I've been doing a lot of reading lately on discipleship. Rather, what I've been studying is trying to release to baggage of the word and move more towards disciple-making. It's been an interesting process to say the least. And this is only a tiny tidbit of the conversation. It is not intended to give all the answers. In fact this will probably leave more questions. That's good. So let's dialogue about this together.

The more important factor in making disciples is that one must first be a disciple. Now you're probably saying, "Duh. Thanks captain obvious. Why am I reading this guy's blog?" I know it's at the risk of sounding pedantic, but truly this is an issue of belief vs. action. We often say "I totally believe that!" but we don't live it. The truth is that in order to make disciples, one must first, in one's inner most being, live out the things that Christ calls us to (I suggest reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan or Radical by David Platt). But that begs the question: what do I mean when I say disciple? I don't mean: Christian. While all disciples are indeed Christians, that word contains about five centuries worth of messy baggage that I don't want to deal with right now - I know - call me selfish. When I say disciple I mean: Christ-follower. I mean someone who sits at the feet of Jesus daily. Someone who is endlessly praying for others and trying to do the work of God.

But here is the kicker. So often we can try so hard to do the things of God that we forget the first and most simple rule of being a disciple: that only God can do the work in me. In John 15, the famous passage that speaks of "abiding" - which in Koine (New Testament) Greek is from 'meno' (long o) and means: to remain, continue to exist within, sometimes with the hope of expectancy. It's with this in mind that Jesus says "Abide in me, for apart from me, you can do nothing." That is, if we should ever leave, to try to exist apart from Christ, then you begin to do it on your own. We cease to rely on the power of God. We may think that we're relying on God...we may even say that we're relying on God. But the truth is, that apart from "abiding" in Christ - we can do nothing! We must rely on the POWER OF GOD.

In another discussion that Paul had with the Corinthians (1 Cor. 3:1-9) - he reminds them in their dispute over who they would wish to follow - Paul says that it isn't man who does anything. Man can plant and water, but only God can cause the growth. So why do we constantly try to do it on our own?

Perhaps herein lies the confusion. We are vessels, instruments by which God has chosen to use for the sake of his kingdom. He uses us to do his own work. So how much "work" do we do? When do I know that I've done enough? When do I rely on God?

We should always rely on God. Even in our works it is God who is working through us. Perhaps Colossians 1:28-29 may sharpen this. Paul says "Him (Christ) we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me." We see that while Paul is doing the work, he is reliant on God for the strength to do it.

So here is what God is teaching me. I can do nothing. I need God's power to work within me fist and foremost to BE a disciple, let alone to make disciples. Further, every work that I do is an opportunity for Christ to do a work through me or for me to try and do it on my own strength, reliant on my own abilities and techniques. The latter will fail to produce lasting fruit. So I should never leave the fold of God and try to do it on my own. I must abide in him at all times. I must choose to never leave my primary role in making disciples...to be a disciple myself. Doug Field says that he often found himself trying so hard to "do" the work of God without "being" a person of God. He had left the fold in order to do it himself, despite that he thought that what he was doing was good. He states that he'd rather have one volunteer leader who is trusting in God than ten leaders with great skill who are not trusting in God. Are we trusting in God? Or are we doing it ourselves?

My friends, it is never good to leave the vine. In order to do anything for God's kingdom, we must hold fast to that which is the source of our own discipleship. To be disciple-makers we must first be disciples who cling to their master. Let's sit at the feet of Jesus together, and pray that God may remove us from the equation, allowing us to fully trust in him.

Let's engage and interact with each other by sharing your own struggles with this. What is God teaching you right now? How is the power of God at work in you?

I have been memorizing Philippians lately with a couple of college students, and I had forgotten how much fun and insightful it is to memorize long portions of Scripture. The very fact that one must slow down and process the words is insightful enough. If you haven't tried it...here's your chance.

As I was looking at the next portion to memorize, God implanted a piece on my heart today that I deemed I should share...as it's not my thought but God's.

In chapter one of Philippians Paul shares his joy over the people's partnership with the gospel, as partakers with him of grace. But it extends even into Paul's imprisonment and how it made the other brothers more bold for the gospel. What a strange thought? Would't imprisonment discourage boldness? Rather there is something intrinsically ironic about this situation. Where imprisonment may normally bring fear, to God's ambassadors it brings courage. If we are being imprisoned for it...it was for their sake! Thus the imprisonment sparks a sense of gratitude and response.

But more, what the Spirit really laid on me this morning was Paul's attitude and remarks about death. For indeed to die is gain, but should God allow him to live longer in his fleshly body, then it is for the sake of the brothers! What a glorious perspective! To die is gain, and in fact who wouldn't rather just go and spend an eternity with God in his glory? Paul says "I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better..." but he continues in saying that "to remain in the flesh is more necessary..." why? Because it was necessary for Paul to continue serving and teaching others about Christ, "for their progress and joy in the faith..."

How often when we get some spare time do we waste it on ourselves? Don't get me wrong, everyone needs to replenish themselves with "me" time...but are we really devoting the time that God gives us to furthering others progress in the faith and for others joy?

Paul sends them out with this a word of encouragement, "Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ..." and that they are "not frightened by their opponents.." Let us strive, each of us, to live a life worthy of the gospel. A life that isn't afraid of adversaries, but one that is bold, even if their is persecution. Let us live lives centered on the progress of others faith and joy...the progress of God's kingdom...the fulfillment of Jesus' great commission (Mt. 28).

"Take nothing",,,?

Read Mark 6:7-13


INTRO

So lately my wife Nikii and I have been reading through the book of Mark together. I love Mark for many reasons, one being how simply it portrays the gospel but more so, as a result of the gospel, is Christ's call to discipleship. The book really highlights the call as well as the failures of disciples. It's no surprise that the disciples failed more than they succeeded...but it's a healthy reminder for us who tend to think that all they did was succeed. Granted they had Christ, which we don't...at least in a physical sense, but it's encouraging to think that if the disciples had Christ and still failed and received grace then we can have the same grace.


Reread Mark 6:7-13

Isn't it so easy for us to rationalize and justify our beliefs? What do I mean? I mean this: when Christ calls us to do something we push it aside and think that somehow it doesn't relate to our society. For example: in Mark 6:7-13 Jesus begins to send out his disciples, but he tells them to "take nothing" on their journey. No money. No food. No extra clothes. Just the sandals on their feet, the clothes on their backs, and a staff for walking. Take nothing...really? What is Jesus trying to accomplish here?

I don't know about you when, but it's been a tendency of mine to want to take lots of things when I go to meet with people. I need my Bible, I need my phone, I need my wallet for food, I need my sunglasses, I need my watch, I need my etc. All of these are fine things and sometimes necessary, so why would Jesus call the disciples to take nothing?

Write your comments below...

GRACE

Two experiences this past week that made think about God's grace...

The first was early last week. I was sitting in my car (very noticeably) in a Starbucks parking lot. This particular parking lot, if you're familiar with Boulder, CO, has fairly small parking spaces (maybe a ploy on the city's part to make more people drive environmentally friendly cars...or bikes). But due to the size of the spots I always make it a point to park well within the lines, with an even amount of space on either side so as to be courteous to others (it's not uncommon for cars in Boulder to be parked half way over the line!). This time I was well within my lines. As I sat there, finishing a ministry related text with one of my volunteer leaders, a car pulled in next to me. The driver got out, as did her passenger...who hit my Jeep with his door...to which he said "oops" and walked away....as I was sitting in my car. Really?

The second experience was a couple of days ago. I walked out to my car, with nothing out of the normal. It was a nice day, not too warm and not too cold (I prefer colder weather). I walked down the stairs of my condo and around my car to get something out of the back seat. I opened the door, grabbed the stuff, shut the door, and began to walk away...until I remembered seeing something that was out of place. "Nah, can't be I thought" but I walked back just to check, and sure enough, there was a giant groove in the side of my Jeep. Not like the door had been bashed in, but it was very noticeable. I inspected it and found a gray paint in the groove from the car door that had hit mine. Immediately I looked to see if anyone had left me a note on my car...nothing. Really?

I'm not going to lie...the first minute, sometimes five minutes, after an event like either of the two above can leave me feeling a bit angry (I don't like admitting that I'm not perfect, but pastors have very serious flaws too!). I later told my wife when she came home. I said, "they should have at least left a note!" To which she replied "if you knew who did it, what would you do?" Crap. Kicks to the head hurt...even worse is a kick to the heart. What would I say? As if she hadn't convicted me enough she then said, "what if it was a kid? I see kids toys in that car..." Suck. Can't argue with that (I've been married for what...two weeks now...and I'm already being refined! God bless that woman). I can't yell at a kid...and ultimately I can't yell at a parent either. Why? Because they deserve God's grace just as much as I do.

Read Ephesians 4:29-32. Let the words wash over your heart.

I was reading this morning from one of my favorite authors: Jerry Bridges. Jerry has written I don't know how many books on the topic of grace, and each has been phenomenal, filled with nuggets of very simple but necessary reminders about the truth of grace. It's easy for some to think (perhaps from the evil one's influence, or just naiveté) that the older, wiser, mature Christians have in a sense mastered, maybe if even theologically if not practically, the concept of grace. But that's so untrue. Bridges explains that this is one of the main topics that his mind always comes back to...for the past ten years! For ten years he's been thinking, writing, rethinking, rewriting, about the topic of grace. He explains that often he feels like this topic is like dipping paper towels into the entire ocean to soak it up. It's so deep. John 1:16 says that "from his (Christ's) fullness we have received, grace upon grace." It's immeasurable.

No one likes hearing their father/mother say "sweetie, I lost my job today" or "we've gone bankrupt." Why? Because both demonstrate a serious need for help! When we're bankrupt we have no way of feeding ourselves, paying the heat for the house, let alone the mortgage payment (like a rent payment except for owners). But morally speaking we are all bankrupt. There is so much sickness, gross acts, painful memories that separate us from God's holiness (his perfection). We have no way of saving ourselves. We are spiritually bankrupt. We need help!

That's what grace is...help. It's God's way of giving us the help we need.

Read Romans 3:10-12

What experience can you share that demonstrates the feeling of your "spiritual bankruptcy"?

Do you think it is important to focus on our relationship APART from Christ to understand our need for grace? Why?

Read Romans 5:6-9; 12-21

Do you think that grace is something that you only experience once?

What do you think Paul meant in verses 20-21 when he says "so that grace might reign"?

When you're at school, do you feel guilty? Ashamed? How does that compare to the GRACE that we should feel?

How do you think God wants you to experience grace?

Prayer: Pray with a thankfulness that God has provided you with the free gift of grace!

"'These people honor me with their lips,
   but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain,
   their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"

This a staggering quote from Isaiah 29:13, which Jesus used against the pharisees. Now we read this, knowing full well that the pharisees were kinda like the "bad" guys if we're thinking in movie terminology. Over and over these guys never seemed to get it right. In any movie the "bad" guys need to be somewhat intelligent to make the movie even slightly interesting, or else it's a bust...like Battlefield Earth, potentially the worst movie of all time. Granted the pharisees, every once in a while, pulled out of their hats what they thought was a clever question only to be shut down by Jesus' response.

In our context (Mark 7:1-23) they asked about why Jesus' disciples ate with unclean hands according to the tradition. Jesus's first response was to quote Isaiah...a slightly strict response that would do more than cause a little stiffness in the neck. I imagine their eyes bulging out of their heads like an old Looney Toons cartoon. But the point is that we would be extremely unintelligent to move past this passage thinking to ourselves "wow those pharisees were dumb...glad I'm not like them. Next passage!" In fact, I'm pretty sure Jesus once said something along the lines of how we shouldn't say "man, glad I'm like that person." Just sayin.

In fact, we are more often akin to the pharisees than we think, and we'd only neglect this passage to Satan's delight, for our foul stench would thicken to point of disgust. Jesus' concern was that the pharisees had let go of God's commands to hold to their own. This is surely true today, but what makes this passage so interesting is what he says next: "you have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!" (vs. 9) The Greek makes this more clear. It appears as if they refuse to recognize the authority of the Scripture so that they may cling to their own. It's a "fine" or a "well" way, meaning perhaps "convenient"- that they don't follow or use God's word to a "T" because it wouldn't fit well with their traditions. But here's the kicker...we do the exact same thing!!!! Isn't it true that we often read something about Jesus and his demand for obedience and we brush it off because it doesn't match the way we were raised, or what our church is teaching, or that it simply wouldn't fit into our lifestyle (and we all know that God blessed America...like the song....so our way of life means our consumerism is somehow ordained..????). We have plenty of convenient excuses for not following the commands of God.

All this is convicting to me, and hopefully to you, but what scares me is the quote from Isaiah! Could it be true that we are a people who "honor God with our lips but our hearts are far from him?" Or that we are worshipping him in vain? Truly, I think that's a scary thought if you consider the ramifications.

If this sparked in you a fear of God, then here are some questions you may want to ask yourself:

1. Are you blowing off God?
2. Which commands do you refuse to follow?
3. How might your past/upbringing have affected your unwillingness to change?
4. What do you need to reevaluate in your life?

Pray about it. Steep yourself in prayer and ask God for wisdom. Blessings to you as you continue to be refined by his grace.

Rescue Me: story one

Not too long ago our high school ministry embarked on a spiritual trip down to Lake Powell in Utah. Our goal setting out was to find some solace within the confines of the lake. With the high rock walls surrounding us, it was our desire as leaders to see students connect, apart from technology, with the creator himself and with his creation. Not to spoil the ending, but if you know anything about youth ministry you'll know that very seldom do things go according to plan. This trip was no different, but it was exactly what God wanted.

Upon arrival at the marina, we rented our houseboats, loaded them up (four of them) and began shuttling the rest of the students to the cove by speed boat (you can only travel with twelve people on a houseboat - four houseboats = 48 people...and we had 85 people total on the trip). I was the last boat out of the marina but soon caught up to the boat in front as for some reason it was a bit slower. Here's where the story gets interesting. Not five minutes out of the marina one my leaders sat up front to relax. He's a big guy, all muscle, probably 220. There he sat with his straw cowboy hat over his eyes, like he was reliving an old Eastwood movie. Soon a gust of wind took his hat off his head and into the lake (it was an extremely windy day). I quickly stopped all motors to see if we could by chance grab it beside the boat, but my leader had another idea: jump in after it. He did it almost instinctively. It was his favorite hat. No one wants to part with their favorite hat! Here's the problem....he jumped in without a life jacket....into a quick current lake. You see at the time it seemed natural, even necessary, but despite how strong he is, and how much muscle he has, it doesn't do him a lot of good in the water. He misjudged the direness of the situation, dove into something that was beyond his capabilities, and quickly he realized the mistake he had made. After several minutes of swimming he got the hat and began to swim back, but by that time he was making little progress against the current. With the motors off the boat was drifting quickly too, and every second we seemed to get further and further apart. He had assumed that the boat would stay stationary, but it doesn't. It drifts. You can't drive too close or he might get pulled into the propellers. You can shut the motor off because then you drift. I watched him swim in desperation. His sister and I called out three times "Do you need help?" No reply each time. Finally I saw him spit some water from his mouth, and I realized that if we didn't do something quickly we'd lose something much more valuable than a hat. At that moment my heart was racing. I felt the panic set in. I sprinted to the bow of the boat desperate for a lifejacket, found two, and ran to the back. I tore off the shirt I was wearing (which was a gift from my fiance), threw off my oaks (for all i knew into the water), left my watch on, and without thinking my iphone in my pocket, and I in one bound I leaped from the railing like a bullet into the water. I don't think I've ever swam that fast in my life, let alone against the current. God was propelling me. Safety was my goal. Rescuing was the need.

At that point my leader was simply trying to stay afloat. Laying on his back, and keeping himself buoyant. He reminisced afterwards that he recalled thinking "this could be it..." until he heard me coming with an extra life jacket.

You see, the theme of our Houseboat trip was Rescue Me, and my leader needed rescuing. I'm not putting myself on a pedestal here, because I have no doubt that he would have done the exact same thing for me. The point is though that when we see someone in dire need of rescuing, we don't take the time to think about what we might lose in the process. I didn't take my time to do a checklist. "Let's see here...shirt off...check. Umm, phone of out my pocket...oh crap! good thing I took my time!!!" I didn't have time to think about those things. I just jumped in and swam as fast as I could. Who knows how much longer he could have kept it up? Muscle sinks quick, and despite how buoyant our bodies can be eventually we can't keep it any longer against the current and waves.

I think that this is sometimes what happens in our daily lives. We think something in life is important, we jump in after it, and before we know it, we find ourselves tired and drifting, further away from the safety of where we started. You see, if don't keep ourselves rooted in God's truth, or on the safety of the boat to keep the metaphor going, we find ourselves guided by our feelings. We "feel" like we want this, or we that we want that, but never to consider whether or not it's actually worth pursuing? Was his hat worth pursuing? Despite that it was his favorite hat? It's a hard thing to consider. What are you pursuing right now that is leaving you tired and drifting?

I'm reminded of Isaiah 53:6a which says "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way..." We have all taken side trips, guided by our feelings rather than God's truth, that end us up tired and drifting. And we wonder why we feel far from God? But the good news is this. Isaiah 53:6b says "and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

I think there are a lot of people right now who could hear this message. We need rescue from ourselves. We need rescuing period. The gospel isn't a thing that happens once. Surely once we trust that Christ is the only forgiveness of sins we are saved, but more than that, it's something that we need to continually remind ourselves of daily. How many of us have woken up stressed, tired, drifting, only to say "why should this be? i've already trusted Christ?" We need to continually trust Christ, daily, reteaching and relearning the gospel on a daily basis. So if you're tired and drifting, come back to Christ. Come back to the cross. Come back to the resurrection life.

Are you close to Jesus?

If you were to honestly ask yourself, “how close am I to Jesus” what would be your answer?  Now consider the question, if we could ask Jesus how close he thinks we are to him what would he say? The point here is not to make us feel bad, but to motivate us to change. As believers, deep inside our hearts, buried under our selfish desires, are the desires that God has instilled in us. They are intrinsically tied to faith and hope. The closer we get to Jesus, to his teachings, to his compassion, to his obedience, the more our heart opens up to the Spirit. We cannot be led by the Spirit without first following Jesus! Would you like to have this boldness? If you don’t’ have it, and you want it, what’s stopping you?