A Follower

What is a disciple? What does it mean to be a disciple? This can be a heavy word and one that some find intimidating while others find it to be impossible to clarify. I wonder what your thoughts are on the subject.... Do you think about it? Do you ever stop and consider what it means to be a disciple?

Being a disciple is central to Christianity. This is an important topic for discussion if we hope to be the people God has called us to be. Will Mancini considers the thoughts of Scott McKnight and his take on how to determine the type of disciple a church or ministry is producing.
Here is what McKnight he says are important in the mature disciple.


Kingdom Understanding: A disciple is someone caught up in Jesus’ Kingdom

Kingdom Dreaming: A disciple is someone who is lost in the Kingdom dream of Jesus

Love: A disciple is someone who loves God and loves others with everything they’ve got.

Justice: A disciple is someone who is radically committed to doing what Jesus teaches and working toward conditions that reflect those teachings.

Peace: A disciple is someone who is at peace and works toward peace

Wisdom: A disciple is someone who is wise and seeks wisdom

Church: A disciple is someone who lives out his or her calling in the context of a local church.


Here is the link to the full article if you are interested:

http://www.willmancini.com/2011/05/scott-mcknight-reveals-his-measures-for-discipleship.html

Maxed Out on Creativity

I love to be creative in what I do. I do not like things to be just the same all the time.

Being creative is one of the ways God geared me to do His work. Being creative is not easy, it takes time. There is no doubt that creativity is in the heart of God. So I wonder why we are unwilling to press ourselves in this area.

I believe we must work this into our lives and work if we are going to leave a mark that will last. In my world of ministry, I believe creative work is work that releases the heart God and touches the soul.

True, creative work is hard and not everyone is bent this way. If you are then maximize it. If you are not then surround yourself with those that are.

Here is a good blog by Seth Godin on very idea. Consider his thoughts and let your creative genious begin to show up in the work you do.


http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/05/underextended.html


Another thought... let creativity work it's way into your marriage as well. A friend of mine challenged me yesterday to take as much time planning a date with my wife as I would on my next sermon. Hmm, this punched me in the gut... Thanks Will!!

Vision Power

Here is a good blog on vision. Does your church or organization have vision.
Think about how you live: are you living for something bigger than yourself? A vision can help individuals, churches, ministries, and businesses do more because they have the solid foundation of a vision.

http://shawnlovejoy.com/

Running Scared!!

Don’t Run... God is not done with you yet!”
I Kings 19

How do you handle the obstacles you face in life? What is your tendency when you face a struggle or a roadblock?
On smaller issues we often trust ourselves and even on some-what larger items we tend to think we can manage around the issue. Now when we face a “bigger-than-us” challenge, we either try to handle it ourselves or we run the other direction. This is what Elijah did here in our text – he ran in the other direction. It is interesting that Elijah had just experienced a great work of God on Mount Carmel (ch. 18), but he was still afraid. No matter what you are facing on today, God is still in control and ready to see you through.

What are you afraid of? Are you running the other way? Don’t run; learn to set a pattern of trusting the Lord regardless of the size of the issue. It will build character and deepen your walk with the Lord. Running often is our natural response, but don’t just try to get to the comfortable spot. Let the Lord lead you by His Spirit to where He knows you need to be.

Elijah ran and was ready to die. (Vs. 4-5) Elijah was tired and just wanted his life to end. He wanted to the Lord to be done with him but he was not done with Elijah. The truth is... the Lord is not done with you yet either. Don’t give up. I don’t know what you are facing, don’t throw in the towel or give it. Spiritual growth dose not happen by chance. God is at work and wants to lead you to further along the path He has set for you!

So Elijah whines his way into a cave and wants to have a pity party. But the Lord meets him there and asks him, “What are you doing here?” What about you? God knew that Elijah was running from the Him and the work he was to carry out. Are you running from the Lord? Don’t give up on God, for he has not given up on you. Are you having a hard time at work, relationship, finances, etc.? Regardless, lean into to the Lord and let Him lead you.

God speaks and clarifies His will for Elijah. The Lord will give guidance, although it may not be like we think, but the Lord will certainly reveal Himself to you. (Vs. 11-14) The Lord says, “Go back the way you came...” (vs.15) Some of the fears in our lives must faced and not placed under a rug. They will not go away. Elijah had to deal with His fear and he had more work to do. The work was just as important and just as needed as the previous work Elijah had done. The Lord new He wanted to use Elijah and wants to use you as well.

Read the passage and pray the Lord will give you courage to move forward today.

Good Enough?

How good do we have to be? Do you like to follow the rules? What does it mean to be legalistic? I think it really is a challenge to live by grace. I know this seems hard, but often it is easier when we can keep score. But Paul tells us in Galatians that it really is up to the cross! The cross is good news! The truth of the Gospel is amazing. Think about and pray through this passage from Galatians.

But when time had fully come,

God send his Son, born of a woman,

born under the law, to redeem those

under the law, that we might receive

full rights as sons.

Galatians 4:4-5

Now this is good stuff! The Lord is good!

The Road Less Traveled

It was good to be back in the saddle yesterday. I had been away for two Sundays and I am always thankful to get back to preach! It is fun to go on trips, but it is always good to be back home. I am thankful to do what I love. I think we were made to live like this! I can't imagine doing something just because it is a job. I really do believe the Lord made us for more than that. We were made with different interests and talents. We should make the most of them.

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

which God has prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

This is awesome to me. I love this! God has made us in such a way that there is work that only we can do. He also has prepared work for us to do! How great is it that God has gone ahead of us to prepare work for us to do! This reminds me that God does have a plan and a purpose for our lives. This is great, but will you take the time to allow God the time to lead you to this? Most of the time we just want it happen quickly, rather than being patient while seeking the Lord.

Robert Frost reminds us:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -

I took the one less traveled by,

And this has made all the difference.

Don't just wander down some path that seems easy or is filled with everyone else. I know it is hard but let the Lord lead you down the path he has for you. Take time to seek him and will lead you!

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then

you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -

his good, pleasing, and perfect will."

Romans 12:2

Prince of Peace

Most of us are quite hectic and frantic during the Christmas season. There is no doubt that we often move so quickly through this season that we miss how powerful the Christmas story really is. I know I can get so caught up in doing all the stuff of Christmas that my mind is frazzled and I am not a peace. But scripture reminds me that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He longs to keep me at peace as I go about my life. He longs to provide peace the world over. The question is... Do we allow him to bring this divine peace to us and through us?

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast,

because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3

God Will Complete Us

About five weeks ago I slammed my finger and it has been a slow healing process for sure. Now I am waiting for the nail to fall off. It no longer hurts but I just ready for this to be behind me. It will take time, but in few weeks my finger will look just fine. The waiting is the hard part.

The football team has had a couple of hard losses. These games have hurt so much. I know we will rebound and will get better, but it just takes time. There is no way to know just how long it will take, but I do know that we are better than we have been in several seasons. I am most excited about our bright future. The waiting is the hard part.

I am not complete. You are not complete. As much as we try to fool ourselves we are not complete. Phil 1:6 reminds us that God began a good work in us and he will faithful to complete it. There is no doubt that it takes time. It does not happen over night. The process is the hard part for me and I am sure it is that way for you as well.

John 15:5 tells us that we must stay connected to Christ and as we do, the Lord will enable us to bear fruit. God is good and we can trust his work in us!

This great news and hope for all of us incomplete disciples.

Creativity and God

I saw a great quote today. "Creativity, God invited it, Jesus modeled it, and the Holy Spirit empowers it."
Do you feel creative? Do you ever pray for it? Sound funny? It may sound like just a bunch of craziness, but I don't think so. If God is the most creative, then he can illumine our minds with His creative bent. God is the most creatively bent, so as we walk with Him it stands to reason that He can make us creative as well.

Take a few moments and read Genesis 1 and 2. Remind yourself just how creative God is.

Pray that God would open your eyes to His creativity just under you nose. Certainly in your front yard or down the street!

Pray for God to bring out His creativity in your life!!

God and Contentment

What is up in your life? Are you frustrated and angry with your life? Do you wish you could move to the next phase God has for you? You may wonder when ___ is going to come into your life. It could be money, job, relationship, etc.
God is teaching us patience and trust the that he knows best. He longs for us to love Him above all. God is more interested in our relationship with Him than we can even imagine. He will use whatever situation we are in to draw us closer to his side.
The faith journey is one that is forged with trust. Trust holds us to the hope that the Lord is at work even when we may not see it or feel it. God is working and moving in our lives at all times! We must trust that he knows best and longs for the best for us.

Read over Phil 4:11-13 and remember Paul is in prison.

Jesus would say it like this: be faithful where you are. Be faithful in the position you have and we just might find ourselves given more responsibility. Don't make this a formula or think that since you are being faithful God OWES you something.

Just know that God longs for us to be faithful and obedient to him regardless!!

Making Moments Count

"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him..." 2 Chronicles 16:9

I find great comfort in knowing the Lord is longing to strengthen me and work on my behalf. It is so reassuring to know the Lord desires to be the catalyst in my life: for spiritual growth, victory over temptation, to do His will, etc. We can often feel alone and by ourselves but the Lord wants to take each of us and lead us to a place of honest trust in Him.

Westminster Shorter Catechism says:
The chief end of man is glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

Our lives should bring him glory. Our lives should give others a glimpse of his greatness. We can certainly live out our days in a life that does not necessarily do this or we can opt for more. We can opt to live a life that is only possible with the strength of God.
Scripture also reminds us that we are clay in the potters hand. We are to place ourselves in the hands of God to be used by Him for His plan and purpose.
So put yourself in the Lord's hands and let Him use you as He will.
That is what Jonathan did in 1 Samuel 14.
He took the lead when no one else would. He was willing to stand alone.
Jonathon was willing to take the leap because he:

He saw the need. 1-3

No one would take action. His dad the King was perched under a tree in fear. The 600 men with him did not know what to do either, because they did not have any weapons. (see 13:16-22) Do you see the needs around you?

He had someone he could depend on. vs.7

We read that Jonathan had his right hand man. This guy was willing to to go with him. Do you have someone in your life like this? The 3am person.

He counted the cost - 4-6

There were no guarantees that all would work out for him. This is true for us too. There are no promises as to how things will work out. So we must count the cost. We must be willing to take the step to be who the Lord has called us to be.

He got the nod from God.vs. 8-12

God spoke to him in a very specific way. There was a very intimate relationship between Jonathan and the Lord. Are you cultivating this relationship with the Lord?

He acted on behalf of others. vs 12

Jonathan did not do this for his acclaim or his fame! He did this because Israel was in need. Are you living this way?

God And Time

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6

Time is one of our greatest assets. We have more time on our hands than we realize. We certainly have time to give. Most of us waste much of our time, while God makes the most of His time. God gives us the example of working out His will in perfect timing. To give our time means we have an awareness of the needs around us, we understand the sacrifice it will take, and we see the blessings it brings to others.

Do you give people your time? Are you willing to sacrifice on behalf of others? God was willing and did! He gave himself as he acted on our behalf for our benefit. In the person of Jesus Christ we see the best example for our daily lives.

Romans 5:1-11 expresses this perfectly.

vs 1 -4 we see the Impact of his presence - We have peace, stand in his grace, and walk in hope. Do you walk in light of these realities? Do you walk with the Lord knowing that you have his presence?

vs 5-8 we see that God's gift was Intentional - Christ died for us while were enemies of the cross. We are powerless to save ourselves. Do you intentionally look for ways to help those around you?

vs 9-11 we see the price of his Investment - The love of God knows no price to high to display his love. It cost him is life. What are you willing to do to reach out and love those around you?

God gave himself will you?

The gift of time is great. It really is. May we make the most of the time God has given us. I am thankful he made the most of his time and we should as well.

Father's Day

Yesterday was not the easiest of days. I missed my dad and would have enjoyed giving him a call just to chat. He was a great friend and gave me so much wisdom. He helped me grow and be the man I am today. I think about his life and what all he stood for. He made such a huge impact on my life. Much of the impact was not even intentional. I say often, that more is caught than taught from our parents. This is a huge warning to all of us. People are watching!! The way he treated mom and helped around the house, was a great example for me. I am so proud to his son and pray that my life will be more like his a I grow older. I say this, because I saw Jesus in my dad. Like Paul admonished his congregations to follow his example, I want to follow the example of my father. The question that comes to mind, is my example worthy of being followed?
Sigh...
I have a long way to go. But I trust, " That he who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it." Phil 1:6

One Life To Live

Here is an excerpt from a wonderful book I am finishing up. I hope that it challenges you as it has challenged me. Take some time to consider how you are living your life and how you are using the talents you have been blessed with.

"Consider what happens when all of us begin to look at our professions and areas of expertise not merely as means to an income or to career paths in our own context but as platforms for proclaiming the gospel in contexts around the world. Consider what happens when the church is not only sending traditional missionaries around the world but also businessmen and businesswomen, teachers ans students, doctors and politicians, engineers and technicians who are living out the gospel in contexts where a traditional missionary could never go."

From Radical, by David Platt

Pray about how God would lead you to live out your faith right where you live as well spending a week this next year share the gospel in another context. May God open your eyes to the way the Lord is at work and empower you to make radical decisions that will reshape your life forever!

Petrified Believers

Have you ever seen a piece of petrified wood? It looks more like stone than wood. I have only seen a couple of pieces of the wood. It looks cool but it is just there. Hard as a brick and not living. Our spiritual life can be this way. I visited with a friend of mine the other day and he talked about wanting to grow more in his faith. This guy is serving part time in a church and feels as though it has all become routine for him. His walk with the Lord seems stale and old. There is very little life in him and he feels as though something is missing. I hate this for him, because I know I can't give an answer that will fix it. Closeness with God is not fixed with an answer or merely manufactured over coffee. I offered support and prayer. I told him that I believed in him and that I believed he was on the right path. It may take time, but the Lord will speak to him as he seeks Him.

Have you ever felt petrified? Kind of like you are shell of your former self? You may look alive but there is nothing in the tank. You look like you have things together but secretly you know stuff is a mess. Others think your life is good but you know it to be a struggle. I am sure you have felt this way at some point in your life, but God walks us through these times to deeper places of trust. Our life with God is ever flowing and never the same. I think what we need is to grasp what Eugene Peterson called, "A Long Obedience in The Same Direction". We must learn to persevere and to continually run to the Lord as we live out the moments entrusted to us.

I am not sure where you are right now, but take some time and draw aside to seek him. Place yourself in a position for God to work. Allow the Lord the space to move in your life. Abide in Him and you will bear fruit. (John 15:5) The Lord will restore your joy and give you a sense of the refreshing life He longs for you to have.

A Redirected Focus

I have been tired of my little pickup for awhile now. I have had it for the past 14 years. Honestly, I really do like my truck and will keep it even when I do get something else. But my recent travels to Africa gave me an adjustment on my attitude. I was able to take a long a look at the things that matter and don't matter in this life. I was able to revisit how my life should be lived. I want to live my life in a way that is counter-cultural. This means that I will not give in to materialism when it rears it's wicked head in my life. My truck runs fine but the newER car I was looking at runs much better and the air conditioning works all the time. But even still, I don't feel that I need to have a new vehicle right now, rather I need to focus my life on other matters of greater importance.

I am thankful for our trip to Africa, but it ruffles my materialistic feathers, and man that is hard. I need to hear God's voice of discipline even though it is still painful. God will lead us and will guide us in the way of life, but we must be ready, this journey is not for the faint of heart.

Walking with the Jesus is not easy, but it is the best.

Considerations and Consternations

Over the next few posts I plan to give some thoughts on our trip to Guinea. It is a great privilege of mine to lead students on mission trips around the world. From these experiences I have been impacted in so many ways. I am most grateful to have seen the Lord at work in many contexts. I leave invigorated and challenged.

I love seeing how God does His unbelievable work in other contexts. It is sad that we forget about the Lord working in our "home base" until we are exposed to his fresh work around the world. We get so used to our life and settling for the status quo, that we need to be shaken out of the dull-drums in order to "see" his work through the eyes of faith. The Lord is present and at work all over this beautiful planet. God is bigger and his arms reach beyond our imagination.

So let me ask you? Have you gotten lost in the day to day of your life? Have you forgotten that God is always present and at work in your life and the community where you live? You need not travel thousands of miles to be reminded that the Lord is always at work. Sure it can help, but it is not necessary to see God's faithful hand at work.

What can you and I do? Ask the Lord to open your eyes. Ask the Lord to take you to a place where you see his work through faith. Today do something for the Lord that you have never done before. This will break up the routine you are in and get you off the comfort seat in your faith.

God is at work. The question is, do we see it and are we going to join him?

Africa - Missions - Etc.

Our team of 10 will be leaving tomorrow for our second trip to Guinea. We are most excited about the opportunity to go back and work with these wonderful people. The Lord has given us an opportunity to work with some of the most amazing missionaries. They have given their lives(19 years of work) to touch the lives of those far from God. Last year we had such a great experience and we expect to have another wonderful experience again this year. Please pray for us as we go serve in the name of Christ.

We must not treat missions as a trip, rather we must see it as way of life. If missions were just a trip, then we could easily compartmentalize it and go on with business as usual. But the truth is we have to live our lives in way that lives out the Gospel of Jesus Christ daily. We can't take the weekend off or go to work without having the eyes of Jesus Christ lead us. No we must be shaped by Christ in all we do.

"Press on..." The Apostle Paul to the Phillipian Christians

Value

Where does your value come from? What are you worth? Is their a price on your life? God thinks so. He seems to think that you have great value. Most of the time people allow other things give them their value.

What gives you a sense of worth? Is it your career? Is it your name? Is it your financial status? Most people allow these aspects of their life to define them. The problem is these items in our life can change randomly and often. We are not guaranteed another day let alone that our wealth will last a lifetime. But this does not stop us.

The truth is we must realize that all external value is variable and can't be trusted. We must find our value in the fact that we are loved by God and he displayed this for us in Christ.

So let me ask you again. Where does your value come from? Only when we find our value from the significance God places on us we will never be satisfied. The Lord is overall and in all and when he fills us we are then changed by him. Everything changes.

You have value because God says you have value and that is enough!!

The Great Invitation

It has been a while and I'm so glad to be back actually. I miss taking the time to write out some of my thoughts. It really does seem that it has been way too long. This morning in my sermon I used Matthew 22:1-14 as my text. The text explains that the Kingdom of God is like a king who invites people to a wedding feast and wants them to come and join him at the feast. But they turn him down. The people are caught up in trivial activities and won't slip away for the banquet.
When was the last time that you gave God the cold shoulder and turned aside toward your own desires. Have you ever turned God down? I have and I am sure you have. My prayer tonight as I go to bed is that I would be more mindful of the opportunities in front of me. I want to make the most of them. May God give us the courage to do all that he places on our hearts. May the Lord take us to new places as we walk with Him daily.