Day 21: Sunday 7th April pray for discipleship in church

Often when you say things as a joke there can be truth in it and this happened to me last year at the church family meeting.

I was asked the question “What do you think your objective is as a church leader?”

If I knew what I was doing, at that point, I probably should have had a well-prepared vision statement with a five-point plan and a five and ten year process and programs, objective and strategies etc….  

I didn’t really have any of these however, this is what came out of my mouth, which I think was more Holy Spirit inspired than Stephen Norcross inspired!!:

My first objective as a church leader is that when I meet Jesus, He will say to me “Well done good and faithful servant”

My second objective, as a church leader,  is that I’ve done everything I can to assist you, so Jesus says the same to you when you meet Him!

We want to see the church grow. We want to see salvation's and lives changed. However, we want to see our church family grow in their walk and discipleship with Jesus!

Therefore, my greatest concern is the churches grows in its walk with Jesus both corporately and individually.

The great commission is not to make church attenders or have a large multisite church with smoke machine and excellence etc. (Although in themselves these are not necessarily bad things)

The great commission is not to make shallow conversions, where Jesus does not have any effect in lives or behaviour.

The great commission is to make disciples! and that is a very, very different thing.

The Apostle Paul in his letters also seems to spend more space than anything else exhorting Christians to go deeper with Jesus and seems to be far more interested in the walk and discipleship of the church, than their numerically growth which he doesn’t seem to mention very much at all.

So finally, thoughts for you about discipleship ask yourselves these questions:

How’s your walk with Jesus going?

How’s your faith and trust in Jesus?

How’s your love for Jesus and others?

How’s is you Hope in Jesus going, in your difficult situations?

Are you becoming more faithful and obedient to Jesus in your life?

Are you growing in the fruits of the spirit? Are you seeing more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness in your life or less?

How’s your prayer life?

Are there areas of unforgiveness in your life?

How you getting on with the bible?

Are there areas in your life where your struggling?
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Are you drifting away?

If this is you talk to somebody or pray?

Please pray for a deeper discipleship within our church. Please pray for more love of Christ in all areas of our lives and I do believe that God wants the church to grow numerically, but I also know that healthy sheep have lambs!!!

Helpful Bible Verses

(Thought I’d put this in as preaching on this, this morning) 😊

Colossians 3

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Amen!!!