DFD

We are starting a new Sunday School class in two weeks (June 6th) called Designed for Discipleship. The teachers of the class are great spirit-filled Christians whose hearts beat with passion for seeing people become life-long fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. DFD is a curriculum series of 7 books from the Navigators that specifically teaches people about their faith in Christ and how it can grow deeper, stronger, better. I'm excited how God has lined everything up to get this class started. It's really going to stretch people and help people grow spiritually. This preacher is pretty jazzed about this!

Speaking to discipleship...I've had some thoughts on that lately. I also want to share some things that I've read lately. I got this from Greg Laurie the other day and thought that it was so appropriate and timely:

"If you are a true disciple of Jesus Christ, if you are living the Christian life as it was meant to be lived, then please talk about it. Some Christians who believe that if others observe the way they are living, if others see they are honest and love their family and work hard, then they will notice and will come to Jesus.

While it is true that others will notice, true disciples also need to step it up and tell others about what they believe. As Romans 10:13 says, "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?"

In addition to being salt in the world, Christians are to be light as well. Jesus said, "You are the light of the world . . ." (Matthew 5:14). Someone who is being salt is stimulating in others a thirst for Christ. Someone who is being a light is someone who is proclaiming Christ. So let's be both. There is a place for living it, and there is a place for telling it.

But I would also add that if you are not living it, then please don't talk about it. If you are not going to really try to live as a Christian, then don't go tell others about Jesus, because you actually will do more harm than good.

The world needs to see true disciples of Jesus. What it doesn't need to see are any more bad examples. It doesn't need to see any more watered-down commitments. It doesn't need to see any more bland Christians who are trying to live in two worlds. What we need are living, breathing disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ."

And...if that didn't give you a spiritual kick in the rear then maybe this quote will. My children's minister sent this to me after I shared in staff meeting about a discussion that I had with my Catalyst Men's group. I was challenging our guys with the thought of the will of God. So many of us want to know God's will, but we look at it as some long-term game plan or map. I was trying to simplify it and make these men think about in these terms: What is God's will for me in the next hour? What does He want from me right now? Then I got this from Amanda. Check it out.

The real issue in life is not the search for God’s will, it is the search for God. The issue in faith is not knowing what God is doing, rather it is knowing that God knows what He is doing. The issue of faith is seeking God’s presence, not God’s plan for my life, because there is no plan outside of my knowing Him. We don’t need to know the will of God, we only need to know God…which is, strangely enough, His will.
-Michael Yaconelli

Just some food for thought this Wednesday! (Got enough to chew on? Take it to prayer and ask God in lieu of these things that I've read and are processing today, what are you calling me to do? How do I need to change to be more fully Yours and used by You? Then...do it!)