Love God, Love Others and Make Disciples!

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was (by a “religious” person—someone knowing a lot about God), His response was to love God and love one-another:

Matthew 22:36-40—"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"  Jesus replied: "`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. `This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.  `All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Then, before He ascends into heaven, He leaves the disciples His purpose for The Church (those of us who claim Jesus Christ as both our Savior AND our Lord)—to go make disciples:

Matthew 28:18-20—Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Followers of Christ are to love God (with every fiber of their being) and love others (as Jesus loves them) by building relationships with Him first and then with those around us.  This is mentoring Jesus style!  Then, we are to make disciples...how?  By continuing to love God and others and helping them take one step at a time closer to the God Who loves us deeply!  Discipleship is not simply knowing more about God, it is about knowing the God we love and read about!  The key to everything is relationship!

Do you want to transform your congregation, community and world?  If so, you must develop a biblical worldview mindset (by placing Him in the center of everything) and then simply do what He says...love Him, love others and make disciples!  As His True followers, none of these are optional!

Hearers and Doers of His Word

NIV Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

               This passage of scripture is so very clear, but it seems that the main point Jesus was making has been missed by so many people who would say they are followers of His.  Some of us have been part of local congregations for many years, and others are relatively new participants in the local church.  However, the message is the same—we are not only to become Hearers of His Word, we are to become Doers of His Word!  Simply put, as followers of Jesus Christ, we must read the Bible, and do what it says!  A simple message for us as well as those we mentor!

              

               I’ve often heard people say to me that we cannot do anything to gain more acceptance or love from Christ.  That is exactly true!  The thing is that when we are truly followers of His, and we read His Word, we are transformed into His image, becoming more like Him, and our lives are different.  We don’t do anything to gain favor with God...we do everything out of love for and worship to the very one Who has taken up residence in our lives and is the very reason we live!  If there is no change in our lives after we are “saved”, we might want to revisit our salvation and make sure our heart is right with God.  A transformed spirit will always result in a transformed life that lives and serves Him and His Church!  Once we are saved, we cannot help but be changed

               So, how are you doing?  Are you a believer and follower of Christ?  Does your life show His love, character and integrity...at work, home, church, etc?  These are huge questions that we all must take to God for an honest response from the One Whom we base our entire existence! 

               No matter where you are now, God wants to show you His abundant plan for your life.  Times may be hard, you will go through storms, but His promise is that He will go through them with us...as we become Hearers and Doers of His Word!

Relational Discipleship - Mentor the Lost, Disciple the Found

Biblical Worldview is a subject in which God has been teaching me so much.  Developing a Biblical Worldview is crucial if we desire to shift the culture of complacency within The Church to a culture of generosity - and by generosity I mean with our lives, not just our finances!

 

A lack of Biblical Worldview is a huge problem in The Church of today!

 

Coming to church is not about us, it's about Jesus.  

 

Developing a Biblical Worldview aligns our thinking with God's so that when we gather we are together to worship Him, not focus on what we are getting out of the church, or whether or not the music is to our liking, or if someone is in our seat, or if we don't like what the person speaking has to say from the Word of God, or if we just don't like someone on the leadership team - whether that be a pastor, elder or deacon.  These are not just generalities, these are all issues that have and are happening all around us at all our congregations, so this isn't just a "them" problem.  Each of us must look within ourselves to discern if our thoughts, behaviors and actions are truly focused on God, or if they are simply self-seeking, making ourselves primary over God.  Jesus must become more in our lives than only Savior...He must become Lord of our lives.  When He is Lord, which means He owns us, Biblical Worldview makes total sense because everything is truly about Him, not us!

 

Our first goal as The Church must be to develop a biblical worldview where we discover it is all about Jesus not us.  We see the results of a secular worldview in most people who call themselves Christians.  They are negative and dissension follows them around and spreads to those who they come in contact with.  Everything is about what they don't like or what someone else is doing wrong.  When sin takes someone over, God will give them over to that sin which gets ugly way before it gets better.  (Romans 1:18 - 2:1)  God has a better way...(Romans 12:1-2)  When He is our focus, we then listen to Him and love God and others.  We worship Him, not ourselves.   We go directly to a brother in sin, and confront and mentor them in love...we don't talk to everyone else about it, gossiping instead of loving. (Mt 18:15) 

 

With a Biblical Worldview, relationships become key.  

 

The reason relationships are key is because Jesus left a mission for The Church and that is to make disciples.  (Mt 28:18-20)  We cannot do so without building relationships.  This may step on toes, but that may mean staying after church service and getting to know some of the people in our congregation instead of rushing out at a certain time to go to lunch.  That may mean talking to that obnoxious neighbor kid to get to know him and be a healthy person for him to talk to or even call a mentor.  When we stop focusing on ourselves (a selfish secular worldview), we can begin to focus on Jesus first (selfless Biblical Worldview), then God will develop you into the disciple He wants to use to build His kingdom.  

 

Let me again define Mentoring and Discipleship:  

 

Mentoring is building relationships with everyone in our realm of influence.  Getting to know many people and keeping Christ at the center of all your conversations and in all you do - that is mentoring.

 

Discipleship begins once someone accepts Christ and is hungry to know Who He is and how they fit into His plan.  This is when they are ready for the teachings of Biblical Worldview.  This is also where they will begin understanding that followers of Christ continue the process - disciples making disciples.  

 

The combination of these is what we refer to as Relational Discipleship.

 

And finally, this is not an option for the believer. 

 

Biblical action trumps Biblical knowledge every time! Faith without action is meaningless - or as James puts it - Faith without action is dead!  (James 2:14-17)  When we develop a Romans 12:2 Biblical Worldview, we look to see what Jesus is asking of us - after all we are His, not our own!  We then take Jesus' words seriously when He tells us in Mt 28:18-20 to Go make disciples.  And we do this out of our love for Him, not to gain anything more from Him.  We do what He says out of a response for our transforming life - because that is who we are! 

 

A Simple, Yet Telling Question:

 

Are you willing to mentor 5 people in the coming year? 

How about 2 people?

How about 1?

 

And remember, mentoring is building relationships with a Christ-centered focus, always pointing to Him.

 

Now those who have said no or worse didn't even respond in your heart, I challenge you to pray all this week about why you attend church, if you are coming for yourself or for Him.  Then, your next step may be to seek out a mentor to walk along side you in developing a Biblical Worldview.  This is not about condemning anyone, this is about assessing our own hearts to grow us all up in Christ!  My passion for The Church is to develop communities where the lost are found (mentored), and the found are grown up (discipled)!  

 

Next Steps:

 

- Check out the posts on this blog, measure them up with scripture, and apply what God reveals to you in your life. 

- Begin to develop a Biblical Worldview - renewing your minds on God's word, absorbing the teaching on Biblical Worldview from the pulpit, and growing in the most important relationship you will ever have - with Jesus Christ!

- Seek out someone to mentor you - to walk along side of you as you seek God's purpose for your life. 

- Then mentor others!

 

The Church was created by Christ and we must begin making disciples now!  How...start Mentoring the lost (to be found), and Disciple the found (to be grown up)!  If we are truly followers of Christ, this is not an option, this is who we are because of Who saved us!

In Christ's Service,

Rob Boyland

 

MentoringANDDiscipleship.blogspot.com

Email - RBoyland01@Gmail.com

Connect via Twitter: @rboyland

Investing in People

             I received this devotion from Family Life and thought I’d share it as it hits the heart of mentoring:

Admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak,

be patient with everyone.  1 Thessalonians 5:14

             Who are the people that have meant the most to you in your life? Who has had the most influence in your life? Your parents? A coach, a teacher or a Sunday School teacher? Undoubtedly they challenged you to rise above the status quo. I remember people who cared about my character and who inspired me to a solid standard of holiness, devotion and diligence.

The bottom line? They all called me to noble, pure virtues.

Others have also stepped out of the herd and stepped up. Consider the famed scientist and inventor George Washington Carver who once wrote down what he called the “eight cardinal virtues”:

1. Be clean both inside and outside.

2. Neither look up to the rich nor down on the poor.

3. Lose, if need be, without squealing.

4. Win without bragging.

5. Always be considerate of women, children and old people.

6. Be too brave to lie.

7. Be too generous to cheat.

8. Take your share of the world and let others take theirs.

Virtuous words. Yet even from a distance of nearly 100 years, they touch us at a deep level of our souls and call us higher than the selfish parts of our natures typically want to go.

I encourage you today to be careful where you look for inspiration—be sure that the people who influence you are those who can be counted on to lead you in the paths of purity and righteousness. And I encourage you to become an influencer, one who has the thick-skinned courage to step out and up and motivate others to be Christ followers. For Christ is the One who truly embodies noble virtue.

Discuss
Talk about your greatest role models and influencers. What did they do that called you to something greater?

Pray
Pray that your head will only be turned by those who both preach and practice godliness.

Barefoot Jesus

               Over the past year or so, I have been experimenting with barefoot, or minimalist, running shoes and have grown to love the way they make me feel.  By using my feet the way God intended, allowing the bones, tendons and muscles to strengthen by using them all as I walk or jog, the pain of bone spurs and plantar fasciitis has disappeared and my feet and legs are as strong as they have been for many years!  By embracing the way God has made my feet to function, I have discovered the way to utilize movement and design of the many parts of my feet to strengthen my feet, legs, body and mind.  The more I dig in and discover the natural way God has made us to move, the healthier I get and the better I feel in serving God to the best of my ability and to the strength of the gifts He has provided!

               I see our spiritual lives in much the same way. If we see the world the way God intended us to see it (with His eyes), then we would work in tandem with God in fulfilling His work here on earth!  I believe the reason so many people have a difficult time grasping the Christian life is because we have grown so accustomed to seeing the world from a secular perspective and not from a God perspective—a Biblical Worldview perspective.  When we see the world the way God does, our faith and walk with Christ makes sense.   By using the gifts and passions God has planted in us, we can join Him is His work and do so because that is how God has wired each of us. 

               God has made us all with a desire for a relationship with Him.  He also built us in way that requires relationships with others to be key for our growth and maturity in our lives with Christ.  God tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves.  He tells us help the poor, visit the imprisoned, treat the non-believer like a tax collector (by the way, Jesus loved the tax collectors and prostitutes – He didn’t condemn them the way we have grown accustomed).  Every interaction we have with others is an opportunity to represent Jesus in either a positive or negative way.  Every conversation we have can and must be a mentoring conversation as we show compassion and love to a broken world…and we hopefully draw a few of the people we have conversations with to the One Whom we follow!

               Jesus made it clear in what He had left for the Church to accomplish – to make disciples of all nations (see Matthew 28:18-20).  That makes perfect sense when you see it from His perspective.  Remember, He created us in His image.  He loves us beyond imagination and that is why He asks us to join Him in drawing people to His Kingdom...to be in relationship with Him! 

               I believe Jesus has a challenge for us all…right here, right now.  I believe He desires each and every one of us to fall deeply in love with Him – the One Who loved each and every one of us enough to die for us!  I also believe with all my heart that He is calling each and every one of us to build relationships with every person He brings us in contact with – from our families to the gas station attendant!  I believe if we do, and if we represent Christ well, those in which we build relationships will be drawn to Him and the Kingdom will overflow with people who love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ! 

               If I were to strip down Christianity to a barefoot approach, stripping away all the stuff we have added to it over the years that has caused division, pain, dissention and even hatred (denominational rituals, music battles, culture wars and the like) I would say it all boils down to what Jesus said in Mark 12:29-31 - Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD;  AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.'  The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

               It’s very simple, and Jesus tells us plainly that He is the One true God and we are to Love Him and Love others!  Go out and look at the world a little different today.  Watch with Spirit eyes – looking at people with compassion and love, and quietly asking God to come along side you as you lean in and begin a simple conversation…extending your life to another, and representing Christ well…just think ahead at that day when Jesus looks you right in the eye and says, “Well done!  You have loved My people the way I love them!  Time to celebrate with those whom you have invested on My behalf!”  How awesome will that day be...and I look forward to be in my barefoot huarache sandals right along side my barefoot Jesus!

Are You Standing on the Promises, or Sitting on the Premises?

“Too many churchgoers are singing “Standing on the Promises” when all
they are doing is sitting on the premises.” Group Media

Statistics are all over the board...Volunteerism is down in American churches. Some stats say that 90% of all volunteer work is done by 10% of the congregation.  Other stats say that only 43% of congregants will ever volunteer. In the world that secularism has created, this seems natural. After all, when everything revolves around us it makes little sense to serve others. Unfortunately, that thinking has crashed into The Church in a big way. The problem isn't just a volunteer issue (or lack thereof), it’s a Worldview issue.

Acts 20:35 tells us that Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than receive”.  He said that because He knew we would not naturally think that way. It makes more sense to us that the blessing comes when we receive, not when we give. This is a classic example of a Worldview battle. The Secular Worldview tells us that we are most important and that we are blessed when we receive - others should serve us. But, Jesus turns that thinking on it’s ugly head when He shows us what having a Biblical Worldview looks like. We are blessed when we give...of ourselves, our talents, our finances, our very lives. The Church needs to get this!

Serving in the local church is an act of obedience to Christ - a Body works together. It’s not to be done to gain His love...He already loves us.  It’s not to be done to gain approval from Him or others. There’s nothing we can do or say that will make God love us more or less than He already does...and He doesn't play favorites! Serving is an outward expression of our love for Jesus and His Church (which is His bride that He loves so well). Serving is a natural step in the Discipleship process. Just as Relationships are key in making disciples, serving is key in growing the disciple into a mature believer.

So where do you go from here? First, pray...ask God to show you where you can serve. There are many ways and areas to serve. If you already know your gifts and talents (how God has wired you to be most effective - your sweet spot), let your church leadership, pastors or your connections people know - put a note on the communication card in your bulletin with your name, contact info and area or type of service you feel led to serve. 

If you would like to fill out a Spiritual Gift Assessment to figure out how God has gifted you for service, check out the following website as it will walk you through some questions that will narrow down the areas you are gifted:

Spiritual Gifts Assessment

So get out there, discover your God-given gifts and passions and serve the One worthy or all our praise, worship and service!

Biblical Worldview - Choose Your View

This post is a summary of the message Paul Hathcoat presented to our congregation at Ovid Community Church on July 1, 2012:

I’d like to publicly tell Paul Hathcoat how excited I am for him and thankful that he is answering the call God has placed on his life.  As followers of Christ, when God calls us, gives us a passion, or shows us a need we should fill, we must not only pray about the call...we must also act and answer His call!  On the evening of July 1, 2012, Paul presented a message to OCC on Biblical Worldview...a topic near and dear to my heart, and an area where I feel The Church has lost far too much ground to the enemy.  As Paul had shared with the congregation, Satan has infiltrated The Church by shifting the focus from God to ourselves.  The Earthly, or Secular, Worldview shifts our minds inward, placing our own desires ahead of God or anyone else.  We focus on personal Fame, Fortune, Power, and Pleasure as a way of trying to gain something on our own; as if we own anything anyway!

During his message, Paul gave us 6 strategies for maintaining a Biblical Worldview:

1. We can find strength in BIBLICAL EXAMPLES of Godly minded people.

2. We can find relief in NOT CONFORMING to worldly standards.

3. We can RENEW OUR MINDS on what is right, good and true.

4. We can resist the urge to be satisfied with a “GOOD ENOUGH” mentality.

5. We can choose to see all CIRCUMSTANCES as OPPORTUNITIES.

6. We can expect that God works ALL THINGS in His favor.

Thanks Paul for sharing these great insights on ways to develop and maintain a true Biblical Worldview!

In God’s incredible economy, when we focus on Him and His word, His blessing and grace supersedes anything we think we can gain in our minuscule minds.  Do you remember the video Keith shared during morning service on July 1 by Louie Giglio from his Indescribable DVD?  Louie said that he was not trying to convince anyone that they are small...he was informing us that we ARE small.  God is huge and in control, and we are not!  It’s time for The Church to model how to BE a disciple and how to MAKE disciples...we must begin with developing a Biblical Worldview!  The Traders and Truth Project series are a great start for us all to gain a better understanding of how to shape our Worldview.  So join us weekly as we dig into God’s word and develop a Culture of Relational Discipleship by first developing a Biblical Worldview!

          

Generosity in God’s Economy

Generosity is often times under defined. When people hear the word generosity, their minds usually drift toward monetary giving.  While that is a part of being generous, it is only a small part! This thinking is a good example of a secular worldview. Many people, Christians and non-Christians alike, will give to a good cause.  Look at the amount of dollars raised for hurricane Katrina, the recent tornadoes in Southern Indiana and MO, and the many other disasters over the past few years. It is tremendous how generous we can be when it comes to a monetary need of that scale. Don’t get me wrong, giving to these great causes is a good thing, in most cases. Unfortunately, when the generosity is rooted in the secular culture, like we saw during Katrina, the Christian, and non-Christian for that matter, must be diligent in checking out the sources to see how legit they truly are - millions of dollars were squandered by scams during these disasters because caring folks didn't do their homework or give to reputable organizations!

I say all of this because in God’s economy, generosity means so much more than any monetary gift.  To be truly generous in God’s eyes is to give of your self, your whole life, for the sake and the cause of Christ. We are to dedicate our time, talents and treasures to the Lord and Savior of our lives...Jesus Christ!  Here’s what that looks like:

Time - We allow time in our daily activities to focus on God and where He is working, and join Him in that work. We spend time with others in hopes of drawing them closer to Jesus - mentoring.

                                               

Talents - We use the talents God has given us to strengthen His Kingdom. We may volunteer to paint, teach, greet people, change someone’s oil, play guitar, go clean up after a disaster...the opportunities to use your gifts/talents for the Kingdom are endless!

Treasures - We may donate something we don’t “need” to help someone else out (like a car, clothing, computer, etc.), we may pay for someone’s meal that God placed on your heart just to bless them, you may sponsor a child in need, and you may even discover the blessings of giving your tithe to your local church so that God can multiply it and use it for His glory. See Matthew 6:21 - For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Our Time, Talents and Treasures are to be first used to glorify God...no excuses! In developing a Biblical Worldview, we must humble ourselves, doing nothing selfish, and treat others the way Christ did...He loved them! He went public in His love for us...we can do the same!

 NIV Philippians 2:3-4

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Priorities Beget Purpose, Purpose Begets Passion

Priorities are the key to sustaining a healthy life - spiritual, mental and physical.  Priorities are what drive our purpose, and purpose is what drives our passion! 

I have often times said that my priorities are as follows: God first, my wife second, my kids third, other relationships fourth, ministry, etc. after that. For the most part that does sound pretty good, but my perspective has been changed lately as to why I still struggle in some of these key relationships in my life.

Here's the key - God must not only be first, but He must be second, third, fourth, etc...meaning, God must be at the center of all my relationships and priorities.  With God at the center of everything, our relationships are nurtured because we focus on our purpose...to love God and to love others. 

When we love God, we are devoted to Him as we are discipled by Him through His word, Prayer, and revelations from the Holy Spirit.  We develop a biblical worldview where we understand it is truly all about Him. We seek out relationships with those in whom we can be mentored, as well as those whom we can mentor.  A biblical worldview is attained by being a disciple and making disciples.  Loving God and loving others!

When we love others, we extend the same love we receive from God to those around us.  We build relationships where mentoring and discipleship can happen, and a biblical worldview is formed by the relationship being built with Christ at the very center.  Every relationship we have is a mentoring relationship...we have to choose whether or not it will have Christ at the center!

As our worldview is formed, and we keep God in the center of all priorities, we discover our purpose is to love God and love others (that means everyone).  When we discover our purpose is love, we can then choose to become passionate about that purpose, which results in Kingdom relationships. Passion follows purpose, and purpose follows priorities...we must choose to have God in the middle of it all!

Transparency, Integrity and Honesty Required

Over the years, God has been changing me from the inside-out.  One huge indicator of this is something I just recently began to realize from one of those revelatory moments God throws at us to see if we are paying attention...Transparency and Authenticity!

As I began to place Jesus at the center of my entire life, my struggles and failures, as well as victories, became an open book.  Being transparent is something I have no problem with anymore, and I attribute that to Jesus and the relationship He and I are building.  You see, being transparent about your life is easy when your focus is on Christ, and not on yourself! 

 Having a Biblical Worldview (seeing everything we do, say and see from God's perspective) focuses our thoughts on Him, thus allowing us to share things in our lives that may help others as they take steps in placing Jesus first in every aspect of their lives.  It's not giving advice, it's sharing in community building relationship and being authentic in who Christ has made you to be!

As you have conversations with the people around you, keep your mind focused on Jesus and let Him guide the conversation.  If He nudges you to share something from your life that may encourage or help someone else, no matter how embarrassing, un-Godly, or downright wrong it may have been, let go of your pride and become transparent, staying authentic to who you are in Christ!  Share your struggles as well as how you gained victory...if we never share our struggles, we have let pride (sin) rule our lives! 

"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me and for the gospel will save it!” Mk 8:35.  As God continues to mold you into the image of His Son, you will have opportunities to respond in transparency, integrity and honesty...after all, these are some of the traits of a person who is sold out for Christ and is placing Him first and in the middle of everything they say, see & do!