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Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you have not read the previous posts, you can find them here. Last time we learned how being Part of Two Churches is essential for multiplication and faithfulness. In this post we will discuss the Peer Mentoring Group and its importance to multiplication. Jesus said - “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” A Peer Mentoring Group is a group that consists of people who are leading and starting 3/3 Groups. It also follows a 3/3 format and is a powerful way to assess the spiritual health of God’s work in your area. Peer Mentoring Groups use leader-to-leader mentoring with individual followers of Jesus, with simple churches, with ministry organizations or even with a global simple church network that reaches around the world. Peer Mentoring Groups follow Jesus’ example of ministry from scripture, ask questions of one another and give feedback -- all using the same basic time structure as a 3/3 Group. The purpose of these groups is not to judge - to lift one member up and tear another down. Jesus said - “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Instead, the purpose of a Peer Mentoring Group is to provide a simple format for helping followers of Jesus grow through prayer, obedience, application and accountability. In other words -- “to love one another.” Here’s how it works: Look Back (VISUAL - 1/3) During the first third - spend time in prayer and care just like you would in a basic 3/3 Group. Then spend time looking at the group’s vision - How well are we individually abiding in Jesus as we read scripture, pray, trust and obey God, and live out key relationships? Finally, during this first third, have the group review and respond to each individual’s action plans and commitments made in the last session. Look Up (VISUAL - 2/3) The middle third of the group’s time is spent Looking Up for God’s wisdom and direction through scripture, discussion and prayer. Offer a brief and simple prayer, asking God to teach you His will and His ways through His Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead your time. Group members should share what they have learned from the Lord about their area of leadership - either through God’s Word, Prayer or from Other Followers. Have the group discuss the following simple questions:
Look Forward (VISUAL - 3/3) The final third of the group’s time is spent Looking Forward to how we can each apply and obey what we’ve learned. Spend time in silent prayer with everyone in the group asking the Holy Spirit to show them how to answer these questions:
Finally spend time as a group talking to God in prayer. Have the group pray so that each member is prayed for and ask God to prepare the hearts of all those the group will reach out to during their time apart. Pray for God to give each member of the group the courage and strength to apply and obey what God has taught them in this session. If a seasoned leader needs to pray specifically for a younger leader, this is the perfect time for that prayer. Since these groups often meet at a distance, you are unlikely to be able to celebrate The Lord’s Supper or share a meal, but be sure to make time to check-in about health and family and friends. Jesus showed us again and again that, even though He accomplished the most important works, He balanced it, always, with time for the ones He loved. A Peer Mentoring Group is a simple but strategic tool to develop stronger leaders.
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Do you have any family traditions?
One of my memorable things to do every summer was visit Canada’s Wonderland. I enjoyed the swings, the boat ride, the bumper cars, and of course getting a funnel cake at the end of the day before leaving. I really enjoyed these things about Wonderland. What I didn’t particular enjoy was the roller coasters. And this fear that I had lasted a couple of years and I was not able to fully experience the park for what it was. As I got older, staying with my uncle while the other kids went out rides started to get a little boring. I had to let go of this unknown feeling and fear. Eventually, it got to a point where I had to overcome the fear and I did. I don’t remember exactly when, but it happened and I actually looked forward to going on the rollercoasters. Is there anything you had to ever let go of? Today, we are going to look at this subject of letting go. It’s something that we can all relate to and something we have all had to do in our lives. “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14 To let go means: -We are not in charge. -We are not in control. -We trust God’s plan for our lives. -We give every aspect of our lives to God. As we let go, the Holy Spirit begins to flourish in us and as we share our experiences with God, a trusting relationship begins to grow. We bring everything to God and look for His perspective, which is what we all need today.
We all need God’s perspective and people out there in the world need God’s perspective. A great way that we can do that is through God’s Word. God speaks to us through His Word.
There are many different examples in the Bible of people who had to let go of something. Let’s look at a couple today:
Jochebed and her husband, Amram, had done their best to hide Moses for as long as they could. At three months old it would have been a matter of time before someone found him, so something had to be done now. As a parent, I see this woman as a woman of great courage and faith. We all know what happens next, the daughter of Pharaoh finds Moses and not only did the Egyptian princess proclaim she would adopt Moses as her son, she sent his very own sister–who happened to be nearby–to find a nursemaid for the baby. Jochebed had to let go of all fear and uncertainty in this situation and she was so blessed by letting go. God blessed her obedience by making her Moses’ nursemaid. 2. Jonah The prophet Jonah was called on a mission to Nineveh and he responded by attempting to run away from his assignment from the Lord. He went towards Tarshish which was in the opposite direction of where he was supposed to go. Talk about a bad sense of direction, right? Fast forward, he ends up in the belly of a large fish for 3 days and this where he repents and turns back to God. Jonah had to let go of his own uncertainties, plan, and pride. He had to let it all go before God. As we talk about this today, I would like us to look at our own lives and ask the Lord to reveal to us anything that we need to let go of. Although letting go doesn’t sound like a positive thing, it actually is. When some people think of letting go, they think of giving up on something. Letting go is not giving up! If we aren’t letting go, what are we doing? We are holding on. And if we are holding onto things that God intends for us to let go of, we can miss out on receiving and experiencing fully what God has for us. Kind of like how I couldn’t fully enjoy Wonderland until I let go of the fear I had. While letting go can be challenging at times, it is honestly one of the most freeing things we can do and letting go is so important that Jesus also let go. He knew what He was about to go through and He asked God if there was a way to take it away but not His will but God's will be done. He surrendered to the will and plan of the Father. If Jesus let go, how much more should we? We are going to now look at a parable to help illustrate this a bit better for us today. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a story that most of us are very familiar with and it truly is a beautiful picture of God’s love for humanity. “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This Man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15:1-3 Here we see tax collectors and sinners drawing to Jesus and the Pharisees and scribes (religious leaders and writers of the law) were complaining or grumbling about this. So in response, Jesus addresses the Pharisees and scribes with the parables. From verses 4 through 32, there are 3 parables here:
Let’s now read the following verse and notice the emphasis and relation to these particular verses: “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:7 “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10 “Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” Luke 15:23-24 While these parables involve something that is lost, its not the main focus or theme here. Jesus is bringing light to God’s desire and joy in welcoming sinners to Himself. There is also a main difference in these parables to take note of. Until Luke 15:24, we kind of expect the story to just end in celebration but there is a bit of a twist or something more important for us to see in the text. We see the other character who is the man’s other son who is also grumbling and complaining. Sounds familiar right? Let’s read about that again. “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This Man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15:1-3 This is an image of the Pharisees and scribes here. The older brother didn’t grasp the freedom and joy of always being with his father. And he also didn’t appear to feel the loss of his brother leaving and the significance of his return. Jesus was trying to bring awareness to the Pharisees and scribes of some things they had to let go of. What do you need to let go of today? I don’t know what you need to let go of, but I have some good news for you today. It doesn’t end with letting go. There is more to it. You can let go, but don’t give up! The father let his son go but he never gave up. The bible says that when the son was still a great way off, the father saw him and had compassion. So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20 The father was waiting for his son to come back home. And he even ran towards him. This text is also something to take note of with what Jesus is saying. It was considered extremely undignified for a man to run anywhere in those times. Running was for children and running required men to hike up their robes and expose their legs, which was considered humiliating and disgraceful. Jesus is showing us the importance here of letting go of things. The man didn’t care. He wanted to get to his son. Maybe there is something you are trying to let go of today. I want to encourage you with these 4 points:
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 2. Let go of worry and let God comfort you 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 3. Let go of control and let God guide you Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” 4. Let go of disappointment and let God love you Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Maybe like the story of the Prodigal Son, you may have a child today or another loved one who has not come home yet. Let go. Let go. But don’t give up. Pray for them, surrender it to the Lord and don’t give up. Have faith in the Lord and in what only He can do. This is how we don’t give up church. We can’t give up. We need to keep pressing on. Philippians 3:12-14 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” At OMS Canada, we have some wonderful missionaries who sacrifice so much in their own lives and in their families. They let go of their own plans and choose to prioritize their time to serve God and others. Learn more here about our missionaries and consider supporting one of them as you are able to. May God continue to bless you in all that you do. 
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you have not read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we learned how Pace Matters because where we all spend our eternity — an existence that outlasts time — is determined in the very short time we call “life.“ And increasing pace has an exponential impact on multiplication. In this post we will discuss being part of two churches. Jesus taught us that we are to stay close — to live as a small, spiritual family, to love and give our lives to one another, to celebrate and suffer — together. However, Jesus also taught us to leave our homes and loved ones behind and be willing to go anywhere — and everywhere — to share and start new spiritual families. So how can we do both? In this post, we’ll learn how followers of Jesus can be a PART OF TWO CHURCHES to accelerate growth and help turn a faithful spiritual family into a growing city-wide body of believers. In God’s Word - we learn that His perfect plan is for us to live as a spiritual family. The Bible talks about this family as a church in three forms: • The universal church -- the gathering of all the believers who were, who are and who will be. • The regional or city church -- the gathering of all the believers in a city or a part of a country. • The simple church -- the gathering of believers who meet in a small group like in a building or a home. This smallest group - this elemental or simple church - is the spiritual family that lives life together and it works best when that family can meet and work together for months or years at a time. At the same time, Jesus instructed His followers that they should be continuously starting new spiritual families, growing them to be more like Jesus, and helping them learn how to start new spiritual families, too. Jesus told us - make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all I have commanded. so how do these two things come together - how can we be a part of a church and be in the process of starting new churches - all at the same time? Imagine a basic church - just four families. Each pair of symbols represent a different couple who lead their home. All the couples are a part of one church - this is their ongoing spiritual family. This is who they do life with - the brothers and sisters who encourage them in love and good works. 
But these same couples are also each working to start a new spiritual family. They’re not participating in the same way they do with their own small group family, but they are helping to MODEL and ASSIST as a new spiritual family gets started and grows.
Imagine this - just one church starting four new churches at the exact same time. This is how fast God can grow His family. This is how the church can increase its pace. 
In an earlier session, we learned about the TRAINING CYCLE - MODEL, ASSIST, WATCH and LEAVE and we know that these first two phases - MODEL and ASSIST are meant to be moved through quickly - to keep new followers healthy and growing in their faith.
So what happens with the original church and the four churches that they’ve started? After helping them launch by Modeling and Assisting, these couples (original church) have already helped these new churches (1 gen) begin Modeling and Assisting, as well (for 2 gen). For these four new churches (1 gen), our couples (org. church) are now in the WATCH phase - keeping an eye on the progress of these new churches (1 gen) and coaching as they Model and Assist new churches (2 gen) they help start on their own. Most people will not be able to Model and Assist for more than one other spiritual family at a time. However, they can watch over and coach multiple churches and help them connect with peer mentors as they grow. That means one single spiritual family - one elemental or simple church - can be part of launching many other small group churches at exactly the same time. That’s a lot of fruit. So what happens to all these churches as they grow and start new churches that start new churches that start new churches? How do they stay connected? How do they live life as an extended spiritual family? The answer is that all of these simple churches are just like the cells in a growing body and they connect together and network into a city or regional church. The churches are related. They share the same spiritual DNA. They are all connected out of the same first multiplying family. And now -- with some guidance - they come together as a larger body to do even more. Can you see some potential advantages of maintaining a consistent spiritual family that gives birth to new ones that grow and multiply instead of continually growing a family and splitting it in order to grow?
Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to share this post with others.
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you have not read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we learned how Non-Sequential Growth and how to break the habit of thinking in a linear pattern as a way of accelerating kingdom growth. In this session will learn why multiplying matters and why multiplying quickly matters even more. This session is about PACE. Pace is about time - how quickly or slowly things happen. Pace matters because where we all spend our eternity - an existence that outlasts time - is determined in the short time we call “life”. God’s Word tells us that God is patient with us - not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to turn around and follow Him. God gives us more time because He knows we only have a short time to do all He’s called us to do and to reach all He’s called us to reach. To follow Jesus more closely, we have to pursue His people more quickly. We can’t just take our time. We have to increase our PACE.
The global church -- all followers of Jesus, together -- is larger than it’s ever been. The global church -- all followers of Jesus, together -- is a larger portion of the world’s population than ever before.
But even with those large numbers - the global church is not growing faster than the global population. That means that while there are more of us who follow Jesus than ever before, there are even more who are not following Jesus and will spend their eternity separated from Him, more than there have ever been before. Making disciples who multiply matters. Start with just one disciple. If they multiply and make a new disciple once every 18 months - an entire year and a half - and then those disciples do the same - in 10 years, there will be 64 new followers of Jesus. 64 people will spend their forever with a loving God. But what if they moved a little faster? What if they increased their PACE? If they multiply now in 4 months - a quarter of year - instead of 18 months, and those disciples do the same - in 10 years, there will now be a billion new followers of Jesus. Think about that. Instead of less than 100. More than 1,000,000,000. All by increasing PACE. Going from 18 months to 4 months means we’re moving four-and-a-half times faster. But that acceleration applied to every disciple over the course of 10 years means God’s family is growing 15 MILLION TIMES faster. Less than a hundred. More than a billion. PACE matters. Sharing our story and God’s story and leading someone to follow Jesus grows God’s family. Sharing with a new follower how to do exactly the same grows God’s family like a wildfire. Exponentially. Like yeast through a loaf. All because of PACE. Why is pace important? What do you need to change in your thinking, your actions, or your attitude to be better aligned with God’s priority for pace? What is one thing you can do this week that will make a difference? Leave a comment to let us know. And please share this post with others. 
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you have not read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we learned how Shema Statements can be used to launch spiritual discussions with the people around us, whether we know them or not. In this session, we’ll learn how to break the habit of thinking in a linear pattern as a way of accelerating kingdom growth. To make disciples who make disciples more quickly, we have to keep in mind that multiple things can happen at the same time and there is not a certain order in which they need to happen. We have to learn the power of NON-SEQUENTIAL growth.
When people think about disciples multiplying, they often think of it as a step-by-step process. First prayer. Then preparation. Then sharing God’s good news. Then building disciples. Then building churches. Then developing leaders. Then reproduction.
When we learn this way, kingdom growth seems to be an easy-to-follow, linear and sequential process. One problem is that’s not how it always works. A bigger problem is that’s not how it often works best. Imagine a line that represents a person’s life. Here’s birth. Here’s the first time they hear God’s good news. Here’s when they choose to follow Jesus. Here’s when they first share their story and God’s story and they begin to multiply. And here’s where this life ends. 
So from first hearing about Jesus to first sharing about Jesus is what we could consider a spiritual generation. This amount of time before multiplying. This amount of time before God’s family grows. This is how discipleship is usually taught.
But when we use a pattern like Greatest Blessing - watch what happens. 
Now a new disciple starts multiplying immediately. The spiritual generation shortens. Someone hears God’s good news sooner. God’s family grows more quickly. More people are saved for eternity.
And all of it - simply by moving when they multiply. But what if we keep going? What if someone starts multiplying even earlier? What if they begin to share after they first hear instead of after they first believe? Some are open to gathering a group and sharing what they learn from God’s Word with friends and family before they ever say “yes” to Jesus. If we show those people how to gather a group and share what they learn and show others how to do the same, God’s family grows even faster. Now discipleship is a path to Jesus not just something we share after salvation. This is a way a family or friends or even a village can come to follow Jesus. But what if someone can multiply even sooner? What if someone could share God’s ways before they even meet God’s Son? Sometimes a group may be unable or not ready to hear God’s good news immediately. But this group can still learn God’s patterns - through efforts like community development or leadership training. This group can begin multiplying God’s patterns - learning - obeying - sharing - and teaching others to do the same even before they first hear about Jesus. When this happens, God’s ways are imprinted into willing hearts. His patterns are woven into a community and individual lives. Then when God has prepared His way - God’s good news can reveal the truth they’ve been receiving all along. This is the way an institution, a community, or even a country can come to follow Jesus. Non-Sequential growth still requires “What’s Essential?” thinking. No matter what process - the biggest question is always the same - Who is the good soil that will be faithful? Who will learn and practice and share God’s ways? Uncovering this good soil - discovering these good hearts - is worth all of our time and energy and effort. These are the ones we pour out our hearts to. These are the ones we pour out our lives for. These are the ones who grow God’s kingdom best. What can you do to shorten up the spiritual generations? 
Do you remember a time when you thought about or asked yourself the question, “What should I do?” It’s actually a pretty common question to ponder and ask, and many of us likely do this quite often without even realizing it. It’s a good question to think about.
Today, I want to encourage you. You may even be in a situation today where you are asking yourself this very question. Let’s look at this a bit further today. Where we Start I think the best place to start here is adjusting the question because it can ultimately change the outcome of whatever situation. We are all human beings with emotions, triggers, etc. so the question we must ask is, “What would Jesus do?” Jesus is our perfect example when it comes to anything we go through. It can be something personal, relational, emotional, etc. God has given us the ultimate example of Jesus so that we can become all He has called us to. But we need to do our part.
At our house, we have a 5.5 year old who loves to repeat things that are said. It can sometimes be funny or not so funny, depending on what is said. Go ahead and laugh out loud if you want. We are not there yet.
Kids do that a lot. They copy, they imitate. “But if anyone obeys His word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:5-6 We need to live as Jesus did and a huge part of that is looking to the example of Jesus and through the Holy Spirit. It is so important to do this because it will empower us to make the right decisions in our lives. Let’s look at 3 reasons today, why this is so important:
In this chapter, Paul is talking about imitating Christ’s humility and how we should look to the interests of others. When dealing with others, we need to remember this. There are many examples in the Bible of Jesus dealing with others and there was always a focus on the need(s) of the other person. If you are dealing with a relational matter today and wondering what to do, look to Jesus and how He related with other people. When we look to Jesus, it can shift our own attitude and mindset 2. When we look to Jesus, we surrender. “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 Jesus always had an attitude of care towards others and you are no exception. Jesus cares for you. By focusing on Jesus and looking to Him, we surrender to Him. The situation is no longer ours to carry alone. This brings such hope and peace that surpasses our understanding of circumstances. When we feel overwhelmed, we have to let go. We have to surrender it to God. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 3. When we look to Jesus, we trust Him with the outcome. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 What should I do? What would Jesus do? Whatever the situation today, trust in Him. He knows the plans He has for you and they are to prosper you and not to harm you. They are plans to give you hope and a future. I remember when we got some news that wasn’t easy to hear and at first, all I could do was cry. The human part of me felt heartbroken. We had learned that our child had a special need and that it would require therapy and intervention. Initially, I had to feel heartbroken because it led me to shifting my attitude and mindset, surrendering it to God, and trusting God with the outcome. Today, our child is doing very well and she is one of the most amazing children out there. She loves Jesus with all her heart and that is the most important thing. Be encouraged today. God loves you, He is for you, and He is with you on your journey. Remember to ask the question, “What would Jesus do?” It will greatly impact your decisions and you will see outcomes that you never imagined. At OMS Canada, we have some wonderful missionaries whose hearts are to live for Christ and to share and encourage others to do the same. Please prayerfully consider supporting one of these servants today. May God bless you as you live for Him. 
(The following is adapted from the Appendix of the Revised First Edition of the new book, More Disciples, available today on Amazon or Kindle. *) One of the hardest parts about launching a disciple-making life is getting from “Hello” to a spiritual conversation or group. Statements like these (below) can help you steer the subject toward spiritual things and even “filter” to see if your friend or listener is open to hearing spiritual things. Some call these “Shema” statements. (Shema is the Aramaic word for “Listen.” It’s the opening word in Deuteronomy 4, “Hear oh Israel…”)
In addition, statements like these can help others realize that you are a genuinely a person of faith. As a result, if/when they have a problem or feel troubled someday, they might remember that you are a Godly person and come to you seeking spiritual help. If they have a dream with some kind of deeper meaning (maybe a spiritual meaning?), for example, or if they feel at the end of their rope, they might ask for guidance. Of course, these statements only work if you’re truly authentic from the inside out in your love and speech. On top of all that, they help us establish more courage in bringing up God in our everyday conversations. Try setting a goal to use one Shema statement per day. Here are a bunch of samples to get you started. You’ll soon be thinking of others on the spot. “I read something in the Bible today that seems hard for me to obey”. “I wonder how (a religious behavior) connects to __ (a heart issue)?” Verbally long for the day when ugly things will be swept away when Jesus returns. “God speaks to me in prayer or through his Word.” “I was having a hard time with _ (an issue), so I _ (a spiritual solution).” “I asked God for help and He…” Ask questions like, “How do you show love to God?” or “What was the last thing you heard from God?” “I read a wonderful story today. May I tell you?” “God taught me something today.” “I read something really interesting about God today.” “God is light, and he shines into the dark places of my heart.” “Do you think God could stop all of the bloodshed in…?” “Did you ever have a dream from God?” Use a Proverb to apply to a current situation. “How should a person of God act here?” Thank God for something difficult. “Do you think God cares about….?” “God wants to walk with me so I walk with Him.” “I believe only with God there is hope for….” When telling your children’s names, or your own name, share the meaning. Mention something that you prayed for and how it was answered. Response to a social issue. “Jesus dealt with and said some interesting things about it.” “As I was praying for you today I sensed God…” “I feel encouraged about something that I learned about God.” If you are by the sand or looking at stars in the sky, reminisce about God’s blessing to Abraham. “God healed my friend.” “I feel sad when I see trash, because God created the earth.” “I was reading today and God reminded me…” “I am thankful for ________. What are you thankful for?” “God hates injustice and he has a lot to say about it.” “Do you know on which day God created…?” Context = complaining about their country… “It doesn’t matter which country you are in but to be where God wants you to be.” “I know this is a place of great conflict and God wants you to experience peace.” “Can I tell you a story?” “I don’t need _____ to protect me. I pray for God to protect me.” Children: “Blessing and hard work make me rely more on God.” Spouse: “God will give me a wife in just the right time.” In response to not having children… “Marriage is a picture of Jesus and His church.” “Yes, I miss home, but God meets me in my loneliness. God will never leave me nor forsake me. “What is most important to you?” “What do you think are the most important values you can give to your children?” “When did you feel most safe or secure?” “Can we pray for this meal?” “Can we please bless your home or your family?” Sometimes the most challenging part of discipleship is getting the conversation to spiritual things. These statements go a long way in helping to make that happen.
Have you other suggestions? Let us know what works for you.
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you have not read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we learned how the Three Thirds meeting format is a method of meeting that helps followers of Jesus help one another follow Jesus more faithfully. In this post, we’ll learn a Training Cycle that helps disciples go from one to many and turns a mission into a movement.
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Have you ever learned how to ride a bicycle? Have you ever helped someone else learn? If so, chances are you already know THE TRAINING CYCLE.
It’s as easy as MODEL, ASSIST, WATCH and LEAVE. 
Think back - before you ever rode a bicycle, you probably saw someone else ride one first.
That’s MODELING. MODEL, ASSIST, WATCH and LEAVE. Modeling is simply showing someone else an example of how it’s done. When a child first sees someone else riding a bike, they get the idea right away. Modeling is like that -- it doesn’t have to be done often, and usually it only needs to be done once. Think back to that first bike ride. Did you want to just watch? Or were you excited to get on and give it a try? What if nobody ever gave you the chance? Too much modeling can actually hurt the training process. MODELING is about showing someone just a little - and then giving them a try. So what happened on that first ride? Did they just give you the bicycle and walk away? Probably not. When most people learn how to ride a bike, someone is right there for the first few pedals. Walking along side and keeping you on track. That’s ASSISTING. MODEL, ASSIST, WATCH and LEAVE. Assisting is allowing a learner to practice a skill but making sure the falls aren’t too hard. Assisting takes longer than Modeling. But not too long. It requires some hand-holding, some direction and some coaching, but it’s all about passing on the basics. It’s not about getting someone to perfect. It’s about getting them to pedal. Can you imagine someone running alongside you as you started to pedal fast and gain some speed? They wouldn’t last long, and you’d never learn to keep your balance. ASSISTING is about getting someone going and allowing them to steer a little on their own. And when they start to move, they’re actually modeling for next learner on the way. Even when no one else’s hands are on the bike, it doesn’t mean you’re all alone. Usually there’s someone keeping an eye out - but from a distance. That’s WATCHING. MODEL, ASSIST, WATCH and LEAVE. Watching is influencing a learner until they’re competent in their skill, all without having to step in and take control. In bike riding, someone can get up and going fairly quickly, but that doesn’t mean they know all the rules of the road. Watching is about making sure someone’s going to be safe - even when no one’s around. Watching is about making sure not just that someone knows what to do, but also that they’ll do it - even when no one’s looking. In this phase of the Training Cycle, the learner will grow and teach others how to grow... so they teach others how to grow... so they teach others how to grow. Disciples who make disciples who make disciples who make disciples. All the way down to the third and fourth generation. WATCHING is about making sure a learner matures and is not just willing but also able to help others. Watching takes awhile. It may be ten times as long as Modeling and Assisting, combined. It may be longer. But the wait is always worth it. Eventually -- the rider just rides the bike. That’s what LEAVING is all about. MODEL, ASSIST, WATCH and LEAVE. Leaving is like a graduation. A student becomes a teacher. A worker becomes a co-worker. A disciple becomes a friend. In bike riding, the one who teaches you to ride doesn’t go along for every ride you take. At times they may ride with you. At times you ride separately, or with others, or alone. LEAVING is about giving one last gift to someone you love - the gift of freedom. Leaving is about equipping someone to go where you’ve already gone but also encouraging them to go where you haven’t gotten to yet. MODEL, ASSIST, WATCH and LEAVE. THE TRAINING CYCLE. From one to many. From a mission to a movement. 
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you have not read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we learned about that Faithfulness is a much better measure of spiritual maturity than Knowledge and Teaching. In this session, we’ll learn how the 3/3 (NOTE: PRONOUNCE AS “Three-Thirds”) meeting format is a method of meeting that helps followers of Jesus help one another follow Jesus more closely. Jesus said -- “where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” That’s a powerful promise, and one that every follower of Jesus should take advantage of. But when you come together as a group, how should you spend your time? A 3/3 (NOTE: PRONOUNCE AS “Three-Thirds”) Group is one that divides their time together into 3 parts, so that they can practice obeying some of the most important things that Jesus commands. This is how it works: Look Back (VISUAL - 1/3) The first third of the group’s time is spent looking back at what’s happened since we’ve been together. Look Up (VISUAL - 2/3) The middle third of the group’s time is spent Looking Up for God’s wisdom and direction through scripture, discussion and prayer. Look Forward (VISUAL - 3/3) The final third of the group’s time is spent Looking Forward to how we can each apply and obey what we’ve learned. Remember the blog post on spiritual breathing? Breathe in, hear from God. Breathe out, obey what you hear and share it with others. That’s what a 3/3rds group is all about. A 3/3 Group is one that divides their time together into 3 parts, so that they can practice hearing from God and obeying and sharing some of the most important things that Jesus commands. Remember a 3/3 Group is not the same as a Bible Study - that's on purpose! We are not looking for knowledge or teaching but faithfulness. LOOKING BACK - We spend the first third of our time looking back by caring for each other through giving thanks, sharing our struggles and praying for other members of our group. We’ll also check in to see if each person in the group has had the opportunity to obey and share what they learned the last time we were together. Step One - “Giving Thanks.” Take some time to have each person share something they are thankful for. Step Two - “Sharing your Struggles” and “Praying for One Another.” Each person in your group will briefly share something they are struggling with. Have someone else pray for them about what they share. Step Three - “Focusing the Group.” Every time you meet, you’ll want to take time and remember why you’re together - to love God, to love others, to share Jesus, and help others share Him too. This is most effectively done by having someone read a passage like Matthew 22:37-38 out loud to the group. Step Four - “Checking In.” This is the part that some groups want to skip, because it means asking questions that can sometimes be hard. Please don’t skip. Jesus loved His followers enough to ask hard questions. If we want to be like Jesus, we should love one another enough to do that, too. In this step, you’ll have each person in the group report on whether they obeyed what they heard God ask them to do the last time you were together. Each person needs answer the following questions honestly: How have you obeyed what you’ve learned so far? Who have you trained in what you’ve learned? Who have you shared your story or God’s story with since we’ve been together as a group. LOOKING UP During the middle third of your time together, you will invite God’s Holy Spirit to lead your group to better understand God’s Word. The group will read a passage from the Bible out loud and then ask and answer some simple questions as a group to help explore and understand better God’s purposes and plans. Step One - Take a moment to pray. Talk with God simply and briefly. Ask His Holy Spirit to teach you from the passage you are about to read. Step Two - Have someone in the group read from the Bible. When you’ve finished reading, the group should answer these two questions: What did you like about this passage? What did you find challenging or hard to understand? If there are oral learners - people who don’t read well or prefer to learn by hearing - in your group, make sure you read through the passage at least twice. Now, have the group answer these two questions: What can we learn about people from this passage? What can we learn about God from this passage? Remember stick to the passage and keep it simple! Quick Tip: When you’re studying God’s Word, focus on His words instead of other books, teachers, or opinions. Instead of asking, “What do you think this means?” ask “What does this passage say?” If someone in your group likes to teach, gently remind them that God’s Holy Spirit and perfect Word can teach the group. We’re all here to learn, together. And don’t be afraid of silence or a pause in the discussion. God is working even when it’s quiet. Stay focused on His Word, stick to the passage, and trust God to do the rest. LOOKING FORWARD In the last third of our time, we’ll focus on looking forward to discover how we can obey and train others by what we’ve learned from God’s word. Each member of the group asks God a few simple questions and then waits for His answer in prayer. Then each will share and practice their commitments and pray to end the time, together. Step One - Have each person in your group pray silently and ask God these questions: God, how can I obey and apply what You’re teaching me? Who can I train from this passage so they can learn to obey and love You more? Who would you have me share my testimony or Your Good News of Jesus with? Ask God’s Holy Spirit to give you specific answers, specific names, and specific steps that you can take in the time between now and when your group meets again. Step Two - Ask each person in your group to share what they heard from the Lord for each question. Someone may not have heard anything from the Lord on one, two, or even all three questions. They can simply report that they didn’t hear. But remember, the group should hear from the Lord. Jesus said - “My sheep hear My voice.” And the more specific your obedience steps are, the easier it will be to obey them before you meet again. Step Three - Before you end your time together, have your 3/3 Group break into smaller groups of two or three and practice what you’ve heard the Lord ask you to do. Remember - practice isn’t obeying, training or sharing, but it does get you ready to do those things better. Have each smaller group end its practice time together in prayer. Pray specifically for those people and plans God has put on your hearts. Anyone who doesn’t have specific commitments should practice sharing their testimony story or God’s Story. Around the world, 3/3rds groups often share the Lord’s Supper, or a meal and more casual conversations as part of their time together. God gave us this kind of fellowship -- intentional learning and growth and intentional living and relationship to help strengthen, encourage, and build us up to be more like His Son, Jesus. And that's the 3/3 Meeting Format -- Looking Back to check in on what we've accomplished since the last time we met, Looking Up to understand what God has for us to learn in this time together, and Looking Forward to put into action what God has put on our hearts while we're apart. 3/3 Groups - a simple and practical way to meet that helps us become more like Jesus by building accountability for faithfulness right in.
Are you interested in trying this format? We would be happy to run a sample 3/3 Group with you via Zoom. Send us an email or call the office.
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you have not read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we learned about the BLESS prayer pattern which gives a framework of five things about which to pray for a person. This week we will learn that faithfulness is a much better measure of spiritual maturity than knowledge and teaching. There are two ideas that have caused a number of problems in the church today. The first is that a person’s spiritual maturity is connected to how much they know about God’s Word. They act as if RIGHT BELIEF – or orthodoxy – is a good measure of someone’s faith. The second is the idea that a person’s ability to lead requires a “full training” before they begin in ministry. They act as if COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE is a good measure of someone’s ability to lead. The problem with the first idea – relying on orthodoxy – or right belief is that Satan himself knows more Scripture than any human. God’s Word says, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! (James 2:19). A better measure of someone’s spiritual maturity is ORTHOPRAXY – “right practice”. We ought to be more concerned with FAITHFULNESS in OBEYING and SHARING than measuring maturity based only on what we know. The problem with the second idea – that a person must be fully trained before they lead is that no one is ever really fully trained. Jesus modelled sending out young leaders who still had many things to learn to do some of the most important work in the Kingdom. God’s Word says, “And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.” Then he sent them to tell about God’s kingdom and to heal the sick. These men were sent before Peter stated his belief that Jesus was Saviour – something we would consider a first step of faith. And even after being sent Jesus had to rebuke Peter multiple times for mistakes and Peter would still later deny Jesus completely. Other followers argued over who was the greatest and what role each would play in God’s future Kingdom. They all still had a lot to learn but Jesus put them to work sharing what they already knew. Faithfulness – more than knowledge – is something that can start as soon as someone begins to follow Jesus. Faithfulness – more than training – is something that can be measured by what we do with what we have been given. (Matthew 25:14-30) If we OBEY and SHARE what we hear and learn with others, we are faithful.
If we hear but REFUSE to obey and share, we are unfaithful.
As we multiply disciples, let’s make sure we’re measuring the right things. 
“You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven…” Luke 18:22
When the young, wealthy ruler encountered Jesus, the latter's words struck him to the quick, suddenly compelling him to examine his beliefs and motives. Would he give up the riches he had worked so hard to get, along with the associated status, power, and voice? His entire world was laid out before him, upending all of his core values, beliefs, and world view of his being. When you and I encounter Jesus, what happens within us?
Our entire existence should be re-oriented and reframed as we have a fresh encounter with the Lord.
Just as the rich, young ruler, our lives can be suddenly turned upside down. Jesus gets to the crux of the matter as He touches into our personhood, our gifts and resources. Consequently, an internal filter emerges, revealing the motives of the heart. How are we prepared to respond? Each time we are brought face to face with a need, we have the opportunity to encounter the heart of the Father. We can harden our hearts and turn our thoughts elsewhere or we can ask “Lord, what would You want me to do in this situation?” We may have ideas of savings for retirement, fulfilment of travel dreams, the purchase of another home or cottage or setting funds aside for residential care in our later years – yet, our plans can be pre-empted by an encounter with a need. Our giving and partnering with God are much greater than ourselves. We do it unto Him. We respond in obedience. We make ourselves available for His purposes. We avail our wealth, resources and person to Him –the author and creator of all. We will have many opportunities in this side of heaven to partner with Him. We can open ourselves up to see the world around us through the eyes of the Father, knowing what value He placed on people and the Kingdom in which we are called to live. Are we willing and available? Nothing is more thrilling and rewarding than realizing we have been about the Father’s business. Have we given Him our undivided attention and unwavering response in every new encounter? All that we have is His. What other way could we respond? May our hearts be open to a fresh encounter with Him that radically changes our perspectives and causes us to see the endless possibilities where we can release our wealth for eternal purposes and the expansion of the Kingdom in the lives of many. 
I heard a song the other day, and these particular words stood out for me:
I'm gonna know what it means to live And not just be alive -Say I won’t by Mercy Me- I’ve been thinking about those words and what they really mean. Being Alive God gave us the gift to be alive, and if we really think about it, it doesn't require much effort on our part. We need to eat, sleep, etc. A lot of these things are part of our daily lives and we all do these things, regardless of what we believe. These are all basic human needs. Living, however is a bit different when we really think about it. Living When we say that we are living, it is something that we all can do differently. We have different jobs, live in different areas, have different families, etc. So how we live is actually something we choose to do, regardless of circumstances. We can choose how to live each day. So let’s look at a couple of verses and dig into this a bit more. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 In the book of Philippians, Paul was imprisoned in Rome, awaiting a potential death sentence for sharing the gospel. Imagine what he was going through. We can’t possibly, but if we really think about the text in the verse we just read, we will have a different perspective on what that means. Paul was quite literally meaning that with all of his heart. What does it mean to really live for Christ? How do we know if we are truly living for Him? Let’s look at 3 things today that we can do that can help us answer these important questions.
All things have been created through Him and for Him. We must first realize that living for Christ is not about us. Jesus demonstrated this in the most amazing way, by giving His life for all when no one deserved it. Even during his life, Jesus was always focused on the needs of others. While this may not be easy at times, let us take the time each day to focus on others. 2. Living for Christ is a lifestyle Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23-24 Living for Christ is not just about going to a church building. Every area of our lives ought to demonstrate that we are living for Christ. Our jobs, school, what we watch, what we listen to, how we talk to others, etc. are some examples. If we are just attending a church service and not living for Christ in our everyday lives, we are not truly living for Christ. Another thing to remember about this is also why we live for Christ. We do it for the Lord and not to impress or get the attention of others. Living for Christ is a lifestyle. 3. Living for Christ is a life-long commitment “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 Jesus is the only way to God and that is how we will enter into glory someday. Living for Christ is a beautiful commitment and wonderful honor. Life is never perfect and we all do face challenges, but let’s keep at it. Let’s move forward in Christ. By staying connected to God and other believers, we can be encouraged to continue with this life-long commitment. I encourage you to make this a priority in your life for God. Do it for Him. He is worthy and He is awesome. Paul was truly living for Christ, not only through his words, but how he lived his life for Christ.
Jesus was everything to him and like Paul, we are encouraged to live out our faith each day by God’s grace and with the help of the Holy Spirit. We cannot do it on our own strength and ability. We need to depend on God.
Like the song I mentioned earlier, let’s just not be alive but let’s truly live…for Christ. At OMS Canada, we have some remarkable missionaries whose hearts are to live for Christ and to share and encourage others to do the same. A lot of them make different sacrifices for their own families and by God’s grace, they live for Christ. Please prayerfully consider supporting one of these servants today. We are all in this together, living for Christ. May God continue to bless you as you are a blessing to others. 
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we learned about the importance of finding that Person of Peace. This week we will learn about the BLESS pattern for prayer. It is true that one of the very best ways to identify a potential person of peace is to offer to pray for him or her. This will pretty quickly get to the point of whether this person is willing to engage with you on spiritual matters. Here are five ways you can pray for people you meet during your Prayer Walk: As you walk and pray, be alert for opportunities and listen for promptings by God’s Spirit to pray for individuals and groups you meet along the way.
You can say, “We’re praying for this community, is there anything in particular we can pray for you about?” Or say, “I’m praying for this area. Do you know anything in particular we should pray for?” After listening to their response, you can ask about their own needs. If they share, pray for them right away. If the Lord leads, you may pray about other needs as well.
Use the word B.L.E.S.S. to help you remember 5 different ways you can pray: • Body [health] • Labour [job and finances] • Emotional [morale] • Social [relationships] • Spiritual [knowing and loving God more] In most cases, people are grateful you care enough to pray. If the person is not a Christian, your prayer may open the door to a spiritual conversation and an opportunity to share your story and God’s story. You can invite them to be a part of a Discovery Bible study or even host one in their home. If the person is a Christian, you can invite them to join your Prayer Walk or train them how they can Prayer Walk and use simple steps like praying for areas of influence or the B.L.E.S.S. Prayer to grow God’s family even more. So go out and practice this. God will bless your faithfulness with fruit. 
One of the biggest challenges disciple makers face in Canada is the lack of enthusiasm for obedience. Some say that it sounds an awful lot like legalism to talk so much of obedience. Others claim they can have Jesus as Saviour but not so much as Lord. Still others just do not know how to build obedience into the regular rhythms of life.
To the first two comments (legalism and Lord) I would say that you really need to take this up with Jesus himself, as it is He who said to teach disciples to obey every command He had given (Matthew 28:19-20). His words, not mine. It’s not legalism, it’s simply obedience. And I don’t think you can claim one part of Jesus (His saving work) while refusing the other part (His requirement of obedience to His commands - Matthew 28:19-20). So, how do you build faithful obedience into the DNA of a worshipping group or fellowship? By using the Three Thirds Meeting format. The Three Thirds Meeting- What is it? This concept was first used by Ying Kai, but later put into a chart and words by Steve Smith. I want to be sure to give them credit as this is definitely not original with me (you can purchase the T4T book here). You can use whatever words work well to describe the three parts for you in your context. Smith describes the three parts as:
Basic Three Thirds Meeting Structure In using this, I’ve adjusted the sections a bit (from Smith’s description). I am using a hybrid approach that combines elements of both T4T and DBS. I stick to the three parts because of the powerful accountability loop it provides. The time frames are up to you, but its good to keep them somewhat equal. If you want to have a one-hour meeting, then 20 minutes for each section works well. Look Back (20 minutes) In the look back section, we start with Member Care. Instead of jumping straight into your lesson or Bible study, take a few minutes to hear how people in the group are doing. Ask about their families and take any prayer requests. This doesn’t need to be long (5 minutes is enough) but it should be sincere. Then have a brief time of worship. You can sing a few songs or use non-musical worship. After that you have a time of friendly accountability with the group. Ask them about the goals they set in the last meeting. How did they do at obeying God’s Word from the lesson last week? How did it go when they tried to share their testimony or what they learned last week? Smith says we should ask about both 1) following (the obeying and 2) fishing (the sharing). Give everyone a chance to answer about both areas. If your group is too big, split into pairs or groups of three to do this friendly accountability time. If you set goals and do not ask for a report, you are training disciples to be disobedient! You do not want to do that. So be sure to include this important accountability time as a regular part of your meeting DNA.
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The final thing in the first section is Vision Casting. Vision casting is a short, simple challenge to reach the lost in your area. You can use a story, a scripture, picture or a variety of options for the vision casting part. But be sure to remind them every meeting of the urgency of reaching the lost. Keeping this front and centre helps to keep the group focused on the primary task of a disciple.
Look Up (20 minutes) In this section you train them in content from God’s Word. Whether you use a short passage of scripture or a story, keep it brief. The reading of the passage or telling of the story should not be more than 5 minutes long. After sharing the story or scripture several times, have the trainees/disciples repeat it back to you. This is very important in helping them gain confidence. It also helps you know what they have understood. In the DBS method, this is the “repeat the passage in your own words” part. Be sure that everyone in the group can repeat the passage or story with some level of accuracy before you move on to discuss it. If they make mistakes, gently correct them and ask them to try again until they can each share it well. Adult learning specialists tell us that taking this step of repeating before interpreting is vital. It helps people to internalize what is being said. If you take time to do this well, you will find you have much deeper and more meaningful discussions about the scripture. Then work through these questions to engage with the Scripture. What do you like about this story/passage? What don’t you like? (this can include anything they find difficult to understand) What do we learn about God? What do we learn about people? Is there a sin to avoid? A promise to believe? Is there an example to follow? A command to obey? Look Ahead (20 minutes) Then, you move to discussion about how you will be faithful through sharing and obedience. These are questions you can use: What did I discover/learn from this? Who will I share with? (If you use this question, you are already moving into goal setting). What will I obey? Find the set of questions that works best for you. But stick to the same questions each time as you train. Variety can hinder multiplication. It needs to become normal and natural to always ask these same things. During the discussion, make sure each person gets a chance to share. Again, this is why your disciple-making groups should not be too large. If you have a bigger group, split into pairs or threes to answer these questions so each person speaks. As disciples speak out these answers, the Word of God is taking root in their hearts. Set specific goals related to following Jesus (obedience) and fishing for men (sharing). Make clear decisions regarding personal and/or group application of the scripture. For example, say you study the passage about the Good Samaritan. You might decide as a group to work together to help a needy widow in your community that week. Also, be specific about who you will share the gospel or this week’s passage/story with in the coming week. The more specific the goals, the more likely people will do them! And, they know that next week, you will be asking them to report on how that went. Start with reporting and end with goal setting in each disciple-making meeting. This is what we call the Friendly Accountability Loop. It works! Don’t let time pressure (because you had too long of worship or went into preaching-mode in the lesson time) cause you to skip these things. 
Are you connected to Wi-Fi internet right now? It is very likely that you are, even as you read this blog. Today we are going to be talking about connection.
CONNECTION IN SOCIETY TODAY The reality today is that it is easier than ever to stay connected to people. With various social media platforms such as: WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. we can stay in touch with people very easily. With our smartphones: we can text, we can browse the web, we can make phone and video calls to someone who is in a different part of the world at the push of a button. Today, staying connected is easier than ever. I remember when I was a teenager, not that long ago, we had what was called, “Dial-up Internet.” Basically, this was connected to our house phone and we would be able to go on the Internet by using this method. You would literally hear it dialing and then some weird sounds until the connection was established. The connection was not the greatest, and would often disconnect but it’s what we used to connect with people in those times. I certainly don’t miss dial up and I’m very happy with wi-fi speeds nowadays. It doesn’t matter how many years we go back- connection has always been important. Connection has power, connection has purpose, and we all desire it in some way. God created us for connection and the most important connection we have is one with God through Jesus.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Using this verse, we are going to focus on connection today. I love how Jesus decided to use this metaphor when speaking to His disciples. If there is one thing the people of Jesus’ day were familiar with it was grape vines. Grapes were important in Israel for several reasons: -They were used in their diet. -They were used to produce wine. Wine was used in their meals, used as medicine, and it was used in their worship. Since Grape vines, and the fruit that they produced were a very important part of life in Jesus’ day, Jesus uses this example of a vine to share with His disciples something even more important. Jesus describes Himself as the Grape vine. What do grape vines do? -They provide nourishment and life to all of the branches that are connected to it. This is what Jesus does in our lives daily. BEARING FRUIT As we walk in the Spirit, we bear fruit. This can only happen through the Holy Spirit and by us abiding in Jesus. No amount of self-effort will bear spiritual fruit. It requires a total surrender to God, so that the Holy Spirit can work through us. Jesus describes us as the branches. What do branches do? -Branches connect to the vine. When we accept Jesus as our Savior and allow Him to live through us, we are connected to Him. If you think of a branch that has fallen from a beautiful tree, no matter how beautiful the tree is, the branch has no life in it if it has lost that connection to the tree. It could’ve disconnected because of weather or some other reason. The point is, something impacted the connection and actually caused it to disconnect. Just like our wi-fi connections may be a bit slow at times, and just like how branches sometimes disconnect from their main source, there are things that can actually impact our connection to God. Here are 3 things that can impact our connection to God: 1. Life Circumstances We all go through different situations and we also deal with situations differently so life circumstances are very unique to each one of us. These can include: challenges, trials, etc. When I was a fairly new Christian on fire for Jesus, our family went through an unexpected difficult situation. On Christmas Eve, my father, who according to the doctor was in good health, suffered from a heart attack at the age of 48 years old. I will never forget the moment when we were informed that they did what they could, but that he did not survive. Everything stopped for a moment as if life paused. God gave me amazing strength and comfort during the whole process and then after everything set in a few weeks later, I began to grieve. I remember not being angry with God but just so sad and hurt. This affected my connection with God. I still loved God, prayed, went to church, etc. but there was an impact on my connection with God. I want to mention this because we need to be aware of what we experience in life and fully surrender it to God and allow Him to heal us in all areas: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. 1 Peter 5:7 7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” Psalm 34:18 18 “The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” By casting all of our anxiety on God and by accepting His healing and comfort, we can strengthen and build up our connection back to God. 2. What we feed our souls with What we feed ourselves with on a daily basis is so important. Because the world is imperfect, we need to constantly be vigilant to what we feed our souls with…what we listen to, what we watch, what we read, what we engage in. Philippians 4:8 8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” This verse is pretty clear and an excellent guide to help us make choices about what we allow our souls to be fed with. I love to listen to my satellite Sirius Christian radio station. We do pay each month under $20 for mainly one channel, with access to many others but we feel it’s definitely worth it. So whenever I am on the road, I have it playing. It’s encouraging, it’s worship to God, its powerful, it’s uplifting, it connects me to God. We need to feed our souls with things that allow and encourage us to connect to God. There are a few different yearly performances that a lot of people see as great performances and entertainment. The reality is that a lot of times there are many hidden messages which are disturbing: occult rituals, symbolism, and a very twisted idea of women empowerment: women are sexualized and degraded. We choose what we listen to and engage in and whatever that may be, it will either bring us to a closer connection with Jesus, keep us where we are, or further from Jesus. I would encourage you to feed your soul with what allows you to have a closer connection with Jesus. This is vital in our spiritual growth. 3. Other People The people we choose to spend our time with can have an impact on our connection to God. 1 Corinthians 15:33 33” Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” We need to surround ourselves with people and things that encourage and help strengthen our connection with God. This is so important. We need to stay connected. Let’s talk a little bit about how we can do that.
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Our relationship with God is the most important relationship we will ever have. Through prayer we build our connection to God and we grow spiritually so that we could do all that God has called us to. The more time we spend with God in prayer, the more connected we are to God. And the more connected we are to God, the more we become passionate about what He is passionate about. Prayer is a powerful tool that we have and at any moment of the day. Through Jesus, we are automatically connected, no dial-up necessary-direct connection! 2. Other Christians Hebrews 10:23-25 23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Spending time with other Christians is so important to our growth. We are there to encourage each other and genuinely want the best for each other. I personally have a handful of people in my lives that I know care about me, pray for me, and have my best interest at heart. It’s important to have at least one or two people like this in our lives. It will help us grow in our relationship with the Lord. 3. Make it a lifestyle Isaiah 55:6 6” Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.” As Christians, we represent Jesus wherever we go and we need to remember that being a Christian is not about religion. It’s about having a personal relationship with God through Jesus and a lifestyle where we daily connect with God. Noah is one of the most important people in the Bible. In a world taken over by evil, violence, and corruption, he is presented as a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Not only that, he was the only follower of God left on Earth. We all know the story of how God called him to build the ark. You can read the story in Genesis chapters 6-9. It amazes me the connection that Noah had with God. He received very specific details about building the ark and he followed God's instructions. Even when people would ridicule and make fun of him, he still did what God asked him to do. This tells me that Noah had a strong connection with God and he made it a part of His everyday life. Are you connected to God’s network? God’s network: -God's network is always strong -God's network never fails -God's network offers us unconditional love. -God's network offers a clean slate each day, new mercies. We talked about connection today and this is the most significant part of the connection we have with God because it actually determines eternity for each one of us. God doesn’t force Himself upon us, He allows us to choose Him. He allows us to choose to accept Jesus as our savior and be connected to God through Him. What is also significant is that our life on earth is where we get connected to God and maintain that connection with His help. In heaven, we will enjoy that connection forever. But it’s here, where we need to maintain it. None of us know when this part of the timeline is for us, and that’s why we need to always be in communication with God. We need to be connected and stay connected. Now is not the time to tap out, but instead to tap into our connection with God. It’s also not the time to not tell others about this connection. We need to share this connection with others. Feel free to pray with us on Tuesday mornings or Thursday evenings via zoom. Contact us to get the zoom links. Maybe you’ve lost some connection? That’s ok: God is saying right now you can re-connect with Him, right now we can build our connection with God. My prayer is that you would stay connected to God wherever you’re at in your walk with the Lord. God is for you. Be encouraged. May God bless you as you stay connected to Him. 
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we learned how to impact our neighbourhood and connect with people by Prayer Walking. This week we will learn about the Person of Peace. In an earlier session you were introduced to the idea of a Person of Peace. In this session we'll go into more detail about who that person might be and how to know when you've found one. A Person of Peace can help rapidly reproduce disciple-making even in a place where followers of Jesus are few and far between. When Jesus sent out His disciples to new territory to make disciples, He gave them a simple but strategic command. This is found in Luke 10:1-9. Jesus said -- Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; greet no one on the way. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in that same house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. But what does all that mean? When we think of making disciples, our first thought might be -- We better get our finances in order, pick an obvious target, and have a clear plan of action. If Jesus said - “Go”, we better “go” and keep on going! Tell Everyone! Everywhere!! All the time!!! However, in His instructions, Jesus seemed a lot less worried about finances and fervour, and a lot more concerned about focus. Jesus wanted His disciples looking for - and investing in - a Person of Peace. When you want to make disciples in a place where not many - or maybe even any - exist, then looking for a Person of Peace might be the most important thing you do. A Person of Peace is:
In the Bible, we learn of Jesus and His followers meeting Persons of Peace that are a little - unexpected. In the region of the Gadarenes, Jesus met a demon-possessed man who lived isolated and in chains. We would never think of Him as a Person of Peace, but He was OPEN to hear from Jesus. He was HOSPITABLE and WELCOMED Jesus to where He lived. He was WELL KNOWN and could easily draw a crowd - even if only for his outrageous behavior. And Jesus found that he was FAITHFUL and SHARED what Jesus meant to him with his family, his community and his whole country. In fact, when Jesus came back to that area, a great crowd gathered, excited to see the Man they had heard so much about. In Samaria, Jesus met a woman at a well. She was OPEN to Jesus, willing to be HOSPITABLE and answer His request for a drink. We learn she had had five husbands and was living with still another man, and so in a small town, she was sure to be KNOWN BY OTHERS. And after Jesus spoke to her, she was FAITHFUL and SHARED - so much and so quickly that the entire town asked Jesus to stay and share with them, too. And He did. So, if a Person of Peace can live almost anywhere, do almost anything, and be almost anyone we know or meet - how do we find one? Here are three simple ways -- We ASK for recommendations from people in the community - Who is someone that is trusted here? Is there someone in this place who thinks of others before themselves? If we hear the same name again and again - we try to meet them, share spiritual ideas, and see if they’re open to hear and share. We OFFER to pray for someone while Prayer Walking, or at work, or at the game - wherever there is an opportunity - and then turn that prayer into a spiritual conversation. We INTRODUCE spiritual ideas into every conversation to see if God is working in a person’s life. These are often referred to SHEMA statements. If they are open and willing, then we ask if they would be willing to gather a group to discuss even more. ASK for recommendations, OFFER to pray, INTRODUCE spiritual ideas. These are all ways we can begin the process of finding a Person of Peace. And no matter how we find them, remember Jesus said a Person of Peace is someone with whom we should be spending most of our disciple-making time. It is easy to think that the most “fair” use of our time is to give away a little bit of ourselves to everyone, equally. However, Jesus said - and showed - that He does not want us to be shallow with everyone but to give deeply to a few. Jesus often attracted crowds, but the Bible tells us repeatedly that Jesus would draw away from those crowds to spend most of His time with just twelve of His closest followers. There were a number of times, where Jesus would invest even more time with a smaller group of just three. If Jesus, who had much more power, much more energy, much more authority, discipline, wisdom, knowledge, understanding and compassion chose to spend His time investing deeply in just a few and told His own disciples to do the same, doesn’t it make sense that we should follow and share His perfect pattern? A Person of Peace. They’re not easy to find - maybe one in a thousand. But like a hidden treasure that’s worth the search, their value in growing God’s family can’t be measured. 
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we learned how every disciple - every follower of Jesus - needs to be able to see not just where God’s Kingdom is, but where God’s kingdom isn’t. This week we are learning about Prayer Walking. God’s Word says that we should “petition, pray, intercede and give thanksgiving for all people, for kings and all those in authority – so that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth,” (1 Timothy 2:2-4). Prayer Walking is a simple way to obey God’s command to pray for others. Prayer Walking is just what it sounds like - praying to God while walking around.
Instead of closing our eyes and bowing our heads, we keep our eyes open to the needs we see around us and bow our hearts to ask humbly for God to intervene.
You can prayer walk in small groups of two or three or you can prayer walk by yourself. If you go in a group - try having everyone pray aloud, a conversation with God about what everyone is seeing and the needs that God brings to their hearts. If you go by yourself - pray silently or aloud if you pray with someone you meet along the way. Here are four ways you can know what to pray for during your prayer walk:
Here are five areas of influence that you can focus on during your prayer walk:
Finally, here are five ways you can pray for people you meet during your prayer walk: As you walk and pray, be alert for opportunities and listen for promptings by God’s Spirit to pray for individuals and groups you meet along the way. You can say, “We’re praying for this community, is there anything in particular we can pray for you about?” Alternatively, say, “I’m praying for this area. Do you know anything in particular we should pray for?” After listening to their response, you can ask about their own needs. If they share, pray for them right away. If the Lord leads, you may pray about other needs as well. Use the word BLESS to help you remember five different ways you can pray:
If the person is not a Christian, your prayer may open the door to a spiritual conversation and an opportunity to share your story and God’s story. You can invite them to be a part of a Bible study or even host one in their home. If the person is a Christian you can invite them to join your prayer walk or train them how they can prayer walk and use simple steps like praying for areas of influence or the BLESS prayer to grow God’s family even more. Prayer Walking - another simple tool to help you make disciples. Do you prayer-walk? If so, how do people respond? If not, will you try? Let us know in the comments. 
Whatever will be will be, the saying goes. That is not the Gospel. Nor is it the heart of God. Jesus described His purpose on earth by saying “The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
A sense of urgency about lostness is one of the most common characteristics found in disciple-makers.
Hearts Broken For the Lost
Jeremiah cried out, “I am broken by the brokenness of my dear people. I mourn; horror has taken hold of me” (Jer. 8:21). Jesus wept as he looked at Jerusalem, calling them sheep without a shepherd. Does lostness cause us to weep? Or have we become casual in our attitude toward those apart from God? Ask God to give you His heart in a fresh way today. What Keeps a Sense of Urgency to Reach the Lost Burning In Our Souls? 1. A proper theological understanding of lostness. The world tells us it is arrogant to think that others are lost and we have been found. “All roads lead to God,” say Hindus or New Agers. “Do your own thing. You be you, I’ll be me” is the millennial mantra of the West. Is it proud or intolerant to see those apart from Christ as lost? Not according to the Bible! Christ is our example. He used this word, not only to describe His mission but also to explain His great love for those apart from Him (see the parables in Luke 15). If Jesus called those who did not know Him lost, so can we. 2. Embracing compassion rather than looking at your own needs. It can be challenging to focus on others rather than self. This is especially true when we are in pain. Emotional or physical suffering causes us to be self-centered. Part of the solution to coming out of that difficulty is to focus on others. Millions wait to hear the good news. They are our neighbors, colleagues at work. Does their lost condition stir your heart? 3. Letting go of judgements and offense caused by unsaved people in your life. The lost are not always nice people. Sometimes they are rude, even evil in their actions towards you. Their sin may feel offensive to you or their behavior cause feelings of disgust. We must ask God to change our heart, to help us see them as those who are lost lambs that the shepherd is seeking after. Repent of judgments and ask Jesus to fill your heart with His love for those who do not yet know Him. Do not be like Jonah who called down fire and brimstone and hoped God would judge his enemies. That did not turn out so well for him. 4. Regular prayer and intercession for those apart from Christ. I cannot change my own heart or cause it to become soft and compassionate. There is something I can do though. Regular prayer for those around me who do not know Jesus changes me. I begin to get my Father’s heart for those I am lifting before Him, those I am asking Him to bless. Soon, I find my heart is feeling different as well. May God soften our hearts and cause us to see the lost as helpless and harassed, like sheep without a shepherd. Share your own prayer for lost people, or any comments you have on this topic in the comments below. 
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we learned that, just like ducklings, we can and should follow and lead in discipleship at the same time. This week we’ll learn how disciples multiply far and fast when they start to see where God’s Kingdom isn’t. As humans, we think about, focus on and work for things that we can see. We call it reality. The way things are. But the kingdom grows more quickly when we focus on things we can’t see. Things that aren’t there. Or things that aren’t there, yet. There are places all around us where God’s will is not being done on earth as it is in heaven - giant gaps where brokenness, pain, persecution, suffering and even death are a part of normal, everyday life. Every disciple - every follower of Jesus - needs to be able to see not just where God’s Kingdom is, but where God’s kingdom isn’t.
Kingdom work is about entering into those gaps and into those dark places and working to close the chasms and bring light and life during our time here on earth.
We can see where God’s Kingdom isn’t in two ways -- through people we already know and through people we haven’t yet met. The first way is through people we already know - our ONGOING RELATIONSHIPS of friends and family, coworkers, classmates, neighbors and more. This is the way God’s Story travels FASTEST. We love and care about these people because we know them already. It’s natural. Jesus told a story of a selfish rich man - arrogant in life and now being punished in hell. The rich man begged - “send Lazarus to my father’s home. Let him warn my five brothers, so they won’t come to this horrible place.” Jesus showed us how even the selfish and suffering have some love and concern for those close to them. The people we know are placed in our lives because God loves us and wants us to love them. We need to be good stewards of those relationships with love and patience and persistence. Disciples multiply when they’re concerned for the people God’s placed around them and they have a plan to do something about it. You can help increase their care and build a simple plan to multiply in just a few steps. Here’s how - Have them write a list of 100 people they already know. Have them break that list into 3 categories. ●Those who follow Jesus. ●Those who don’t follow Jesus. ●Those who they’re not sure whether they follow or not. For the followers - disciples can equip and encourage them to be more fruitful and faithful. For the non-followers - disciples can learn how to share and introduce them to a loving God. For those who they’re not sure - disciples can learn to invest their time and learn more. There’s also a way we see where God’s Kingdom isn’t through people we haven’t met. These are people OUTSIDE OUR RELATIONSHIPS - people we don’t know, neighbors we’ve never said more than “hello” to, businessmen and women we pass on the street, strangers in every village, town or city we’ve never even visited, yet. Jesus said - make disciples of all nations. Jesus said - you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Sharing with people we know is the way God’s Story travels FASTEST. Sharing with people we don’t know yet is the way God’s Story travels FARTHEST. If we love and care about these people we don’t know, that’s not natural. It’s supernatural and evidence of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. God’s favorites are the least, the last and the lost. These are the ones He pours out His heart to over and over again. If we want to be like God, then these are the ones we have to invest our lives in. God commands us to go. And part of going is to go not just to those who are close by but also to those who live in the spiritually darkest corners of the world - people who sometimes have never even heard the name, Jesus. God’s Word says - God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. As followers of Jesus we must give grace as He gives it - to the humble, to the desperate, and to the lost. Disciples multiply when they’re concerned for the people God’s placed in their lives. Disciples multiply even more when they’re concerned for the people God’s placed nowhere near them. But even then they still need a plan. You can help increase a disciple’s care for others and build a simple plan to multiply by training them to look for the people God’s already prepared to hear. Jesus said - As soon as you enter a home, say, “God bless this home with peace.” If the people living there are peace-loving, your prayer for peace will bless them. But if they are not peace loving, your prayer will return to you.” We call someone who God has already prepared to hear a PERSON OF PEACE - someone responsive to God’s message and faithful in OBEYING and SHARING with others. In a place where we know very few, instead of sharing with our friends, families, co-workers, classmates and neighbors, we train a person of peace how to reach theirs. But the best results always come when we focus on the faithful. Remember faithfulness is demonstrated by OBEYING what God tells us and SHARING it with others. Faithful people who obey and share are like the good soil that Jesus talked about. Jesus said - a few seeds fell on good ground where the plants produced thirty or sixty or a hundred times as much as was scattered. ●Faithful people don’t have hard hearts that reject God’s Word. ●Faithful people don’t fall away when they’re persecuted or when times get hard. ●Faithful people aren’t distracted by the worries of this world or riches that don’t last. ●Faithful people are like the demon-possessed man in the Gerasenes who obeyed and shared what Jesus showed him. One faithful man who obeyed and shared produced many, many people who wanted to know Jesus more. Opening our eyes to see where the Kingdom isn’t and reaching out through people we know and people we don’t know yet is how disciples multiply and God’s Kingdom grows far and fast. 
Today, we are going to look at a parable that Jesus told. A parable can be defined as: a story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle. So, a parable is a teaching tool that Jesus would use often. They all used everyday examples, and were relatable stories to those who heard them. And they had a truth that Jesus was attempting to get across to those He was teaching.
We can understand a parable to contain two distinct layers. One on the surface which was a story that was understood by the listeners and the other layer is the deeper meaning which would illustrate a spiritual truth. Before we read this particular parable, let’s look at Luke 14:1-14 to get a bigger picture of what Jesus is talking about and teaching. One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, He was being carefully watched. 2 There in front of Him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, He healed him and sent him on his way. 5 Then He asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” 6 And they had nothing to say. 7 When He noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, He told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 12 Then Jesus said to His host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Here, we see Jesus dining in the home of a prominent Pharisee. Note here that the text in verse 1 says, they watched Jesus closely. These people (mostly Pharisees) seemed to always want to see Jesus do something that they could call Him out on. While they were doing this, Jesus was always teaching them something greater and more significant. Jesus shares about the importance of godly hospitality and having a humble attitude. Jesus is always encouraging us to focus on others, and He really demonstrated it the greatest in how He lived and what He did on the cross for all of humanity. Now, let’s look at the main parable we are talking about today. 15 When one of those at the table with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” 16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ 23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’” Do you like to receive an invitation to a special event or celebration? The truth is, most of us do. There is something special about receiving a beautiful invitation in the mail that’s for you. The parable we just read is a beautiful picture now of the fact that God’s invitation to His kingdom is for all people. Let’s unpack this parable a bit more and see what this may represent for us today. Let’s unpack this a little more. In the first verses we read, someone at the table overhears what Jesus was saying and says, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” And Jesus responds with this parable: The Parable of the Great Banquet The one who said “Blessed is everyone who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God” is a Jew who expects that he himself will enjoy the blessings of the coming kingdom and Jesus takes the opportunity to teach that one enters the kingdom of God enters by salvation, not by birthright or by works, by repenting and having faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus was teaching a greater truth about this and He uses the comment as an opportunity to clarify who would participate in the kingdom of God. The Jewish religious leaders believed their seat at the table was secure because they lived a good life, they had kept the law, or so they believed, and therefore they had secured their ticket. Have you ever planned a special dinner or party and had everything prepared and nobody wanted to come? There is a lot of hard work and preparation involved in gatherings like these and it wouldn’t be fun to be the host in this scenario. So now we see the guests starting to make excuses one by one, and these were certainly not good reasons for not attending. The behavior of all three invited guests would have been representative of the behavior of all of the many invited guests who chose not to attend. The Greek phrase used, apo mias pantes, means “from the first, all. So, the invited guests chose not to attend. Something to also make note of is, back in the day, it would’ve actually been rude and an insult to the host for not attending a banquet, which you previously had accepted and indicated your attendance. So I’m not surprised that the master actually became angry when he heard those excuses. When the Master said in verse 17 “Come, for everything is now ready,” Jesus was reminding the Israelites of what He’d been telling them repeatedly: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17). Yet, while Jesus preached about the kingdom of heaven being near, the Jewish nation as a whole rejected Him and His teachings. Their Jewish nation had been those who God had historically invited to relate personally with Him through His covenant and many of the invited Israelites refused to obey God’s covenant, thereby worshiping false gods, not obeying the commandments, and refusing to accept God’s invitation. The Jews also did not like the Gentiles and they considered them “unclean” and “enemies of God” and Jesus came to tear down these barriers, making repentance and faith in Christ the only conditions of admissions to the kingdom. This great banquet that Jesus was talking about has great significance for us today. It represents the kingdom of heaven. There were people back then who rejected this invitation, but unfortunately there are still people today who reject this invitation, who reject Jesus. This points us to the text that talks about the great supper continuing, despite the people that chose not to attend. In verse 23, the master instructs the servant to “Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be full.” To compel is to: urge. I believe that God is bringing our attention to the urgency to reach the lost today. Just as the banquet still took place, the kingdom of God will continue and will remain, even as people reject God and His open invitation. Today, I also think about the many means that we have. We have social media, we are in a country where we can freely worship God and share Jesus with others. We have such a great opportunity and I believe the Lord is encouraging us to seize this opportunity for His glory. The process of the open invitation is very important for us. I want to encourage you and I also want to leave us with 3 reminders today: 1- God’s invitation to be saved is for all people John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The master wasn’t satisfied with a partially full banquet hall; he wanted every place at the table to be filled. This is a great picture of God’s heart for all people. This is His desire, that all would come to repentance and have a relationship with Him. It’s also important to appreciate the fact that the Master’s invitations were sent to the poor, maimed, blind, and lame. These people were considered outcasts by the Pharisees. But Jesus challenged that way of thinking, always teaching His audiences that the kingdom of God was available to anyone, even the “unclean” whom the Jewish leaders deemed to be cursed by God. Jesus came to die for all and God has a heart for all people. This is an open invitation for all. 2- This invitation needs to be accepted and not just received and acknowledged John 1:12-13 “Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” When we receive an invitation, there requires some sort of response on our part. Usually, we will reply with a yes or no. This allows the host to make the necessary arrangements and planning, according to the guest list. When we receive God’s open invitation to His kingdom, we need to accept it as well. This is actually the greatest invitation we will ever receive because it is eternal. It’s not a one-time event that we attend, but rather a life-long beautiful relationship that we enjoy forever. We need to respond to the invitation and accept it. 3- Once we’ve heard and accepted God’s invitation, we need to extend and share this invitation with others who do not know Jesus Matthew 28:19-20 “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.” In today’s days, sharing is such a big thing. You hear about sharing all over social media, and it can actually be a powerful thing. Out of all the “sharing” we can do in this lifetime, the most significant thing we need to share with others is this open invitation to God’s kingdom.
It is life-changing, powerful, and beautiful in so many ways. Let’s make it a priority to share this invitation with others. You cannot control the response, but let’s not allow that to be an excuse to not share.
Have you heard of people who are considered “unreached”? Unreached people are consisted of people groups who have very little or no access to hearing about Jesus. The world Population is currently about 7.96 billion and there are about 42.3% unreached people in the world. That is mind blowing. It is almost half of our world population. Some examples of countries with the highest percentages are: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Iraq, Nepal, and Turkey. You can visit JoshuaProject.net for some more statistics and to stay updated. You may have never heard of these people groups and I wanted to share this with you. You may not be able to visit these places yourself, but you can certainly pray for these countries and pray for new missionaries. At OMS Canada, we believe the power of the gospel in the hands of disciple-makers will transform all nations and we give every missionary and donor the opportunity to make a generational investment in the lives and communities of people around the world who have yet to hear the good news. Your investment will multiply disciple-makers, churches, leaders, and missionary movements. Will you join us? There is an urgency and we need act now, while we have the time because as we all know there will be a time where the opportunity will no longer exist. The invitation is open right now. Let’s do our part, with God’s help, through the Holy Spirit, to share this invitation with as many people as we can. 
What scripture or text do you turn to most often when you are going through a trying time? What biblical principles do you turn to when you are going through a difficult time or experiencing some sort of suffering? Romans 8:28 is a treasured passage of many believers:
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
We often cling to the idea that something positive will emerge out of our suffering. But what exactly are we hoping for? Sometimes, we interpret the good as something tangible, earthy, and now, such as: Maybe the job I lost will lead to an even better job. Perhaps this unfulfilled ambition will open the door to one that is even better. Maybe the reason why this relationship ended is because I have a better one in waiting for me.
The fruits of affliction are not always material or tangible. While there are moments in our lives when we can reflect on adversity and see how it led to something better in the present, there are other positive outcomes from adversity that aren't material or tangible. They aren't something our unaided eyes can see. They have an inner and a spiritual side. They therefore have eternal significance. Although John Newton is most remembered for writing the beloved hymn Amazing Grace, he also produced a large number of letters over his lifetime. Today, several of these letters are still published. His writings serve as a reminder of God's grace in the believer's life. In one letter, he discusses the fruits of affliction for the believer: Though afflictions in themselves are not joyous, but grievous, yet in due season they yield the peaceful fruits of righteousness. Various and blessed are the fruits they produce. There are numerous fruits of affliction in the Believer life. What are those fruits? 1. Prayer: Because our prayers have a tendency to become stiff and lethargic in times of ease, prayer is intensified by affliction. How accurate is this? We are more inclined to pray to the Lord when we are going through a difficult situation than we are when things are going smoothly. In my personal experience, I've seen that throughout difficult times, my prayer life grows and develops because the difficulty serves as a reminder of how dependent I am on God's grace. 2. Scripture: We can better understand the Scriptures and, in particular, God's promises to us, through affliction. Many of God's promises in the Bible deal with how he will help us when we are in need, but we won't be able to personally experience these promises unless we are going through a trying period. "We cannot know their fullness, sweetness, and certainty so well as when we have been in the position to which they are fitted, have been able to trust and plead them, and have found them fulfilled in our own case. The wisdom, power, and faithfulness of God are shown to us more clearly through trials. 3. Testimony: Our afflictions provide the opportunity to testify to others of God’s grace. When people see how God has brought us through a trial, God is glorified. Our lives then become living testimonies of God’s mercy and grace and give us an opportunity to share the reason for our hope. 4. Strength: Some graces, including resignation, patience, humility, and long-suffering, can only be discovered through affliction. The same way that lifting weights strengthens our muscles, suffering also causes us to develop traits that we would not otherwise possess without suffering's influence on our life. As the saying goes, "Activity and strength of grace is not typically gained by those who sit still and live comfortably, but by those who constantly encounter something requiring a full exertion of the force the Lord has given them." 5. Compassion: Affliction helps us have compassion for others who suffer. While we can have sympathy for others in affliction without experiencing such suffering ourselves, it is not as strong as when we have experienced it ourselves. Likewise, suffering helps us know more of the sufferings of Christ. 6. Humility: Finally, adversity and suffering help us better understand the genuine nature of our hearts. Affliction makes hidden sins in our souls more evident. This finding is undoubtedly painful, but until it is discovered, we tend to underestimate our own depravity and are unable to so fully despise ourselves and repent in dust and ashes. The fruit of humility is seeing the truth about ourselves. Romans 8:28 promises good to come through our trials and afflictions. Though the trials are not good in and of themselves—far from it! —God uses them for our good. Have you seen any of this fruit in your own life? We would like to hear from you. 
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we learned about God’s Great, Greater, and Greatest Blessings and how you can share them with others. This week we’ll learn that, just like ducklings, we can and should follow and lead in discipleship at the same time. Disciples are like ducklings. To be a leader, they don’t have to know everything. They just have to be one step ahead. God wants His family to grow in faithfulness - and so He expects every leader to be a follower, every sharer to be a believer, and every disciple-maker to be a disciple - at exactly the same time, too.
Another trap we fall into, as disciples and disciple-makers, is the false belief that someone, somewhere knows everything and if we just find and follow them, then we’re set.
But that’s not how discipleship works, either. In God’s Kingdom, there’s only one “Mother Duck” that all of us follow -- and that’s Jesus Christ. No missionary. No pastor. No seminary professor. Only Jesus deserves the full measure of our faith. The rest of us are “in process.” There will always be someone closer to Jesus that we can follow. And there will always be someone further away that we can lead. But no matter our position, our eyes - and our hearts - should always be fully fixed on Jesus. In the Bible, Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament and started many of the first churches, didn’t just write - “Follow me.” He wrote, “Follow me, as I follow Christ,” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Paul knew what ducklings everywhere know and what every disciple should know, too - every leader in God’s Kingdom has to be a follower - and all of us follow Jesus. In the Bible, Paul also wrote: “What you have heard from me… share with faithful men, who will be able to teach others, too,” (2 Timothy 2:2). Paul knew what ducklings everywhere know and what every disciple should know, too. Every follower in God’s Kingdom has to be a leader - and all of us should lead like Jesus, laying down our lives for others. If you want to see God’s family grow far and grow in faithfulness, then think of disciple making like ducklings - become a follower and a leader at exactly the same time. What is one area of discipleship (reading/understanding the Bible, praying, sharing God's Story, etc.) that you want to learn more about? Who is someone that could help you learn? What is one area of discipleship that you feel you could share with others? Who is someone that you could share with? 
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we learned about baptism and how to baptize a disciple. In today’s post, we will learn about God’s Greatest Blessing. In this session, we’ll talk about God’s GREAT, GREATER and GREATEST BLESSINGS and how you can share them with others. When someone chooses to follow Jesus, how do you help them move down the right path? How do you help them become a producer in God’s kingdom and not just another consumer? How do you help them receive all the blessings that God is willing to give?
I start by telling them this…
• It is a blessing to follow Jesus. • It is a great blessing to lead others to follow Jesus. • It is a greater blessing to start a new spiritual family. • It is the greatest blessing to equip others to start new spiritual families. You have chosen to follow Jesus and so God has blessed you. I want you to have God’s great blessing, greater blessing and greatest blessing, too. Can I show you how? If they want to know more, I ask them to make a list of 100 people they already know. Then I ask them to choose five people from that list - five people who do not know Jesus - five people they want to share with right away. It is a blessing to follow Jesus. Who else do you want to share this blessing with? I teach them to share their TESTIMONY - the story of what God is doing in their life. I teach them to share the GOSPEL - the story of what God is doing in the world. I teach them how to share about God’s great, greater and greatest blessings. I have them practice these things one time for each of the five people they’ve chosen to share with. First their story. Then God’s story. Then God’s blessings. Each time, I pretend to be one of the five people from their list. Each time, they share their story. They share God’s story. They invite me to become a follower of Jesus, too. They teach about God’s great, greater and greatest blessing. Each time, I ask them questions or make comments that I think that person might make. After we’ve practiced, I ask to meet them again - just two days later if possible - to see how this sharing is going. I want to give them enough time to meet with the five from their list, but I don’t want to give so much time that they put it off or forget. I always ask for a phone number or email address or another way to keep in touch. I pray with them that God will give the right words just as they’ve shared with me. Two days later, we meet again and talk about how the sharing is going. If they haven’t shared, I offer to practice with them more. I offer to go with them right then to any of the five who might be available. I do everything I can to help them begin sharing. But I won’t talk about new things. I want to give them the best opportunity to be faithful with what they’ve already learned. If they refuse or make excuses, I ask God if this is really “good soil” that will be fruitful for His kingdom or if there is somewhere else where I should be investing. But, if they have shared - we celebrate! Even if none on their list believed, I’m excited that they HEARD, OBEYED and SHARED. That’s being faithful. And since they’ve been faithful with a little, I’m glad to share more. I share about BAPTISM and give them another tool they can use. I ask them to choose some other people from their list of 100 - people who don’t know or don’t follow Jesus. And then I practice with them - just like before - with their story, with God’s story and with God’s blessings. And we pray. Now if they shared AND someone on their list believed, we really CELEBRATE! God’s family is getting bigger! I always ask if they shared about the great, greater and greatest blessing, because this is what keeps God’s family growing. If they didn’t share about God’s blessings, we go over it again -- the blessings, how a new follower of Jesus can make a list, how they can share their story, share God’s story and share the blessings -- all so that new followers of Jesus can learn to share, too. After we’ve practiced, I send them back to that new believer so they can continue sharing. But what about those who have shared AND someone on their list believed AND they shared the blessings? When that happens I am OVERJOYED. This person is what God’s word calls “good soil” -- someone who may grow God’s family in ways that are greater than I’ve ever seen! Whenever I find someone like this, I make plans to meet with them often. I invest heavily in their spiritual development. I share new lessons like BAPTISM and how to start a THREE-THIRDS GROUP. Now they can begin to grow a spiritual family - starting with those same new followers of Jesus. Since they are so faithful, I’m excited to share as much as I can and see what God does next. Always a step at a time. Always giving them a chance to LEARN, OBEY and SHARE what they know. I also pray for this person - as often as I can - thanking God for allowing me to share and learn with them and always asking Him to give them His GREATEST BLESSING. Is this the pattern you were taught when you first began following Jesus? IF not, what was different? After you came to faith, how long was it before you began to disciple others? What do you think would happen if new followers started sharing and discipling others immediately? 
Today we are going to talk about blessing!
I don’t ever recall meeting anyone who doesn’t like blessings. Whether you are a believer or not, blessings are something that we all enjoy. It’s important to enjoy blessings, to be thankful for them, and praise God for them, but we also look a bit deeper into what it is to truly be blessed.
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I believe that during these times, God is calling us to reflect and to go deeper with Him and God is allowing us to do that through simple ways such as prayer, connection, and being in His Word more. He is also reminding us of how truly blessed we are.
So, to start. What is blessing? In the dictionary, blessing can be defined as: -praise; devotion; worship, especially grace said before a meal. - God's favour and protection. BLESSING IN THE BIBLE God's intention and desire to bless humanity is a central focus of His covenant relationships. First, a blessing was a public declaration of a favored status with God. Second, the blessing brought power for prosperity and success. In all cases, the blessing served as a guide and motivation to maintain that life within the blessing that was given. The history of Israel begins with the promise of blessing. The curse, which had dominated the early chapters of the biblical story (Genesis 3:14 Genesis 3:17; 4:11; 5:29; 9:25), was countered by God's promise to Abraham that "all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" which is found in Genesis 12:3. “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” The institutions of society — the family, government, and religion were the means by which ceremonial blessings were received. Within the family, the father blessed his wife and children (Genesis 27:27-29). And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said: “Surely, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed. 28 Therefore may God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you!” In the government context, the ruler blessed the people (2 Samuel 6:18) After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. Those who possessed a priestly role had the privilege of blessing (Genesis 14:19) and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. The parallels between the Old and New Testament usages of blessing are interesting. In the Old Testament, to be blessed is to be granted special favor by God with resulting joy and prosperity. In the New Testament, the emphasis is more on spiritual rather than on material blessings. There are many key components or things to remember and consider when it comes to blessing for us today. Let’s look at 4 today.
The first thing we must acknowledge is that blessing comes from God and begins with God. There is a beautiful song called, “10,000 Reasons.” The lyrics of the chorus are: Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul Worship His Holy name Sing like never before, O my soul I'll worship Your Holy name. Blessing always brings glory to God. He is worthy of all glory and deserves all glory because He is a good God. He first loved us and He first blessed us so it’s all about Him. I remember when we had been praying and trusting God for the blessing of a child. So when we found out that we were now expecting a little one, we were so excited. We had so many ideas and plans in mind already and it was just such an exciting time in our lives. A few weeks later, we had some unexpected news that the pregnancy was not viable and that the baby went to be with Jesus. It quickly went from a very exciting time to one of the most challenging times in our lives. It was hard, but God was faithful and we knew we were still blessed regardless of our situation. With time, I realized that we were so focused on the blessing and not as much on the One who was the source of the blessing. Blessing begins with God and we need to always have that as our perspective. God is so good and faithful and of course we now have our beautiful child who keeps us quite busy and whom we adore. 2. Blessing is generational “Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in His commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.” Psalms 112:1-2 When we fear God and take delight in His Word, generations will be blessed. Some of us may be first or second generation Christians in our family and it truly is such an honor to have. I didn’t grow up in a Christian home so for me some of the norms growing up were: alcohol and substance abuse, violence, anger, and rage as some examples. We believed in God and knew about God but there was no personal relationship with God and no transformation in our lives. We may have been blessed with a home to live in, plenty of food to eat, and all the latest clothing and shoes but we were not experiencing the most important blessings. The ones we cannot see. We can’t do anything about our ancestors, but we know that as children of God other generations to come will also be blessed after us. The things which seem like set backs whether from our past or present can actually be setups for the greater God has in store for us. When we have this perspective, it makes all the difference. Are there any setbacks in your life right now? I know you don’t see the blessing yet, but you ARE blessed and God has better in store for you. Keep trusting. So no matter what upbringing we’ve had, if we choose to follow the Lord, we will be blessed that blessing will be available to our children, grandchildren, and future generations. What an amazing thing to be a part of! 3. Blessing is meant to be shared “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.” Genesis 12:2 We have all heard the verse that says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” and that is so true. We are blessed to be a blessing- it is not meant to be for us only, but to be a blessing to others. There are so many ways we can be a blessing to others. We are blessed, and then we give the blessing away. And in giving it away, we are blessed all over again. So God blesses us, and we give it away. He blesses you again, and you give it away. He blesses you yet again, and you give it away. When God blesses, there is an outpouring that happens. This outpouring is meant to be spilled over to bless others. We need to share the blessing of Jesus and His salvation to others. This was never meant for us to hoard or keep to ourselves, but to share with others. 4. Blessing is undeserved “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24 We do not deserve God’s blessing, but by His grace He blesses us anyways. All the blessings that any of us receive from God are ultimately and only the result of the cross of Christ. God loves us and blesses us not because of who we are or what we can do, but because of who He is and how great His love is for us. It is not about us and all about Him. Here is a short story that I would like to share with you that I found online: -A Blessing in Disguise- [Short Inspirational Story] A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible behind. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received word that his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he started to read, a key dropped from an envelope that was taped behind the Bible. It had a tag with a car dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN FULL. MORAL…. See, sometimes the blessing God has for us in right there but we can’t see it because we are so focused on what we are expecting as a blessing. How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? Sometimes when we have certain expectations and those aren’t met it can cause us to feel disappointment. So, our attitude is key when it comes to receiving blessing. Many times God blesses us in ways we didn't think of and sometimes we don’t see the actual blessing because we are so focused on what we thought was the blessing. We need to remember that God’s blessings are sometimes not packaged as we expected but those are the blessings that will bring us closer to God and that is what’s most important and significant. It’s those blessings that will take us deeper with God. The waiting a bit longer will bring us to where God wants to take us. Even and especially in the waiting, there is blessing. Let’s begin to go a bit deeper together. BLESSING A BIT DEEPER We often hear statements such as, “I received the promotion that I’ve been waiting for…I feel so blessed!” or “We just bought the home of our dreams. We are incredibly blessed!” But what happens when we don’t feel so “blessed” in your current circumstances? For example: Someone who has been out of work and is trusting God for a job. They get an interview with a great organization but are not offered the job after praying and trusting God. Let’s think about this for a moment because we have all been through challenging and trying seasons. Are we no longer blessed when things are challenging or trying? The answer is no. God has a purpose and time for everything to be done according to His plan and what I believe God would like us to focus on here is that we often associate being blessed with positive circumstances, wealth, comfort, and the absence of problems or challenges. This tells me that we need to reflect and re evaluate what it truly means to be blessed. So, what does it mean to be truly blessed? Let’s look at some very powerful and profound words that Jesus shared. The beatitudes come from the opening verses of the famous Sermon on the Mount delivered by Jesus and recorded in Matthew 5:3-12. Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and He began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. From a human perspective, most of these conditions would not indicate a blessed life. But from a heavenly perspective we know that we are blessed when we endure such things. We know that we will inherit the kingdom of heaven, and that we will be with God forever and He will rule and reign in His Kingdom. We know that we will be comforted, there will be no more pain, no more suffering, tears, heart ache, loss, discouragement, fear, we will be comforted by the good shepherd Himself. We will be satisfied and forever fulfilled. We pursue and keep striving on earth to find satisfaction, but Jesus says that we will be satisfied. He will truly satisfy us for all eternity. Therefore, we are truly blessed because we belong to Christ Jesus and He is our eternal reward. Though the world says we find happiness when we have the newest, biggest, shiniest, most advanced fill-in-the-blank thing on the market, Jesus says we find it when we demonstrate the true characteristics of Christian faith. There is a key element to blessing that we must not forget- its the spiritual element, the things which are eternal and last forever. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3 We may not feel very happy some days, but that emotional feeling doesn’t take away the reality that we are still blessed. We have the peace of God that passes all understanding, we have victory through Jesus Christ, we have been forgiven and set free, we are eternally secure, we are loved unconditionally, we have the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth, and so much more. THE GREATEST BLESSING Our greatest blessing is having a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Great families, financial wealth, great jobs and homes, and good health are all wonderful gifts we can thank God for, but they are not his greatest blessings because they can make us delight, not in God, but in His gifts. I do not put my hope in the substance of the blessing but my hope is in the giver of the blessing. My hope is in Christ, I am blessed because I have Him in my life. God’s greatest blessing always rests in God Himself and when we focus on Him as our source for everything, we are truly blessed. et us not keep our greatest blessing to ourselves. There are billions of people in the world who haven’t heard about Jesus and the hope He brings. You can also share this hope with others by supporting OMS Canada. Blessings to you and your family. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we learned how to tell your story, your testimony, and how God can use it to save others. In today’s post, we will learn about baptism. Jesus said -- “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” Baptism - or “Baptizo" in the original language - means a drenching or submerging - like when you dye a cloth and it soaks in the color and comes out transformed. Baptism is a picture of our new life, soaked in the image of Jesus, transformed in obedience to God. It is a picture of our death to sin, just as Jesus died for our sins; a burial of our old way of life, just as Jesus was buried; a rebirth to a new life in Christ, just as Jesus was resurrected and lives today. If you have never baptized someone before, it may seem intimidating, but it shouldn’t be. Here are some simple steps. Find some standing water, deep enough to allow the new disciple to be submerged. This can be a pond, river, lake or ocean. It could be a bathtub or another way to gather water. Let the disciple hold one of your hands with theirs and support their back with the other. Ask two questions like these to make sure they understand their decision. “Have you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?” “Will you obey and serve Him as your King for the rest of your life?” If they answer “Yes,” to both, then say something like this: “Because you’ve professed your faith in the Lord Jesus, I now baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Help them lower into the water, submerge completely and raise them back up. You’ve baptized a new follower of Jesus - a new citizen of heaven - a new child of the Living God. It’s time to celebrate! Have you ever baptized someone? Would you even consider doing so? If the Great Commission is for every follower of Jesus, does that mean that every follower is allowed to baptize others? Why or why not? |
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