After Thoughts and Other Things…

As people are asking about discipleship they want to know where do we begin. Well, the best place is to begin by learning how to study the Bible for yourself. If you begin to learn that discipline you will find that you are able to dig and learn for yourself - something that many have never done before and didn’t know they could!

There are several great resources in River Of Life (the bookstore) and in the church library that address bible study skills. I hope we offer a class on this soon @ CCC. Another great resource is the Davisville Bible Institute offered at Davisville Church. They offer a 10-14 week class called “Grasping God’s Word” that is really good! Others from CCC have attended it and thought it was a huge help!

Below are other good reads on discipleship & mentoring. Many, if not most of them, are in River of Life or our library. Some are about the process of discipleship, like Barna’s Growing True Disciples. Other are helps in your personal discipleship journey that you can use with others. Stop by and look for these titles.

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As Crossing is kicking off our Care Kit project we, as a church, are becoming more aware of just how far the HIV/Aids pandemic has spread. Is it hard for you to comprehend that every 14 seconds a child becomes an orphan? I can’t wrap my mind around such incredible facts. But not being able to comprehend a fact does not absolve me from playing my small role in being part of the solution. $28 is all it costs to equip a caregiver with the necessary resources they need to care for those suffering from HIV/Aids. Bette & I gave towards this cause. We will give again next month and again in June. Will you join us? Visit the Care Kit table at church this week to ask how you can participate in this project.

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Ten FAQ’s About Beginning a Discipleship Relationship

This past Sunday, in our study of 1 Timothy, we discussed the need for discipleship and how all of us should be involved in some way. After the service, we had about a dozen people approach the Elders about beginning a discipleship relationship. PTL! I hope this is just the beginning!

I mentioned that I would post some thoughts about discipleship this week. The following is the first in a series on discipleship that I will be posting. Check back later for new thoughts and helpful materials. Below is a list of 10 items that will answer some of the most common questions.

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I mentioned on Sunday that I was able to see “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” over the weekend. Ben Stein is the name and face that many people familiar with pop culture will recognize. Beyond him there are others in the film that might be known but probably only to people who have investigated the intelligent design/evolution debate.

Now I went to the film mostly so I would be familiar with it for the purpose of conversation. In other words, I am not familiar in the least with the larger debate this film is attempting to address. But I wanted to be able to talk about it with others who saw it.

Stein says he is not attempting to win the debate between intelligent design (ID) and evolution, although at times that seems to be the case. From the opening scenes to the last “anyone?” (click here so you catch the pun in the closing scene from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”), Stein is building a case for free speech and open inquiry in academia, the media and scientific community. Stein uses the building and tearing down of the Berlin Wall to illustrate his point that the keepers of evolution have built a wall around their ideology and theories that prevents new ideas or open discussion from taking place.
After 97 minutes of sitting in the dark (literally & figuratively) trying to keep up with all the terms and concepts that are discussed, these are my main thoughts . . .

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I recently read a book called The Shack by William Young (see theshackbook.com for more about the book). I really liked the book. It’s a novel, not a “how to fix” this or that in your life or ministry book. But it really made me think about my life and begin to reflect about the most important relationship I have – my relationship with Jesus.

In the book, Jesus (Yes, Jesus talks to people in this book!) makes a comment to Mack, the main (mortal) character that has caused me to begin to rethink much of what I think, do and say.

“You mean,” Mack interjected a little sarcastically, “that I can’t just ask, ‘What Would Jesus Do’?”

Jesus chuckled. “Good intentions, bad idea. Let me know how it works for you, if that’s the way you choose to go.” He paused and grew sober. “Seriously, my life was not meant to be an example to copy. Being my follower is not trying to ‘be like Jesus,’. . .” (page 149)

What I have realized from that comment is that way too much of what I think, do and say is geared towards knowing about Jesus, instead of knowing Jesus!

My time in the Word is characterized by what I can learn so I can teach it or living off the self-righteousness that comes from checking “Devotions” off my to-do list.

My actions are pre-engineered to ‘look like Jesus’ instead of being an outpouring of knowing Him. Knowing Him should influence me so much that I act like Him because of His Spirit living in me and through me.

I have studied the Bible so I would have the answers a pastor is supposed to have. And the longer I reflect on what I say and do the more I am convinced that I know some stuff about Him but don’t know Him very well. It would be like reading books and articles and the thoughts of other people about my wife, but never really spending time knowing her! Yet, she is with me every day!

I feel really sad that I have spent so much time wasted on things about Jesus, but not enough time with Jesus. So I am beginning to try to rethink why I do things & say things – rethink the way I think about Jesus.

The first step for me is to move from approaching Him as a figure of the past and more like a person in my now, who lives in me and wants me to know Him.

Do you know Him? What has been most helpful for you to know Jesus? I would love to learn with you and from you!

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