Last weekend was the first time in about a year that I was home alone. I obviously live with my wife, but we also live with three other roommates in our 1,100 sq. ft house. My wife and brother in law went to S.C. for their grandma's 80th bday and Tim and Karen went to Orlando to celebrate her Dad's birthday which left me with the house to myself for an unprecedented 4 days.
I really tried to take advantage of this time and have somewhat of a solitude retreat where I spent most of my time at home alone with the Lord. No TV, no movies, no mindless internet surfing... I shut off every other input. I did leave to go to prayer on Friday and church Sunday, but other than that, not much activity. The result: a life changing weekend of hearing God's voice and being transformed in His presence. Best Memorial day weekend of my life.
During this time, it really hit me how little we listen to the Lord and really let His presence change us. It is not because we don't want to hear His voice. It isn't even because there are other things that we think are more important. The critical culprit is not a lack of desire, but the many other voices we are absently listening to and letting fill us up. We give the voice of facebook sometimes hours a day. We give talking heads or characters on our favorite TV shows hours a week. We read blogs (oh the irony) and surf twitter in our spare minutes during the day... and that adds up!
So put it all together - even if we spend an hour with the Lord a day, we are still spending an average of 2-3 hours listening to these other voices. That proportion worries me if outside inputs are doubling the time we spend getting input from and spending time with the Lord.
If we want to be disciples that make disciples, we need to prioritize the Lord over everything else, which means cutting out excess inputs. Now this isn't a call to cut yourself off from any and every media input and to say the devil running facebook or something ridiculous like that, but a call to constantly ask yourself a simple question: what is my ratio of time listening to the Lord and time listening to "outside voices"? If we really want to hear His voice, we have to make sure He is getting the majority of our attention.
Matt
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Consistency is Key
The Large Group, the small group, and the few. I really like this strategy. This is actually the current strategy for First A/G to have some "green" disciples. We gather in the large group on Sundays to worship, encourage one another and get trained through scripture to go change the world. We meet in Small Groups throughout the week to have a dialogue format with people we do life and mission with. And then we have THE FEW. The 1-3 people in our life that we have chosen to make a significant impact in. Over the course of the first few months of this strategy of B1M1, here are a few lessons that I have learned:
1 - Consistency is key. A day, time and place that you will meet every week is a must. To schedule it weekly around schedules is too much to ask. For me, 3 students come after school on Thursday to the church. Most of the time I have to pick some of them up or take some of them home. But we all know Thursdays are the day. Because it has become a regular part of our schedules, they now text me about it.
2 - Flow with the Holy Spirit. Be open to what God is doing in the hearts of your disciples. Be in the spirit and ready to respond when the opportunity for wisdom and guidance presents itself.
3 - Go through a book together. SWEAT is going through "The Purple Book" with our disciples. My wife is in a group that just went through Crazy Love by Francis Chan and is now tackling True Discipleship.
4 - From the beginning, cast the vision that after 6 months they will need to have a group of a FEW on their own. When you know you have to reproduce something, you listen more intently.
5 - Pray your guts out!
Being One, Making One,
RJ
1 - Consistency is key. A day, time and place that you will meet every week is a must. To schedule it weekly around schedules is too much to ask. For me, 3 students come after school on Thursday to the church. Most of the time I have to pick some of them up or take some of them home. But we all know Thursdays are the day. Because it has become a regular part of our schedules, they now text me about it.
2 - Flow with the Holy Spirit. Be open to what God is doing in the hearts of your disciples. Be in the spirit and ready to respond when the opportunity for wisdom and guidance presents itself.
3 - Go through a book together. SWEAT is going through "The Purple Book" with our disciples. My wife is in a group that just went through Crazy Love by Francis Chan and is now tackling True Discipleship.
4 - From the beginning, cast the vision that after 6 months they will need to have a group of a FEW on their own. When you know you have to reproduce something, you listen more intently.
5 - Pray your guts out!
Being One, Making One,
RJ
Never Eat Alone
I don't know about you, but I really don't like eating alone. You physically have to eat and most of us do so three times a day at pretty consistent times. If you work, you take your lunch break at almost the same time everyday. If you are a college student, you do so between classes. The time may be a little different but this universal truth is this: if you want to survive, you have to eat!
There are things like eating that happen every single day of your life. Why not redeem these times for discipleship? Leverage your everyday schedule to make disciples. Ask yourself this: What is it that you do every day or every week that you could bring someone along with you and make it a discipleship moment? Take eating for example: I go out to eat with small group leaders at least 3 times a week and discuss their small groups and how they are making disciples. I go out to lunch with people I am discipling 1-2 times a week and am very intentional with the questions I ask and try to challenge them spiritually every time we meet. Sometimes I go out to breakfast with disciples once a week and do the same thing. Add that up and that is 5-8 hours a week that I am leveraging to make disciples that I otherwise would have wasted on simply eating.
Pray over your schedule and ask God, "Where can I make disciples with the things that I am already doing?"
- Do you work out? Bring someone with you and talk about Jesus!
- Do you need to study? Invite someone and take discipleship breaks from studying
- Do you love reading? Start a book club and make it a discipleship group
- Are you helping the poor? Bring someone along next time instead of doing it by yourself!
Don't even tell me you don't have time to make disciples. I don't believe you. You just need to find out where God has already given you opportunities and turn them into moments where you can Be One and Make One!!
P. Matt
There are things like eating that happen every single day of your life. Why not redeem these times for discipleship? Leverage your everyday schedule to make disciples. Ask yourself this: What is it that you do every day or every week that you could bring someone along with you and make it a discipleship moment? Take eating for example: I go out to eat with small group leaders at least 3 times a week and discuss their small groups and how they are making disciples. I go out to lunch with people I am discipling 1-2 times a week and am very intentional with the questions I ask and try to challenge them spiritually every time we meet. Sometimes I go out to breakfast with disciples once a week and do the same thing. Add that up and that is 5-8 hours a week that I am leveraging to make disciples that I otherwise would have wasted on simply eating.
Pray over your schedule and ask God, "Where can I make disciples with the things that I am already doing?"
- Do you work out? Bring someone with you and talk about Jesus!
- Do you need to study? Invite someone and take discipleship breaks from studying
- Do you love reading? Start a book club and make it a discipleship group
- Are you helping the poor? Bring someone along next time instead of doing it by yourself!
Don't even tell me you don't have time to make disciples. I don't believe you. You just need to find out where God has already given you opportunities and turn them into moments where you can Be One and Make One!!
P. Matt
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Your life is your mission
One of the reasons that I love being a soccer coach is that I actually get a chance to rub shoulders with people that do not go to our church. Being on staff here, my "circle" of people is narrow and pretty much confined to the church. But the parents know about my job, so they are watching how I treat their children all the time, and judging not only my walk with Christ, but Christians as a whole.
Recently, a family came to our Welcome tent after having visited the church a couple of times. Upon inquiring how they came to visit our church, we found out that the person who had helped to take care of a family member in the hospital attends our church and invited them. The family is wanting to get plugged in and discipled.
Both of these things are reminders that we really are making disciples everywhere we go in everything we do. Our Making One isn't just happening in private meetings we have with people we are in relationship with. It is happening on your job, no matter where you work or what you do. Do you invite people into your life or exclude them? Are you available or too busy? Are you displaying the fruit of the spirit all the time, or only at church?
Be a disciple. Then you will be making disciples, whether you are trying or not.
Recently, a family came to our Welcome tent after having visited the church a couple of times. Upon inquiring how they came to visit our church, we found out that the person who had helped to take care of a family member in the hospital attends our church and invited them. The family is wanting to get plugged in and discipled.
Both of these things are reminders that we really are making disciples everywhere we go in everything we do. Our Making One isn't just happening in private meetings we have with people we are in relationship with. It is happening on your job, no matter where you work or what you do. Do you invite people into your life or exclude them? Are you available or too busy? Are you displaying the fruit of the spirit all the time, or only at church?
Be a disciple. Then you will be making disciples, whether you are trying or not.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
BE a Regular
One aspect of evangelism that is constantly overlooked is the concept of being "a regular". My mom taught me this principle in regards to good business when I was younger... and she was anazing at it. She went to the same banks, same post offices, and same stores for her business and got to know the people that worked there and built relationships with them on a personal level. It seemed like she was on a name-to-name basis with everyone in Vero Beach! It made her small business much easier when everyone knew her personally everywhere she went.
In the same way, as disciples we need to be strategic with where we go, whether that is to shop for groceries, eat after church on Sundays, or even where we pump gas. Go to the same Publix every time you get groceries and start to get to know the cashiers and bag boys. Go to the same Starbucks and take 5 minutes to listen to the baristas stories. I am reaching out to a guy at a gas station that I stop at every Sunday while driving to the East campus. I asked and he works every Sunday morning, so I make it a point to grab something small to drink or eat there every Sunday morning as well! Kingdom doors are opening simply because I have been a regular there the last 5 weeks and am being strategic with 5-10 minutes every Sunday morning.
One key to BEING a disciple is to be strategic. Someone will be much more receptive to the Gospel if it is coming from someone who over the past few days, weeks, or months, have proven themselves to be someone they know and can trust. So next time you go out to eat for example, get to know your waitress (tip her well) and then come back and pick the conversation back up next week at the same restaurant instead of going somewhere completely different. You will be amazed at what just a little more intentionality can do in regards to loving and winning the lost!
P. Matt
In the same way, as disciples we need to be strategic with where we go, whether that is to shop for groceries, eat after church on Sundays, or even where we pump gas. Go to the same Publix every time you get groceries and start to get to know the cashiers and bag boys. Go to the same Starbucks and take 5 minutes to listen to the baristas stories. I am reaching out to a guy at a gas station that I stop at every Sunday while driving to the East campus. I asked and he works every Sunday morning, so I make it a point to grab something small to drink or eat there every Sunday morning as well! Kingdom doors are opening simply because I have been a regular there the last 5 weeks and am being strategic with 5-10 minutes every Sunday morning.
One key to BEING a disciple is to be strategic. Someone will be much more receptive to the Gospel if it is coming from someone who over the past few days, weeks, or months, have proven themselves to be someone they know and can trust. So next time you go out to eat for example, get to know your waitress (tip her well) and then come back and pick the conversation back up next week at the same restaurant instead of going somewhere completely different. You will be amazed at what just a little more intentionality can do in regards to loving and winning the lost!
P. Matt
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Always making one (or more)
At a small group this week, one of the single moms brings her boys since, as a working mother, they have so little time together. Being only 8, the group figures that most of what they talk about goes right over his head. But this week, with the wisdom of a child, he declares "When we are here, its just like we are in church, so you have to be respectful of each other and the Lord. This is a house church." And he is right, small group IS church at its most primal level.
You see, you are making disciples all the time, but what are you discipling them in? Are you showing love and respect for others? Are you having grace and mercy? Self control? Or do you only display these things on Sunday morning?
Intentional disciple- making is living out our daily life in a way that honors God and displays our love for Him and for others. Will we blow it sometimes? Of course we will, but when we do, we stand back up and keep going, honoring God and loving people. Thats how we BE one, and thats how we MAKE one.
You see, you are making disciples all the time, but what are you discipling them in? Are you showing love and respect for others? Are you having grace and mercy? Self control? Or do you only display these things on Sunday morning?
Intentional disciple- making is living out our daily life in a way that honors God and displays our love for Him and for others. Will we blow it sometimes? Of course we will, but when we do, we stand back up and keep going, honoring God and loving people. Thats how we BE one, and thats how we MAKE one.
Friday, February 26, 2010
The Pursuit
Yesterday I went on an adventure with one of my fellow SWEAT Leaders. We had a special invite night in place of the Wednesday night service this week. This faithful leader made personalized posters and goodiebags for every visitor who came to service on Wednesday. Then, we made a plan to deliver them to each visitor's house Thursday morning. First house, no one was home so we left it on the porch. Second house, we heard a piano playing so we knew someone was home. As soon as we rang the doorbell, the piano player stopped playing. No footsteps. They didn't answer the door :-). That's ok...we left it on the porch. I was a little discouraged but little did I know the real pursuit was just getting started...
We were literally in the middle of nowhere in Archer looking for the third house. We had mapquest directions and a GPS that couldn't save us out of brown paper bag. We kept making u-turns on these skinny dirt roads looking for signs we couldn't even read. We stopped and enjoyed the country view...the hay, the cows and the horses. Then finally decided to call the visitor. The conversation went something like this...
"Hi, this is Sara from SWEAT youth and me and another youth leader are trying to deliver a goodie bag to your house to say thank you for visiting. Is there any chance you live in the middle of the woods. We're lost."
Her response: "Actually, yes we do live in the middle of the woods. Where are you?"
Me: "Not sure, we were on this road that turned into another road. Our directions told us to make a left on train tracks...all we know is we're lost."
Her response: "Ok, well I'm not good with directions, let me get you my mom....(pause)....Oh we have goats that have been giving us some trouble so we're selling them and the people who want to buy them are here now, can my mom call you back?"
Me: "GOATS?? Are you serious?? Yes she can call me back"
So me and the other SWEAT leader tried to go back to where we started to see if we can try to find her house again. Since we knew she was home, we wanted to make sure we delivered the treats. We were on a pursuit and we weren't going to give up. Her mom called me back a few minutes later and of course had no clue where we were. We didn't either! We finally talked to her dad that pointed us into the right direction. If anybody has ever driven with me they know I'm horrible at following verbal directions if I'm lost. I just said ok to everything he said hoping it would make sense when we saw the landmarks he mentioned. He told us at one point we would reach a gate that we would have to open and that would tell us we were really close to the house. Ok a gate, no problem. Sike. BIG PROBLEM! We reached the gate and it wasn't a "push these 3 buttons and the gate will slowly open" kind of gate. It was an old, rusty gate with a pad lock on a chain. Me and my faithful youth leader friend tried all the pushing, pulling, and yanking we could and could not get this gate open. We called the family several times, but kept getting their voicemail. So, sadly we decided to leave the posters and gifts by the gate for them to pick up. As soon as we were about to turn around, the dad called us back and directed us how to open the gate. It was crazy! There was a padlock wrapped around a chain that had a combination scroll on the bottom of the lock (like the ones you use to open old briefcases). He gave us the code, we yanked the lock, grabbed the gifts, drove through the gate, got out of the car, and locked the gate and on we went to our destination.
We found the house...and laughed with the family. What an adventure...that was well worth it. The girl who visited came with her brother and said something along the lines of...I really enjoyed the service. It was great! My brother and I are definitely coming to that retreat you guys are having in a couple of weeks. We're really excited! And that's when me and the other youth leader looked at each other and we knew...The pursuit was well worth it!
In this B1M1 campaign, you may have some difficulty in finding that "1"you are supposed to disciple. Maybe schedules conflict, maybe phone calls or texts are never returned, maybe you feel like just giving up, but something inside of you tells you this is the One. I would encourage you if you really believe God has led you to disciple this person, PURSUE them!! You may even get really close to forming a discipleship agreement and then run into an obstacle, something like a gate that you have no idea how to open! Just know, when you finally start discipling this person, you'll look back and remember- The pursuit was definitely worth it. I can't wait for that girl and her brother to come to our spring retreat and get discipled!!
We were literally in the middle of nowhere in Archer looking for the third house. We had mapquest directions and a GPS that couldn't save us out of brown paper bag. We kept making u-turns on these skinny dirt roads looking for signs we couldn't even read. We stopped and enjoyed the country view...the hay, the cows and the horses. Then finally decided to call the visitor. The conversation went something like this...
"Hi, this is Sara from SWEAT youth and me and another youth leader are trying to deliver a goodie bag to your house to say thank you for visiting. Is there any chance you live in the middle of the woods. We're lost."
Her response: "Actually, yes we do live in the middle of the woods. Where are you?"
Me: "Not sure, we were on this road that turned into another road. Our directions told us to make a left on train tracks...all we know is we're lost."
Her response: "Ok, well I'm not good with directions, let me get you my mom....(pause)....Oh we have goats that have been giving us some trouble so we're selling them and the people who want to buy them are here now, can my mom call you back?"
Me: "GOATS?? Are you serious?? Yes she can call me back"
So me and the other SWEAT leader tried to go back to where we started to see if we can try to find her house again. Since we knew she was home, we wanted to make sure we delivered the treats. We were on a pursuit and we weren't going to give up. Her mom called me back a few minutes later and of course had no clue where we were. We didn't either! We finally talked to her dad that pointed us into the right direction. If anybody has ever driven with me they know I'm horrible at following verbal directions if I'm lost. I just said ok to everything he said hoping it would make sense when we saw the landmarks he mentioned. He told us at one point we would reach a gate that we would have to open and that would tell us we were really close to the house. Ok a gate, no problem. Sike. BIG PROBLEM! We reached the gate and it wasn't a "push these 3 buttons and the gate will slowly open" kind of gate. It was an old, rusty gate with a pad lock on a chain. Me and my faithful youth leader friend tried all the pushing, pulling, and yanking we could and could not get this gate open. We called the family several times, but kept getting their voicemail. So, sadly we decided to leave the posters and gifts by the gate for them to pick up. As soon as we were about to turn around, the dad called us back and directed us how to open the gate. It was crazy! There was a padlock wrapped around a chain that had a combination scroll on the bottom of the lock (like the ones you use to open old briefcases). He gave us the code, we yanked the lock, grabbed the gifts, drove through the gate, got out of the car, and locked the gate and on we went to our destination.
We found the house...and laughed with the family. What an adventure...that was well worth it. The girl who visited came with her brother and said something along the lines of...I really enjoyed the service. It was great! My brother and I are definitely coming to that retreat you guys are having in a couple of weeks. We're really excited! And that's when me and the other youth leader looked at each other and we knew...The pursuit was well worth it!
In this B1M1 campaign, you may have some difficulty in finding that "1"you are supposed to disciple. Maybe schedules conflict, maybe phone calls or texts are never returned, maybe you feel like just giving up, but something inside of you tells you this is the One. I would encourage you if you really believe God has led you to disciple this person, PURSUE them!! You may even get really close to forming a discipleship agreement and then run into an obstacle, something like a gate that you have no idea how to open! Just know, when you finally start discipling this person, you'll look back and remember- The pursuit was definitely worth it. I can't wait for that girl and her brother to come to our spring retreat and get discipled!!
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