked. Good questions help those we are discipling to think through what they think, believe and know in the depths of their hearts. Good disciplers practice forming questions until they have developed a habit of asking the right question at the right time to help those they are discipling come to a greater understanding, and a deeper commitment to following Christ.

Filling Cracks in the Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Debi) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 23:37:00 +0000

We're touring the District this week for the annual SDMI training event. This year, we have been enjoying the company and teaching of Pastor Hal and Debbi Perkins. They are passionate about and committed to making Christlike disciples who, in turn, also make disciples. This is the life to which we are called.

Hal and Debbi are parents of four grown children. Their parenting years started with a set of triplets and grew again with the birth of the fourth several years later. I love Debbi's account of the significant role Hal played in the life of their son David during a particularly difficult time. The video below tells that story, including the impact years later.

Finding Simplicity

noreply@blogger.com (April) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 04:45:00 +0000

A week or so ago I spent Saturday attending the annual district women's event hosted by Nampa 1st church. The theme was "Breakaway to the Simple Life." I came away with an increased longing in my soul to find ways to "keep it simple." I even made a plaque in one of the workshops to remind me! The simple word "Simplify" gently challenges me to let go of burdens not meant for me to carry; it helps me say NO to the empty promises the world offers; it calls me to a place of quietness where I can hear the Voice that matters most. As I listened to the speaker and overheard conversations among other women at the event, I am struck by how full and busy and complicated and noisy we insist on making our lives because we think we need to have it ALL, when ALL we really need is standing at our heart's door gently knocking.

Learning the Lay of the Land

noreply@blogger.com (Debi) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 02:06:00 +0000

I'm taking a class these days on holiness and we're starting, not surprisingly, by reading a number of passages from throughout the Bible, including both Old Testament and New Testament. I found myself thinking of Bible drills, a.k.a. "sword drills," in children's Sunday School and VBS.

Carol told me awhile back about some of her time teaching young children, probably around kindergarten age, maybe even pre-school. She gave them a great start by introducing them to the Bible and helping them begin to know their way around it even before they could read. She taught them about the Old Testament and the New Testament. They learned that Genesis was first, and Revelation was at the end, and Psalms was around the middle that starts with "Ps," which is really weird in English. They knew about the gospels, too, and could find those. Pretty good for pre-readers, eh?

The Bible is a big book, and much larger than any of the others children usually read before late elementary school or beyond. That can be pretty intimidating, but Carol gave them tools to navigate it and began to develop in them a love for scripture from a very young age. What an incredible gift!

Rightly Fierce

noreply@blogger.com (Debi) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 02:40:00 +0000

I was young and still pretty new to a particular church when I encountered a small group leader talking inappropriately about a certain category of people. I had no idea how to respond; apparently others didn't, either. There are times when my first reaction is an over-reaction, but this did not seem to be one of those times. And even if it were, a rapidly-growing relational barrier between us became quickly apparent to me, and that also needed to be addressed. I had to confront the issue.

But how? I knew the command to initiate reconciliation and I knew the Bible's teachings about members of the body helping each other to grow together in Christlikeness, but had no idea how to actually do any of that. Thankfully, with a bit of coaching, accompanied by motivation from knowing I'd be held accountable for following through with the conversation, I talked with the one by whom I'd been offended, and it went very well. Difficult, yes, but absolutely worth it. Many years later, our relationship is strong.

That was a defining experience in my life. It was probably the first time I'd really entered a difficult conversation to seek reconciliation and lovingly correct another person. I don't think I'd ever even seen that kind of conversation. The experienced helped me to realize how incredibly vital it is that we be both willing and able to respond well at such times.

I read a book last year entitled Fierce Conversations. The word "fierce" does not imply being mean or threatening, but bold and powerful. Fierce Conversations are ones in which we show up completely and well, openly and honestly participating with others to tackle often-difficult challenges in ways that enrich and strengthen our relationships. And I am convinced that the Church needs what is in this book. We need to be genuine, challenging, and respectful as we encounter both speed bumps and mountains in life and ministry, and as we work together to accomplish our God-given mission.

So... care group leaders, Sunday School teachers, parents, grandparents, employers, employees, pastors, teachers, and anyone else who interacts regularly with imperfect people -- if you haven't read it, I'd encourage you to do so.

And if you have, I'd love to hear what you're thinking!

Sunday School Evangelism

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Tim) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:47:00 +0000

Sunday School still brings people to Christ. Last Sunday, two junior boys approached me. They told me they don't want to lie or cheat or do other sinful things. They want to do what God asks them to do. Both had invited Jesus into their hearts that day.

This all happened when a Sunday School teacher was intentional about discipling her class, and asking life-changing questions.

The Strength You Have

noreply@blogger.com (SDMI Team) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:21:00 +0000

Gideon was in a difficult spot, like the rest of Israel. They were oppressed by the Midianites, struggling for food and other basic necessities, fearful and uncertain about the future. Imagine, then, what Gideon may have felt when the angel of the Lord greeted him suddenly by saying "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior."

Gideon's response? "But sir..." It made no sense to him. He didn't see Mighty Warrior Gifts in himself, and wasn't even convinced he saw much of God, either.

I love the angel's response to Gideon: "Go in the strength you have... Am I not sending you?" When we encounter challenges and sense God calling us to act, we can move forward despite our apparent inadequacies. We can fulfill God's purposes for our lives using God's strength in our lives.

Are you facing a difficult conflict which needs someone to take the initiative? Go in the strength you have. A friend shares a pattern of sin and seeks help finding a way out of it? Go in the strength you have. Someone encounters Christ and wants to know more? Go in the strength you have. Dealing with the loss of a job or home and feeling hopeless about it? Go in the strength you have.

And, as God was with Gideon as he moved forward with discerning and determined faith, so he will also be with you.

Careful to Love

noreply@blogger.com (Debi) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:32:00 +0000

"So be very careful to love the LORD your God" (Joshua 23:11).

Be careful to love. This is so different from our culture's view! So often love is proclaimed as something that just happens, something to celebrate while it lasts and to mourn when whatever happens that causes the magical bits to go away. Genuine love, though, is a decision which results in action. It is nurtured and, by the grace of God, it grows. Deep, lasting, genuine love does not just happen. We must be careful to love.

Mark and I are privileged to have families who are careful to love. My parents, for example, are quite different from each other. They have different personalities, different perspectives, different styles. But each chooses to honor the other, to respect those differences and see them as completing rather than competing within their marriage. They are committed to each other. They are careful to love.

As love for each other is nurtured by commitment and action, so is love for God. When we choose to engage in actions which strengthen such love, Christianity calls it "spiritual disciplines." We are careful to love God when we choose to celebrate His goodness, rely on Him in prayer, engage in service for His kingdom, read His story and share His character with the people around us.

Joshua was an experienced and influential leader. He couldn't know all the details of what they would encounter in coming years, but he'd seen enough to realize the temptations involved. He recognized that God had chosen them for relationship, not just religion.

We don't know what we'll encounter in the coming year, or even in the next twenty minutes, but we do know our human tendency to wander. I want to be careful to love, knowing that my commitment to God can stand strong, and God's commitment to me will never fail.

Why Did You Do That?

noreply@blogger.com (Debi) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:52:00 +0000

"And Abimelech asked Abraham, 'What was your reason for doing this?'" (Genesis 20:10)

God's call to Abram is recorded in Genesis 12:1-3. The very next verse reports that Abram packed up and left, as God had instructed. It gets funky, though, just a few verses later, as they were about to enter Egypt. Abram told his wife that she was so beautiful that she should keep him safe by claiming to be his sister and not his wife. Not realizing the relation, Pharaoh took her as his wife. After calamity in his household, Pharaoh confronted Abram: "What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me she was your wife?" (12:18) Sarai was returned to Abram, and they went on their way.

Something similar happens again later. Genesis 20 records that they stayed awhile in Gerar. Abraham again claimed Sarah was his sister, and she was taken into the king's household. Like Pharaoh in Egypt, the king of Gerar also eventually found out about the deception -- this time by encountering God in a dream -- and confronted Abraham. "What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done. What was your reason for doing this?"

It appears that Abram/Abraham wasn't learning very quickly.

The names are significant in this, too. Between these two incidents, God had changed Abram's name (see Genesis 17) when he promised, "You will be the father of many nations... I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you..." God had also clarified again with whom this would happen, after Abram's detour with Hagar: "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her." God had been quite clear that Abraham and Sarah, together, would be parents, and their offspring would make a huge mark on the world. They had God's promise.

So, back to the question from the king of Gerar: "What was your reason for doing this?"

And Abraham's answer? "I said to myself... they will kill me because of my wife." As if that were relevant.

Admittedly, Abraham's fear makes sense, and fear is a powerful motivator. But God calls us to something far greater. God calls us to courage -- to face and recognize real risks, and to choose to do what is right despite the cost.

What does that mean to us, today? It's probably safe to assume I won't claim to be my husband's sister and be taken as another wife of a foreign king somewhere. You can probably say something similar. But the question is still for us in other situations, times when we rely solely on our own power and wisdom and effort to accomplish what God intends instead to bring about through His power working through us. "What was your reason for doing this?" We have a lot of perhaps very true -- and yet still very wrong -- answers to this question. My co-workers won't like me if I take a stand. My spouse will be mad if he/she finds out. I didn't think an attempt at reconciliation would be accepted. Others would be disappointed if they knew the truth. And on and on and on.

There are so many things waiting to trip us up. Let's grab hold of Paul's instruction to Timothy, who faced all sorts of challenges as a leader in the early church: "But you, man of God, [are to] pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith...." (1 Timothy 6:11-12a) "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7).

Advent Discipleship

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Tim) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Advent means 'coming' and it is a season of preparation for the coming of the Christ-child. This is a great time to intentionally disciple families. Every church has a different method for helping people to stay focused on the real meaning of the season. At Ontario First, we are bringing our kids into the services each Sunday and modeling family devotions. Then we are handing out packets to parents that they can use with their children at home.

What are you doing during Advent in your home, a small group, or as a congregation? We'd love to know! You can add your thoughts by clicking on "Comments" at the end of this post.

Focus

noreply@blogger.com (SDMI Team) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:42:00 +0000

I think there is a tendency within the church to focus on "go and make disciples" in the last part of Matthew 28, as if we needed to know and teach, more than anything, what we are commanded to do. But that is foolish. The "go and make disciples" command is sandwiched between something very, very important: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" and "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." We are commanded and able to make disciples only through the power of God, who is indeed with us!

Unique

noreply@blogger.com (SDMI Team) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:11:00 +0000

I recently attended a "StrengthsFinder" conference, led by the Gallup organization and held on the campus of NNU. The premise is that people engage in ministry and find greater meaning in their lives when they are able to serve in ways that use their strengths. Gallup defines 34 areas of strength, and an assessment is available to indicate a person's Top Five. One of the things that caught my attention is that only about 1 in 275,000 people has the same Top Five as mine, and only 1 in 33,000,000 has them in the same order.

This is biblical! Take a fresh look at Psalm 139:14...
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
God has made each of us unique, each of us with a purpose. Each and every person has something to contribute, and nobody else can fulfill that purpose quite the same.

Pastor Tim

Following Together

noreply@blogger.com (SDMI Team) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:34:00 +0000

"Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch... telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.... The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch."

-- found in Acts 11:19-21, 26

How would you define "Christian"? Better yet, can you define it using only words commonly heard beyond church walls? Many theology words hold tremendous meaning, but may hinder rather than help communication when used in conversation with those who are not familiar with such language.

What about "discipleship"? This page is devoted to discipleship, and our denomination's mission is "to make Christlike disciples in the nations." This truly is an incredible mission! But what does it mean?

A "disciple" is one who trusts and follows the teachings of another. This word is more commonly used in Christian circles, where it refers most specifically to people who trust Jesus and devote themselves to discovering and following him. This happens best in community.

Discipleship -- that is, a lifestyle of following Jesus -- has many faces. Sara and two of her friends represent some of those faces. Sara met regularly for a time with these women friends in one of their homes, focusing first on foundational beliefs. In addition to reading and discussing the Bible together, they got to know each other better, prayed for each other, and gave support in difficult times. She wrote, "We are all on separate life journeys, but having people to walk alongside is helpful to all of us."

Sara is pretty excited about their discipleship adventure, and challenges others to do something similar. Here is Sara's account of one who chose to pursue this kind of relationship:

"I challenged a friend to pray about who she could disciple, and she committed it to prayer. Then at our church's Ladies' Retreat one of the ladies got saved (hallelujah!) and God made it clear that she was the one! They have been meeting weekly to study about spiritual disciplines, and they have been walking through difficult issues, such as forgiveness. They are forming a strong bond, and it is really exciting. Isn't that how it should be? They both learn from each other."

Interested? This kind of relationship does not happen on accident. Pray for God's guidance, and create a list of 3-5 people you'd like to invite to join you. Then make a list of two or three books that you might like to study together, so you can talk about those as options as you invite the others. Finally, once the group members and reading plan have been established, work together to arrange a regular time when all can meet. Commit to each other that you'll all do the agreed reading each week, and that you'll make the meeting a high priority.

Remember: Following Jesus is a journey; don't walk it alone!

Intentional discipleship like this is a powerful way to help new believers develop strong foundations in faith. If you're looking for some good books for this purpose, here are a few you might want to check out:

The Discipleship Series (Zondervan)
Basic Bible Studies for New and Growing Christians (NPH)
Basic Bible Studies for the Spirit-Filled and Sanctified Life (NPH)
The Life You've Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People (Zondervan)

Communion With God, Communion With Each Other

noreply@blogger.com (SDMI Team) — Mon, 19 May 2008 03:33:00 +0000

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

-- Acts 2:42-47

Imagine that.

Imagine a diverse group of people with different perceptions but in agreement about what matters most. Consider the unique strengths and weaknesses, advantages and barriers, of each person. This was the start of the Christian Church. Through this community He would -- and will -- reach out to the whole world.

When asked the greatest commandment, Jesus had 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" (Matthew 22:37-40). That instruction is central for God's people. The details are different in each church or community or culture, but the description of Acts 2:42-47 beautifully outlines what it means to be disciples of Christ. Following Jesus happens in relationship.

As disciples, we pursue relationship as Jesus did.

The theme for the 2008 District Assembly Luncheon was "Partners in Discipleship: Communion with God, Communion with Each Other." That is God's plan for the Church and, ultimately, for the world. The Discipleship Summit will be another opportunity to explore the call of God's people to move beyond programs to relationships, beyond membership to discipleship, beyond self to Christlikeness, beyond knowledge to obedience, beyond Sunday to every day. Another excellent resource is the book Beyond Sunday, compiled by Dr. Woodie Stevens, who was also the special speaker at this year's Sunday School luncheon.

Ready? A strong foundation has been laid. Let's build!

Your Corner of the World

noreply@blogger.com (SDMI Team) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 03:32:00 +0000

"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.'"

-- Matthew 28:18-20

Though Jesus' disciples had been following him for several years at this point, there were clearly many things they had not yet learned. Still, Jesus sent them out, entrusting to this motley group the most important message in all the world. They were to live this message and to spread it so thoroughly that the whole globe would come to know the hope of Christ. An impossibly large, impossibly difficult task, it would have seemed.

Yet here we are, two thousand years later, with the same message and the same privilege and responsibility of making disciples. What does this command mean? Disciples are simply people who follow Jesus; therefore we are to walk with others, following Christ together, and serving as guides for those who are not yet familiar with the way.

D. Michael Hendersen writes in his book One Conversation at a Time, "When Jesus said, 'Go into all the world and make disciples,' He meant the corner of the world you live in. Establish God's kingdom right there.... In your circle of influence you are channels of God's grace and power to bring truth and justice, love and compassion, peace and harmony, one conversation at a time."

Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore as his people we go in his name and in his power to spread his love and his hope throughout his world... one conversation at a time.

"Follow Me!"

noreply@blogger.com (SDMI Team) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 04:29:00 +0000

Sunday School & Discipleship Ministries International (SDMI) is dedicated to connecting people with God, with the Bible, and with each other. As people followed Jesus while he walked on earth, we seek to follow him still. But what does it mean to be a Christ-follower? It is far more than mental assent to a set of beliefs; it is a relationship!

Consider Jesus' command, "Follow me":

Jesus told Matthew "follow me" as he was in the tax collector's booth. It was a grace-filled invitation to a new life.

When Jesus encountered Simon and Andrew at their boat, his "follow me" was a call to a great mission.

He preached, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me," knowing full well what sacrifice he himself was preparing to make.

Jesus responded to a rich young man seeking heaven, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." True discipleship takes priority.

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." Jesus is the Good Shepherd, loving and trusted by those he leads.

The call to discipleship is not an elective in Christianity; it is a lifestyle. It is not focused primarily on rules; it is about journeying through life in step with Jesus. It is an invitation, a priority, a mission, and a trustworthy instruction.

If you would like to grow in relationship with this Jesus, the people of Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries in a local church would love to walk with you on that journey. Find a Christian church -- a group of Christ-followers -- and seek him out. It's a lifelong path, and the path of a lifetime!

Come and See!

noreply@blogger.com (SDMI Team) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 04:28:00 +0000

When John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God, John's disciples followed after Jesus and asked where he was staying. "Come, and you will see." They did, and they kept following, and that decision changed their lives. Andrew went quickly to find his brother Simon and tell him they'd found the Messiah. Simon joined Andrew and they followed Jesus through the next three years of his ministry on earth.

The next day, Jesus found Philip. "Follow me." Philip was excited, and sought out Nathanael to tell him about Jesus. Nathanael doubted, though, whether anything good could possibly come from Nazareth. Philip's response? "Come and see." When Nathanael met Jesus, he recognized him as the Son of God, and followed.

These men all came face to face with Jesus of Nazareth and made the pivotal decision to accept his invitation into relationship with him. They were his disciples. Each of us is also the recipient of that same invitation. We are called to "come and see" Jesus, and to introduce others to him also (see Matthew 28:18-20). Sunday School/Discipleship Ministries International (SDMI) exists for this purpose.

Discipleship is not about focusing on rules and regulations; it's about journeying through life in step with Jesus. If you would like to know more about this Jesus, I encourage you to "come and see!" Find a Christian church -- a group of Christ-followers -- and seek him out. Let's journey together!

Creating Space

noreply@blogger.com (SDMI Team) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 03:26:00 +0000

So many of us want to know God, but we struggle in our busy lives to fit in spiritual things. We want to study God in the Bible, interact with God in prayer, and worship God in community with others. Yet too often we find our lives too full of other things, and there is not space for God. Life never seems to slow down, and we can find ourselves drifting away, losing focus of the One who wants to walk through life with us.

For some, there is a sense of obligation to spiritual matters, and a defeated guilt when spiritual things are not part of each day. Friends, this is not the relationship God invites us into!

Henri Nouwen described the spiritual disciplines as "the creation of boundaries that keep time and space open for God... a time and a place where God's gracious presence can be acknowledged and responded to" (see reference). It is slowing down enough to allow God to re-align our souls with his. It is giving him room to work in our lives.

Dallas Willard notes that, just as there are sins of commission (things we do, but we shouldn't) and sins of omission (things we don't do, but we should), there are disciplines of engagement (things we intentionally do) and disciplines of abstention (things we intentionally avoid doing). Further, he suggests that one struggling with a sin of commission (such as backbiting) ought to consider a discipline of abstention (such as silence). Similarly, one struggling with a sin of omission (such as joylessness) will likely grow through a discipline of engagement (such as celebration).

What is God calling you to, right now?

Discipleship is intentional. When we choose to accept God's invitation to be disciples -- that is, Christ-followers -- it is not a decision to be made lightly. Let's be attentive, and stay in step with the Master.