Fish Tales 5/7/2106

Keeping the Blessing in mind,

This week has been a tremendous week.  There have been excitement and challenges in a variety of ways.  That's discipleship.  It has its ups and downs.  There are times it goes sides ways.  Some weeks it goes really well like this one.

Some days you get frustrated and freaked out.

Nothing goes well and you just want to say, "how come you just don't get it already?" (shaking them, in your mind) As those days come and go we need to remember that God is discipling us in the process.  We are growing fruit internally to ourselves.  We are learning to resonate with the farmer who toils in the heat planting for a future harvest.  We need to keep in that in mind. We are being blessed and shaped by God in that process.

Matthew 5:19 it speaks of us being obedient which is one level of blessing.  Even if you teach part of what is commanded, not the goal, there is blessing in that.  But, the greater blessing is teaching other people to obey. (Matt. 28:20) This is much different than, knowledge transfer.  People own it. Obey it and teach others to do the same.  That's the greater blessing.

Anyone who has attended seminary know that they train you to transfer information.  The pedagogy of discipleship, really takes on more than a lecture format.  I'll save that for a future article.  The goal for discipleship is that one learns to obey and follow Jesus. We and our disciples will receive the Better Blessing both now and in the future.

Be encouraged.  Stay focused. Go Fish!

Fish Tales 5/4/2016

Flexibility

One of the things you have to keep in mind, is that you need to be flexible. 

Like a quarterback, you need to develop the ability to "check down" as the play unfolds.  The quarterback comes to the huddle and looks at his playlist on his wrist.  He picks a play.  He has other plays available and can change them as he sees the defense.

The plays are designed to work a specific way, but there is room for error and change.  While trying to execute the play both barriers and opportunities come.  A good quarterback can make changes quickly.

We too have to remain flexible and develop our own check down list.  When you are in the harvest, everything is not cut and dry.  Frankly, it's a mess.  You can set up a Discovery Bible Study in a home and no one is home when you arrive.  You have a choice, get mad, sad or frustrated or work your check down list.

Today we did just that.  We were really excited to meet with a new person.  Turns out they were called into work.  We decided to follow up with some people in the next complex.  We found another new person, prayed for them and shared the good news.  No time wasted. No frustration.  We just continued to fish in the pond we were in.

Save yourself some pain.  Develop flexibility.  Intentionally write out a check down list.  You will be happy you did.

Be encouraged.  Go Fish!

Fish Tales 5/3/2016

Which comes first the chicken or the egg?

We go out into neighborhoods on a weekly basis to share the good news of Jesus Christ and make disciples.  It is a training ground for leaders, pastors, and anyone that wants to learn how to reach people that need the Lord. It's "live-action discipleship".

When out in neighborhoods, I often take an apprentice so they can learn "on the job".  They often ask what comes first? Is it an A, B, C or 1,2,3 process? Yes and No.  Sometimes both.  Sometimes it all happens at the same time. There is a process, but it flexes to the audience and the Spirit.

Many times while prayer walking we find someone like Pam and Bill.  They both were happy for prayer.  They both share deep stuff.  We prayed for them and then asked them, Do you feel near or far from God? As they respond we share how we came to faith (Our Story) and gospel presentation (God's story).  To God's glory the both drew near to God that day.

They then invited us back to study the Word together and to be discipled.  That's how it usually happens, really.  No kidding!

Other times we have engaged people like, Jak.  He is from another faith background. Jak is very inquisitive.  He is loaded with questions.  We spend a few months going to his home and sharing true stories from the Bible.  We ask Jak questions and he asks us questions.  We are both pressing deep in the Scripture. We are being tested and growing.  Jak is being exposed to deep truths of the Word.

Some come to faith and are discipled and some are discipled into the faith.  Either way the result is the same.  The end goal is that they become healthy disciple makers. This is a process.  It takes time.  So Endure.

 Get out there and Go Fish!