Program Driven or Missional Driven?

Posted by Mike James
on June 20, 2010 – 9:44 am
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In a recent conference, Reggie McNeal described three shifts needed for churches to move from program-driven to missional-driven. These are very insightful for all church leaders and for a strategy of disciple making.

1. Changing from internal ministry to an external focus:

This isn’t an “either-or” situation, but a movement toward involvement outside the building. In the past, church-centric world, the assumption was excellent worship services and great preaching were the keys to drawing people to faith in Christ.

Today, it’s much different. In the missional world, it’s not about “doing” church but “being” the church. Instead of an evangelism strategy, why don’t we have a blessing strategy?” he asked. “It’s biblical. God wants to impart a blessing to the world. I tell people, ‘Let’s go out this week and practice being the people of God.’”

2. Asking, “Are our people better off because of what we’ve done?”

The heart of this question aims at creating a people-development culture in which improving lives is more important than running them through a program.

“Are the programs helping, or are people just a resource to get our programs done?” McNeal said. “Wouldn’t a fair scorecard be, ‘How many better marriages do we have in the church this year than last?’ (or) ‘How many have figured out a way to love their neighbor instead of how many showed up and supported our stuff?’”

Another question we should be asking is, “How many people have we disciple?” I realize that discipleship is a process but churches should evaluate how many folks are being discipled.

3. Moving from church-based leadership to apostolic leadership:

McNeal said his emphasis is on pastors moving away from acting as institutional managers toward leading a movement. In this model, instead of a minister saying, “I’m pastor of First Baptist,” he or she would proclaim, “I’m pastor of the community and my support team is First Baptist,” McNeal explained.

“In a people-development culture your time is going to be spent differently than in a program culture,” he commented. “You’re going to be engaged with people far more conversationally, and you’re going to have to figure out how to disciple people.”

“Any leadership is not positional, it’s personal,” McNeal said. “People want to know: Do you live this stuff, and are you willing to be accountable?”

How are these three principles (shifts) impacting your church?

What do you need to do to lead your church to be more Great Commission focused?

Filed under Discipleship |

8 DISCIPLESHIP WORDS

Posted by Mike James
on June 9, 2010 – 2:33 pm
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1. EVERYONE… Discipleship is a process that involves all Christians. We mistakenly think it is just for super Christians or those in ministry, but it is for all who follow Christ. We are all disciples who are at different stages of spiritual growth. As a matter of fact, you cannot follow Christ without being involved in discipleship. It is the essence, the heart of the faith walk.

2. LIFESTYLE…Discipleship is all about our total lifestyle. It is 24/7. It is not being one thing on Sunday and then leaving our faith at the door when we exit church. You are as much a disciple at work, on the ball field, at a Baptist business meeting (oh my!), or on a date as you are during Sunday morning worship. We are salt and light for Jesus wherever we are during the course of our regular day.

“True discipleship is about a lifestyle, not simply about stored up Bible knowledge….Discipleship is about being and reproducing zealots for Christ. Discipleship, in other words, is about passionately pursuinr g the pursuing the lifestyle and mission of Jesus Christ.” (George Barna)

3. RELATIONSHIPS…Discipleship is fundamentally based on accountable, loving relationships. It is not achieved in a vacuum. God designed us for fellowship and intends for us to journey through life together. The best discipleship ministry is centered on relationships, not curriculum or just a cerebral experience. It is “life on life.”

4. PROCESS…Discipleship occurs over time. It is a process and is not instant. We never stop growing in our faith as followers of Jesus. Even the apostle Paul said he had not arrived yet. Churches should never give up or get discouraged over lack of spiritual growth among members, but instead should ramp up discipleship and continue to provide a process, a path of spiritual growth for all members.

5. INTENTIONAL…If we think it will just happen by chance, we are mistaken. Discipleship is not accidental but intentional. This is why church leaders must pray and seek the Lord’s plan for their discipleship process and then “just do it.” It needs to be simple but challenging.

6. CHRIST-LIKE…The bottom line is that discipleship helps people become more like Jesus. We should reflect Jesus in our words, actions, thoughts, and responses. We should not react to people but respond in Christ like love.

“A disciple of Christ is an individual who exhibits an increasing Christ-likeness exemplified by an undeniable love for God and others, a vibrant prayer life, a love of Scripture, an obedient lifestyle of personal evangelism, employment of talents and personal resources, spiritual gifts and service used for the benefit of the Kingdom, consistent manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit, and extravagant worship that treasures Christ.”

7. MULTIPLICATION…Discipleship always results in effective ministry and multiplication. New Testament discipleship is explosive. “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” Acts 6:7

We need to think and plan our discipleship strategy in terms of multiplication, not addition! This happens when the leader takes someone through a discipleship process/study/experience and then that person takes someone (life on life) through the same study and the process is repeated. This has great potential and is often overlooked in our discipleship strategies.

8. EVANGELISM…Sometimes we argue about what is more important evangelism or discipleship. I believe that a disciple is an evangelist and an evangelist is a disciple. A disciple who does not intentionally share his or her faith is not a true disciple. After a person is won to Christ then the discipleship process begins with the goal of that new Christian eventually leading someone to Christ.

If churches are going to reverse the downward trend evident in all our statistics; it will only happen with a resurgence of New Testament discipleship.

Filed under Discipleship, Spiritual Growth |

Five Assimilation Facts

Posted by Mike James
on June 4, 2010 – 7:49 pm
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Assimilation is all about the process of helping people find your church, join your church, and get involved using their gifts and talents for the kingdom. Of course, experiencing salvation in Christ would be the number one goal as you reach out to people with the Gospel.

In a recent article, Rick Ezell lists five facts about guests and how to get them to return.

Pastors, staff and church leaders should be keenly aware of these five significant facts about first-time guests who visit our churches looking for a friend. Ezell also lists five vital actions you can take to make them want to return.

Fact #1 – Your guests make up their minds regarding your church in the first ten minutes.

Before a first-time guest has sung an inspiring song, watched a compelling drama or well-produced video vignette or heard your well-crafted sermon they have made up their mind whether or not to return. But, you probably spend more time and energy on the plan and execution of the worship service than preparing for the greeting and welcoming of your first-time guests.

Action – Use the following questions as a quick checklist:

• Are parking attendants in place?

• Is there appropriate signage?

• Are your ushers and greeters performing the “right” job?

• Is the environment user-friendly and accepting to guests?

Fact #2 – Most church members are not friendly.

Churches claim to be friendly and may even advertise that fact. But my experience in visiting churches as a first-time guest demonstrates that most church members are friendly to the people they already know, not to guests.

Watch to see if your members greet guests with the same intensity and concern before and after the worship service as they do during a formal time of greeting. The six most important minutes of a church service, in your visitors’ eyes, are the three minutes before the service and the three minutes after the service.

Action – Encourage your church family to:

• Introduce themselves with genuineness.

• Find out if guests have questions about the church.

• Introduce guests to others who may have an affinity or connection.

Fact #3 – Church guests are highly consumer-oriented.

If your church building is difficult for newcomers to navigate, if your people are un-accepting and unfriendly, another church down the street may have what they’re looking for. You need to look at your church through the eyes of a first-time guest. Rick Warren says that the longer a pastor has been a pastor the less he thinks like a non-pastor.

Action: Consider employing objective, yet trained, anonymous guests to give an honest appraisal. Many restaurants, retail stores, and hotels utilize the service of one or more “mystery guests” to provide helpful analysis of welcoming and responding to the consumer. Churches would be well served to utilize a similar service.

Fact #4 – The church is in the hospitality business.

Though our ultimate purpose is spiritual, one of our first steps in the Kingdom business is attention to hospitality (Hebrews 13:2). Imagine the service that would be given to you in a first-class hotel or a five-star restaurant. Should the church offer anything less to those who have made the great effort to be our guests?

Action – Encourage members to extend hospitality to guests by offering…

• to sit with them during the church service

• to give them a tour of the church facilities

• to eat lunch with them after service

• to connect with them later in the week

Fact #5 – You only have one chance to make a good first impression.

Your first-time guests have some simple desires and basic needs. They decide very quickly if you can meet those criteria. The decision to return for a second visit is often made before guests reach your front door.

Action – Use the following questions as an evaluation tool:

• Are you creating the entire experience, beginning with your parking lot?

• Are you consciously working to remove barriers that make it difficult for guests to find their way around and to feel at home with your people?

• Do newcomers have all the information they need without having to ask any embarrassing questions?

• Are your greeters and ushers on the job, attending to details and anticipating needs before they are expressed?

• Does anything about your guests’ first experience make them say, “Wow!” and want to return?

Rick Ezell is the pastor of First Baptist Greer, South Carolina. He has served churches in Naperville, IL, Scottsburg, IN and Overland Park, KS. He is the author of several books including, The Seven Sins of Highly Defective People, Strengthening the Pastor’s Soul, & Sightings of the Savior.

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G.C.R. and M.O.U.S.E.

Posted by Mike James
on May 24, 2010 – 8:56 am
5 Comments so far

The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a PECULIAR people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

I think this was a prophetic word concerning a future denomination called Southern Baptists. We are a peculiar people, some of us more peculiar than others. Our church polity is peculiar, our methodologies and worship styles are all unique, since each church is autonomous and conducts its own affairs. Those who don’t know Southern Baptists as they peer inside our work must think, “they are a peculiar people.” With this in mind allow me to share three thoughts about the upcoming Great Commission Task Force report at the Southern Baptist Convention.

Like many of you I am attending the Southern Baptist Convention in Mickey’s home town of Orlando. Will Mickey and Minnie Mouse be messengers this year? It is just my fourth convention but it sounds like it will be an interesting one for sure.

There have been numerous blogs, articles written, and press releases about the GCR report and the ramifications for the future. I am not an authority on this issue, but here are three things we must keep in mind in Orlando.

Let’s remember we are not voting on the Great Commission. When I read the Gospels and Acts 1:8, it is apparent that fulfilling the Great Commission is not an option to be voted on or a multiple choice question where we have many possible answers to choose from. It’s not even a question in Scripture but a direct command from our Lord who said, “Go make disciples.”

A church, association, state convention, or national denomination cannot truly vote on the Great Commission because God already cast the vote in His Word and that’s the vote that really counts. We all agree that the Great Commission is the heart of being a disciple of Jesus and the mission of the church…period. Let’s remember that there are good people on both sides of this report who are Godly folks and who feel very strongly for or against the report as it stands. They all sincerely believe in the importance of fulfilling the Great Commission. I see a great deal of passion on both sides.

Let’s remind ourselves that the recommendation of the task force is simply a set of ideas concerning the process, structure, and methodologies of fulfilling the Great Commission. I’ve been a Baptist all my life and I discovered early in my ministry that if you put three Baptists in a room, close the door, and wait 20 minutes…presto, you have 11 different opinions about how to do church. Yes, we are a particularly peculiar people. Regardless of the outcome of the vote concerning the task force’s recommendations, the most significant thing that could happen is for every pastor and church leader to renew their passion about leading their churches forward in working together with other churches in order to fulfill the Great Commission because that is what a New Testament church does.

Let’s remain in fellowship with a kind, cooperative spirit regardless of any actions taken at the SBC. I am going to Orlando and whether the recommendation from the task force is tabled, amended, modified, adapted, homogenized or voted down or up; I for one will not break fellowship with those brothers and sisters who vote differently than my peculiar vote. Yes I am one of those peculiar Baptists. We must not make this a line in the denominational sand. We must not make this a fellowship issue. If we do, the kingdom will not be honored and we will leave Orlando disappointed and defeated. Every pastor, Director of Missions, state and denominational leader I’ve met is committed to being more effective in fulfilling the Great Commission. We are all on the same page regarding the bigger issue of purpose and mission.

My point is, let’s not over react, but realize we all have the same goal of reaching the world for Christ beginning in our on town. This will not be the last study report for Southern Baptists to consider.

The media and the world will have their mouse ears on listening and watching us in Orlando. How we respond to each other, regardless of how we voted on any recommendation or point of business, really shows if we are Great Commission Christians!

In JOHN 13:34 Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you LOVE one another; even as I have loved you, that you also LOVE one another. By this shall all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have LOVE for one another.”

My hope and prayer is that Southern Baptists, a peculiar people indeed, can disagree agreeably in Christ like love and go back to our churches after the convention with a new zeal for sharing the Gospel and working together. This will not happen by a vote at a national convention, but by the Holy Spirit filling us and guiding each of us to be Great Commission Christians. I pray that is the resurgence we experience in Orlando.

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Growing a Healthy Church Part 2

Posted by Mike James
on May 16, 2010 – 8:05 am
2 Comments so far

Last week we shared a blog entitled; “What does a Healthy Church Look Like.”

There are foundational steps that leaders must take in order to create healthy church environments that promote growth. The growth of your church depends on members who are biblical healthy in their relationship with the Lord. A church filled with unhealthy members will not accomplish much for the Kingdom.

Here are six foundational aspects of ministry that are crucial to creating an environment for (healthy) growth from Dann Spader and Gary Mayes, book, Growing a Healthy Church (Moody Press, 1991). See how many of these criteria are evident in the life of your church.

1. Create an atmosphere of love.

Jesus’ insight, “By this will all men know that [we] love one another,” (John 13:35) has never been more true. Congregations should be totally in love with Jesus and then that love needs to spill out in all their relationships both inside and outside the church. If we are not dispensers of God’s love we are not being the church.

2. Build a relational ministry.

Building relationships with people was an intentional, aggressive agenda for Christ. “He spent time with his disciples” (John 3:22). He lived by the principle that people respond when we reach out to them. People today are hungry for authentic relationships. The rapid rise of facebook and twitter are just signs that people desire to connect to each other. People connect in small groups. People need to be in some kind of life group for sharing, prayer, accountability, study and support. Regardless of the model you use such as Sunday School, small groups, home groups, cell groups, or discipleship groups, people need to connect in order to grow and “be the church.”

3. Communicate Christ clearly.

In a world that knows only caricatures of Christ, people need to know him as he really is. We must present him and his message of life and grace as he gave it, so that people might build a real relationship with the living Savior.

4. Build a healthy ministry image.

What kind vision do the people in your church and ministry have for the work to which God has called them? How confident are they in His ability to accomplish the task He has entrusted to them? Cohesiveness, commitment to the cause, receptivity to change, and teachability are all related to a healthy group image.

5. Mobilize a prayer base.

Our task is to effect spiritual life change. This kind of spiritual work is not accomplished by human means. As we move into the arena of prayer, God moves into the arena of our lives.

Praying churches are growing churches and healthy churches because they are in contact with the Head of the church and His plans for their congregations. Jesus wants His house to be a house of prayer.

6. Communicate the Word.

Research has shown that even our most regular churchgoers have some biblical illiteracy. We continually need to evaluate our teaching to insure God’s Word is being taught accurately.

We must challenge our members to “read the Word” on a consistent basis. A dose of Scripture on Sunday is not enough; we must lead our folks to engage the Word of God for direction, belief, and guidance on a daily basis. Teach your people how to feed themselves on the Word of God and your church will be stronger.

What can you do through the power of the Holy Spirit to improve your weakest area of these six criteria? Seek the Lord’s guidance and lead your church to health and growth for the Kingdom.

Filed under Church Growth, Spiritual Growth |

What Does a Healthy Church Look Like?

Posted by Mike James
on May 11, 2010 – 7:48 pm
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Recently, Leadership Journal printed again the eight criteria for church health from Natural Church Development.

Each of these eight components can serve as an MRI to look underneath the surface of your church and evaluate the true health.  Look at these and see if you have balance. Where are you strong? Where are you weak? Where are you content?

What is your strategy to bring your church back to health and growth?

Not to treat a symptom is dangerous in our personal health and in our congregations’ health too. If we wait too long it can take longer to reverse the trend. Avoiding the signs all together could result in death.

Christian A. Schwarz, head of the Institute for Church Development in Germany, conducted this comprehensive church-growth study, drawn from more than 1,000 churches in 32 countries. His study revealed the following eight qualities in healthy churches.

1. EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP

Leaders of growing churches …. do not use lay workers as “helpers” in attaining their goals and fulfilling their visions. Rather, leaders invert the pyramid of authority so they assist Christians to attain the spiritual potential God has for them.

2. GIFT-ORIENTED MINISTRY

When Christians serve in their area of giftedness, they generally function less in their own strength and more in the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, ordinary people can accomplish the extraordinary!

3. PASSIONATE SPIRITUALITY

The concept of spiritual passion and the widespread notion of the walk of faith as “performing one’s duty” seem to be mutually exclusive.

4. FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURES

Anyone who accepts this perspective will continually evaluate to what extent church structures improve the self-organization of the church. Elements not meeting this standard (such as discouraging leadership structures, inconvenient worship-service times, demotivating financial concepts) will be changed or eliminated.

5. INSPIRING WORSHIP SERVICE

Services may target Christians or non-Christians, the style may be liturgical or free, the language may be “churchy” or secular—it makes no difference …. Whenever the Holy Spirit is truly at work (and his presence is not merely presumed), he will have a concrete effect upon the way a worship service is conducted.

6. HOLISTIC SMALL GROUPS

[These groups] go beyond just discussing Bible passages to applying its message to daily life. In these groups, members are able to bring up issues and questions that are immediate personal concerns.

7. NEED-ORIENTED EVANGELISM

The key …. is for the local congregation to focus its evangelistic efforts on the questions and needs of non-Christians. This “need-oriented” approach is different from “manipulative programs.”

8. LOVING RELATIONSHIPS

Unfeigned, practical love has a divinely generated magnetic power far more effective than evangelistic programs, which depend almost entirely on verbal communication. People do not want to hear us talk about love; they want to experience how Christian love really works. —Natural Church Development, (ChurchSmart, 1996)

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Is Church Growth Biblical?

Posted by Mike James
on May 4, 2010 – 7:48 am
1 Comment so far

Over the last few years the term “church growth” has fallen by the way side and now the buzz is church health or vitality or church revitalization?

Does the Lord of the church expect His church to grow?

1 Corinthians 3:6, says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.” (NASB)

Biblically there are two sides of church growth: the human side, Paul and Apollos faithfully planting and watering the seed, and the spiritual side, God causing the growth! Churches can be similar in their methodologies, programs, and demographics, yet one will grow and one will decline or plateau. Why?

One answer, according to this verse, is the sovereignty of God. He chooses where and when He will bless His church and how He will cause it to experience numerical growth. Unlike our human ability, God is able to see the character and heart of every church.

I believe there is a strong connection with growing churches and the twin elements of prayer and faith. Acts 11:21 says, “And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord” (NASB). When a church possesses a positive, Christ-like attitude and a vision of reaching others with the Gospel, a Great Commission mentality, that church is poised for growth and God’s touch. Such churches by their spiritual “attitude” and “maturity” are positioned to experience God’s blessings and growth. Their members pray, believe, ask, and expect God to bless.

I’ve also noticed that churches that are “outward focused” with their resources and energy and not “inward focused,” seem to always be moving forward. On the other hand, stingy churches who refuse to spend some of their energy and resources outside their own four walls usually spiral downward in attendance and effectiveness. One of the blessings of our recent “Find It Here” emphasis is that it got churches outside the four walls into their communities, door to door.

I like what Eddie Gibbs says in his book, Church Next: “The church will need to be turned inside out in order to bring those outside in. It will not suffice to simply invite the seeker to come to us to hear the gospel on our turf. Instead the church will have to be the church in the world – gathering for worship in order to go out in mission.” [Eddie Gibbs. Church Next: Quantum Changes in How We Do Ministry. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000, p. 236]

The early church was turned inside out and they changed their world!  The Book of Acts records this interesting phrase: “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (2:47). I’ve discovered in my study of the Book of Acts that this phrase and parallel verses concerning growth are numerous. That verse denotes God’s activity, “the Lord added,” which is parallel with the 1 Corinthians passage “but God was causing the growth.” For a great study of what the early church did look at verses 42-46 of Acts chapter two. These detail what the early church was actually doing¬, their methodology, ¬to be in a position to experience the rapid growth that transformed their world.

So back to my question…Is church growth biblical?

Could it happen today? Could it happen in your church? Can 1 Corinthians 3: 6 still be experienced by our churches?

I think the answer is YES! What to do you think?

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Discipleship Oxymora

Posted by Mike James
on April 26, 2010 – 4:01 pm
2 Comments so far

The English language comes with some very interesting combination of words. Here are some of my favorite oxymoron words, which are words that contradict each other but are used together to express our thoughts. Here are some examples:

“Perfect mistake”…how can that be since all of my mistakes were a disaster? Have you ever bought an “authentic replica?” Here are some more…empty load, retired worker, random order, limited lifetime guarantee, (I think those come with the Ginsu (sp.) knives as advertized on TV), almost always, huge shortage, partially completed (this is where I am right now in our move to a new house, I just keep telling my wife that everything is partially completed!), almost pregnant, adult children, genuine fake watches, pretty ugly, and real phony. We use these expressions without hesitation and we understand what they mean.

In our culture we have developed some discipleship oxymora too.

For instance, how many times have you heard someone say… he is a “committed Christian?” Can you be a follower of Christ, wear His name, and not be committed? Can you be an uncommitted Christian or partially committed Christian?

Or have you heard someone say… she is a “serious disciple.” Does that mean a person can follow Jesus and not be serious about discipleship?

Or one we often use in mission statements… “fully devoted disciple” as if one can be a “half fully devoted disciple” or is that another discipleship oxymoron?

Have we moved so far from the New Testament pattern for disciples that we have to qualify the term “Christian?”

One huge problem churches face today is with immature believers who are often in key leadership positions making important decisions. Can spiritual decisions be made by unspiritual people? Can immature believers make mature decisions? Is that why many (most) of our churches are stuck and plateaued? We spend so much energy on distractions, arguing about carpet colors, worship styles, and whether the youth minister should be wearing jeans in the pulpit.

Maybe we are partly responsible for the low commitment level of many church members. Maybe all the discipleship oxymora happened on our watch while we preached and taught in our churches?

Did we preach a watered down Gospel that was too easily presented… pray the prayer, walk the aisle, sign the card?

Did we fail to preach radical obedience to Jesus? Did we not clearly communicate that this love relationship with Christ is above and beyond every other relationship? Not just fire insurance or pie in the sky in the sweet bye and bye, but a relationship that demands all we are and all we have forever?

Did we just inoculate people with a small dose of the Gospel and not the real thing?

On the front end of evangelism we must preach and teach the Gospel for what it really is…a radical, total, sold out commitment to Jesus!

We must have a resurgence of preaching and teaching and living out authentic New Testament discipleship. It is the only resurgence that will change our people, our churches, our denomination, our world.

This blog has mainly been a series of questions and not many answers. I would say that what I have written is “unbelievably true” but then that would be another oxymoron.

I would love to hear from you, your thoughts and ideas.

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Moving and Discipleship

Posted by Mike James
on April 14, 2010 – 9:37 pm
1 Comment so far

As I write this, my wife and I are in a motel room waiting for our furniture to arrive at our new house in the morning.  Our old house is not ours anymore and our new house just became ours a few hours ago. Actually the mortgage company says we can live in it for 30 years of payments…what a deal.

Being in ministry has caused my family and I to move many times. We’ve lived in five places in Kentucky, one in Virginia and one in Tennessee. The last few weeks I have told my wife often that this moving experience is a new exciting adventure, new place, new friends, new shopping, etc. She smiled and kept on packing. We both have tried to encourage each other because moving is very stressful. Everything you own gets put in a cardboard box, loaded on a massive truck, and then I’m not sure where they actually go with the truck before they unload it, some type of moving truck purgatory I guess.

There is a lot of raw faith applied in moving. You trust total strangers with all of your earthly belongings (except for my Taylor guitar and my lap top that we packed in the car). You have faith that nothing gets damaged or lost in the move and that it all gets to the house and eventually it all gets unloaded and un-packed. At our last house we had a few things that stayed in boxes for over a year. Anyway back to what I was saying…moving brings out the best and the worst in all of us.

To be honest we are both physically wiped out. However we are not finished yet so we’ve got to get up early filled with new energy as we meet the truck and the packers or at this point un-packers and instruct them exactly what room all the boxes go. Actually my wife is going to do that. I would say dump it all in the front yard so the neighbors can see just how much stuff we have.

How is moving like discipleship?

1. It makes you prioritize your life. We decided that much of our precious belongings we no longer needed therefore we had a gigantic yard sale. Discipleship should cause us to prioritize our life often in order to make sure our lives are in line with our walk of faith and are not cluttered.

2. It makes you more trustful. You trust the truck driver, the lawyer that you’ve never met at closing, hoping you are not moving on Elm Street next door to some crazed neighbor with a deep seated hatred for men of the cloth. The whole thing is an experience of trust. Discipleship at its very heart is trusting 24/7 in Jesus for all your needs.

3. It makes you thankful. As a family we are blessed to own a home. This is house number seven for us. Most of the world lives with out any type of shelter. I do not know why I have lived in seven houses and many people around the world have never even owned a house. Part of being a disciple is expressing thanks to the Lord for all His blessings and trying to help those who struggle with basic needs like housing.

4. It makes you more aware of people. The neighbors and friends you have left behind and for the new friends you anticipate making. We pray we will be good witnesses of the love of Christ to our new neighbors. A disciple is always aware of the people around them (work, play, shopping, etc) and the natural opportunities to share and minister in the name of Christ.

5. It makes you more dependent on the Lord. To be brutally honest we think we moved in the right city, the right neighborhood, at just the right time…we think! The whole experience is a huge step of faith. We will see how this new chapter of life reads in the days ahead. A disciple is constantly making and taking small and large steps of faith each day, as we are totally dependent on Christ. The Bible says, “We walk (live) by faith, not by sight.” (2 Cor 5:7)

We don’t really know what our new neighborhood is going to really look like when we unpack in the morning, but we will keep walking by faith.  After all that is what a disciple does.

Filed under Discipleship, Personal Journey |

Spiritual Growth Strategy

Posted by Mike James
on April 6, 2010 – 7:57 am
2 Comments so far

I have a garden each year consisting of one type of plant… tomatoes. There is nothing like a ripe, juicy tomato on a good sandwich or all by itself. Fried green tomatoes are a food group all by themselves. My tomatoes do best when I keep a careful eye on my plants by weeding; watering, fertilizing, and sometimes they need prayer! Regular attention to my plants is a key if a bumper crop is expected.

Personal spiritual growth in Christ does not happen unless I make it a priority and pay close attention to my walk with God each day. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

If I am to bear fruit for the Kingdom I must remain or abide in Christ. One way to do this is to always face the Son. I always plant my tomatoes facing the sun for the best growth; we too must face the Son every day as we grow spiritually. Meet Him in your devotional time and commit your life to His service each day.

Here are a few thoughts on personal spiritual growth.

1. What is spiritual growth? There is a phrase in 1 Cor 7:35b that captures it for me, “but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.” This is spiritual growth…living a life that has “undivided focus and devotion to the Lord.” Reading helps us with this endeavor. Good solid devotional books are helpful but no book substitutes for the Word of God. The Word in us changes us. I do not know one growing Christian that is not in the Word! Go to it every day to see what the Lord wants to say to you and keep your focus on Him.

2. Make spiritual growth a priority. We get what we prioritize in life. If I want to get in shape then exercise becomes a priority and a daily habit and I develop a plan. It is not enough to say, “I am going to read my Bible.” You must set a time, a place, and have a plan to make it happen. Nothing is dynamic unless it is specific.

3. We get closer if we aim! Write down some specific goals for your spiritual life. I believe that written goals motivate us more than verbal goals. Write them down and keep them close by as a reminder of your commitment. This will help you stay on track and move forward.

4. Gather spiritual growth resources- We have already mentioned God’s Word as the main source but think about other devotional materials or discipleship materials you can study and work through. Maybe get a partner to go through a resource like, Experiencing God.

5. Remember, we don’t get what we expect but what we inspect. Make yourself accountable to someone. Who is inspecting your life? Informal or formal accountability groups can motivate us to follow through on our commitments and keep us moving in the right direction. Lone ranger Christianity is dangerous and is not biblical. As Believers in Christ we are in community.

6. Evaluate often- Perform a maintenance check up like you do for your car. Evaluate every segment of your life (social, financial, relationships, etc.) and remember the spiritual goals you have written down. Keep focused on the goal of growing in Christ.

7. Spiritual coaching- As you grow spiritually, you will want to share with others what the Lord is teaching you and help others grow too. Enlist someone to be your spiritual apprentice and invest yourself in another person with whom you can share your spiritual journey (Paul-Timothy model). Mentoring others is how Jesus invested Himself in His followers.

A growing, spiritual disciple of Christ is a person who shows an increasing Christ-likeness demonstrated by an undeniable love for God and others, a vibrant prayer life, a love of Scripture, an obedient lifestyle of personal evangelism, use of talents and personal resources, spiritual gifts and service used for the Kingdom of God, consistent manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit, and extravagant worship that treasures Christ.

Personal spiritual growth comes when we make a concerted, intentional effort to become more like Jesus. Spiritual transformation does not happen if you are on auto pilot.

I would write more but I’ve got to go plant my tomatoes.

Filed under Personal Journey, Spiritual Growth |

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