Resolutions for 2010

Barely time to squeez a last post in before the chapter of 2009 is closed, but I've managed. And I've also managed to spend sufficient time contemplating this transition into 2010. I'll confess that I usually don't put much stock in new year's resolutions, but I'm excited to have written out some tangible goals for the next decade. Which leaves the question as to which goal to tackle first...

So, for myself and the purpose of being able to look back, I resolve in 2010 to:

Read the whole Bible through
Blog @ least once per week
Guard my family time

Lord, use these goals and disciplines in my life to bring glory to Yourself. I am a trophy of Your grace! As I look back in the past and stand on the brink of the future, I praise You for working in my life! I'm not who I want to be...I'm not who I should be...but praise God, I'm not who I was!! Only by grace...


- Posted from my iPod

the unbelievable pride & prejudice & zombies

i can't believe i'm posting this, but it was too unbelievable to pass up. my cousin got a book for Christmas entitled, "pride and prejudice and zombies" by jane austen and seth grahame-smith.

i can't believe i did it, but i had to sneak a quick look through the first couple chapters. interesting. not sure whether the concept of merging classic literature with zombies is original (or could even be considered original), and it seems so profane...but if nothing else the book is at least intriguing (in a morbidly clever sort of way). it is labeled as a 'quirk classic', but whether it can retain the 'classic' label is still up in the air. though i can't honestly review the book (only having read a few pages) i found the premise laughable. and a good laugh may be the only true purpose of this book (whether it was the author's original intention or not). grahame-smith tries to keep the language, time period, and setting the same or similar, but his character descriptions sound like a poor cut-and-paste job. which leads me to believe that his character development (which is my favorite characteristic of austen's novel) will be slightly lacking and finish off any chance of elevating this edition to the time-tested shelves of classic lit. but the thing that puzzles me the most is the question of audience. who's going to read this stuff?

i can't believe it, but i just looked it up on our public library website to see if it's available. me! that's who's going to read this stuff. wait. no! it's got to be a waste of time! reading this would be more embarrassing than admitting my tendency to revert back to "hardy boys" when i just need a break from thinking too hard. and what gets me is that i'm not even really into zombies and horror...

i can't believe i'm having to fight the urge to read this book, and that i'm actually disappointed that it's not available at the library...not even in circulation. whew. saved. i think i can avoid reading it as long as it's not lying around nearby. my world has been saved from zombies...for now.

i can't believe i'm even saying that...

reading for my 2020 vision

i know it's not really an original idea...in fact, it was really inspired by mark batterson a couple of weeks ago...but i put together my own 2020 vision.

we're on the doorstep of a new decade! and because that has only happened twice in my lifetime i'm determined to take this milestone seriously. these last few years in ministry have really been a turning point in my life in understanding the importance of casting vision, living on purpose, setting goals and staying organized. so it was exciting to dream and set goals not just for this next year, but for the next 10!

one of my goals is to read 100 books by 2020.

for some that may not seem like much, but although i absolutely love reading i have to confess...i'm pretty slow. if you break 100 books down by 10 years...that's uh...10 books per year (if you have to use math in life it might as well be easy math!). and 10 books a year means a book almost every month. whew. not gonna lie, that's going to be a challenge. my biggest problem in reading is not the amount of books i read, but rather the amount of books i actually finish. i usually have an average of 3-4 books going at any one time...whether i'll finish any one of them is debatable.

so in order to achieve this lofty goal i'm going to have to be purposeful. for me reading is a joy. but to really benefit from reading i have to be a disciplined reader. which means there are certain sacrifices that will have to be made to become a better reader and accomplish this goal (which i'm convinced holds invaluable benefits and blessings). i already know that books will have to schedule an appointment with my google calendar. there will have to be certain times during my week where reading time is built in. then it will also have to become a main source of relaxing and downtime (but a distant second to spending time with my girls...and our little one on the way...). and in an effort to sacrifice distractions i have voluntarily banned video games from my life (unless it is for the purpose of fellowship...which is just comical to think that mowing down my buddies with an assault rifle could be considered fellowship). and along with scheduling and removing distractions, i want to be purposeful in what i choose to read. i wonder how many words we actually read in a day...and how many of those words are just junk food compared to what we could be dining on if we chose our reading material carefully. so in light of being purposeful and realizing the need to streamline the process to accomplish the goal, i am putting together a reading list. 100 books. kinda feels limiting, but limiting may cause me to be cautious in not wasting my reading time on frivolous books that aren't truly stimulating, encouraging, challenging or inspiring. of course, a reading list will work like a budget: a flexible guide. for who knows what awaits to be written within the next decade (an exciting thought). but then again, as C.S. Lewis said, 'it is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between". so my goal is to read many of the time-tested classics on the Christian faith!

obviously this reading goal is just a part of my spiritual disciplines, but i'm so excited to see how God will use it in my life! i pray that in 2020 i will have a clearer vision of truth and wisdom.

"Buh-Bo"

last night we were singing "Jesus Loves Me" with Jolie and she instantly started into the motions...pointing to her hands like nails, and then opening her hands while singing "Buh-Bo" (Bible!). when we asked her where Jesus was she ran and found her little kids Bible and opened it up looking for Jesus.

o Lord, may my little girl always run to your Word to find You!

what a joy filled my heart last night. merry CHRISTmas!

God dwells

just finished slowly (and i do mean slowly) reading through the book of exodus. it's an exciting and incredibly detailed account of God bringing a people He calls His own out from bondage to the Egyptian empire. God hears the cry of His people. He remembers them. and He sends His man, moses, to make a case before pharaoh to let the children of Israel go...but pharaoh refuses.

so God Almighty literally takes on the greatest nation in the world to prove His sovereignty and might to the world...and especially to His own people. that they would know that He is God...and He is THEIR God.

so He leads them out into the wilderness on their way to the land He promised to provide for them...and while He's out there He establishes some ground rules about how this theocracy is going to work. moses is given the commandments and instructions to build the tabernacle...the place where God's glory will rest.

what an awesome thought. God wants to dwell with His people. He walked with adam in the garden. and now His people are living in tents...so He lives in a tent...

God dwells with His people.

which just gets me excited about this upcoming season where we remember the incarnation. that God dwelt with us in humanity. wow.

there's an appropriate Christmas reminder: God dwells.

my "pilgrim's perspective"

pastor terry's message yesterday resonated an ancient chord in my heart. one that has echoed through the hall of faith for a few thousand years. we are pilgrim's on a journey to heaven. look @ Hebrews 11:13-14. i love that idea. i used to scrawl these words in the edges of my Bible whenever i came across this idea in Scripture: "heaven-bound". it's a reality that can quickly fade into a simple notion, which can then quickly fade into a distant memory, which can then slip out of conscious altogether in our over-stimulated, immediate-driven world. but it's a truth my soul must rehearse regularly...or my sin-prone heart will fall in love with this fallen world all too easily:

i am a pilgrim.

on sundays, i have the privilege of hearing the sermon twice (usually), and it helps me as i process. so these are just a few thoughts i typed through second service in an attempt to make it personal and applicable to me:

"this world is not my home, i'm just a-passin' through..."
i have a citizenship that is not of this world, it's a heavenly citizenship! and i'm on my way to glory!

Q: am I living like a pilgrim? or am I living like a settler?

am I in love with this world? do I long for the things of this world? am I holding onto "my stuff" like it's really mine? am I stewarding what Jehovah-Jireh, my Adonai, has entrusted to me?

my blessings to steward:
• His Word
• salvation
• carissa
• jolie
• food
• house
• time
• money
• van
• friends
• ministry
• teaching Gifts
• preaching Gifts
• leadership Gifts
• education
• technology

travel light and prepare God's gifts for His return, that we can give them back to Him for His glory!

seasons and schedules

usually around this time of the year i pen some words in my journal (or type a few into the blogosphere) about the wonderful change in season we call, "fall". i love the fall! but i have to say...for some reason, this year it seems a lot colder than usual! and we've had a lot of dreary, rainy days. but still, the weather in autumn always inspires me to cozy up in doors with my coffee and buckle down to all the reading, studying and work i have to get done. i would venture to say that this is the season of the year in which i am most productive.

which reminds me... i had an epiphany the other night as i was lying in bed thinking of all the to-do's coming down the pike. you see, normally, i try to give myself a little light at the end of the tunnel...like, once i finish that, or once that's over with...then i'll have a lighter schedule. so it finally dawned on me: that never happens. i might as well accept it. this is life. life can be busy. and certain season in life will be busier than others. but life is busy.

now, some would tell me to just simply take it a day at a time. however, for me personally, taking this approach led me to a laize-fair, hakuna matata, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, procrastinating attitude about life. but nor do i want to swing to the opposite extreme and be constantly focused to the future that i'm missing the present.

so.

for me, i'm growing in my understanding of how God's wired me...and how i work best. (this is big for me) i must stay on top of my schedule. schedule out as best i can. prioritize. give myself ample time needed for accomplishing all that God has given me to do. and then...take it one step at a time. this allows me to say, "yes!" and "no!" to the right things, give myself to what matters most, be used where my gifts are most effective, finish what i've started, be a man of my word, and truly understand my priorities in life.

then i look at all the clutter on my desk and realize...this is a work in progress.

8 years later...He never changes!

8 years ago today I watched my world change before my eyes, but the reality of my dependence on Almighty God is still the same today as it was that day the world trade center buildings went down. though it may have been more apparent on 9/11/01.

it seemed in a heartbeat that my optimistic dreams of a comfortable future were shattered by the explosion of that terrorist attack. like I was suddenly forced to grow up over night, but it was not the world I had expected. it was clear...things would never be the same. and it drove me to my knees to cry out to God, and filled me with a sense of reliance on Him.

and yet 8 years later I could have easily passed over the memorial of the event without giving it much thought.

reality has not changed.

i still need God! my sense of that reality my fade at times, but I hope I'm always drawn back to the truth. drawn into the loving arms of a sovereign God who is in absolute control. I love that about Him...

He will never change.

beginning to digest a "Jesus retreat"

had one of the coolest experiences of my life this past weekend. took 2 students from our youth group to meet up with 5 other students from youth groups in indianapolis and brownsburg to just talk about Jesus.

see, we had this summer gospels challenge. the challenge was to read through a gospel per week, every week of the summer. that meant that you would read all 4 gospels 3 times each! and that was incredible!! awesome to get into the Word and see the Word Himself come to life!

but then we finished it off with a 24-hour retreat @ twin lakes camp to reflect further on all that we learned.

the bulk of the time was scheduled teaching or experiential worship sessions, such as a passover seder, a footwashing service, a sunrise worship service, an emmaus road session, and a sermon on the mount. but the best part was, as one student put it, "we just talked about Jesus all the time, even when the session was over and we could talk about anything we wanted..." that's not a direct quote, but it hit the main idea...

even when we had some down time and could talk about anything...we ended up talking about Jesus, and what we were learning in the gospels or questions that we had as we read! what an incredible experience!!!

shouldn't we talk about Jesus like that all the time? like it should just come naturally? like we WANT to talk about Him?

great reminder of spending time with my Savior and His redeemed...all centered around HIM!

on reading

there are few concepts that i find as intriguing as the concept of reading.

i remember the days when my arms could barely spread the distance of an opened newspaper while i would pretend to consume the information as i saw grown adults do. then the success in completion of my first literary accomplishment, "tim can run", opened up a whole new world. it's a world that has captured my imagination, kept me up into the dark hours of the night in anticipation, frustrated me when i'm pressed with deadlines and due dates, bored me to tears, transported me around the globe and through the imaginations of others, impressed lessons upon me, and keeps bringing me back for more. it is ever growing, and my understanding of it's vastness is constantly surprised and overwhelmed: the world of reading...and the more you read the more you begin to understand how much there is to read!

standing among the towering shelves of an enormous library is exhilarating, staggering, comforting, depressing and inspiring all at the same time. i can't help but be overwhelmed at times with the amount of information, adventure and knowledge there is to consume. i can't tell you how many pages i've read in my lifetime, but even as the number climbs i still feel as though i've barely gotten started when i look out on an endless sea of books.

and then there's the online ocean of information that dwarfs the world's largest libraries. i am so thankful for filtering systems that allow me to streamline authors & topics that are of unique interest to me. otherwise i begin to feel lost in the sea without any flotation device to support and encourage me to keep swimming (or reading).

and so, as someone who has a unquenchable thirst for more but can't seem to read fast enough (and is also plagued with a short attention span), i find hope in the words of the 18th century writer and critic, samuel johnson, "a man ought to read just as inclination leads him; for what he reads as a task will do him little good." saw that in a blog this morning as i flipped through my morning's edition of google reader. he goes on to say, "what is read with delight is commonly retained, because pleasure always secures attention but the books which are consulted by occasional necessity, and perused with impatience, seldom leave any traces on the mind."

those are encouraging words to me, because i have to admit that i rarely actually complete an entire book. i'm afraid i would be diagnosed with what my mother-in-law calls "bright light syndrome"...i can't seem to stay focused on one thing with all the excitement of the other lights. so too it is as i start one author's work and see something of another interest only a few chapters in. in fact, it would probably be embarrassing to get an actual count of the books in which i could say i am currently "reading" (meaning i've read a few chapters and may one day return to read more...but don't count on it...).

if you can relate at all to my dilemma, then allow me to breathe some hope and freedom into your routine: it's ok if you don't finish that book. it's ok if you start reading something else. don't feel the pressure and obligation that a few OCD friends have burdened you with.

just keep reading.

the winds are blowing

our whirlwind of a summer is coming to a close...can't believe it. we've had so much going on around here! i'm officially transitioned to a new position here at church (from student min. to worship/discipleship), we had 3 weddings in three weeks in massachusetts, pennsylvania, and northern indiana...spoke at twin lakes camp for a week and now we're finally home for awhile. i think...

i'm excited to get back into a bit of routine. and although schools start in just a week and a half around here, carissa and i have decided that summer is NOT over for us. we're still looking forward to a day trip to the pool/water park in lafayette and trying to enjoy a few days of front-porch living!

but the winds are blowing...and this morning i could feel it...it's coming!!!

one month from wednesday.

i can't wait!!! my buckeyes kick off a fresh season of college football...only the best season of the year!

movie review

i'm a bachelor for the next week... :( but looking forward to glorifying God with my time.

here's a little movie review from the latest transformers movie:
http://becomeamanministries.blogspot.com/2009/07/forgive-our-generation.html

a waste of time!

my little girl is 1!

jolie turned 1 yesterday.

i know i'm supposed to say "i can't believe it", but i truly can't believe it! the year has flown by, but i love this stage of life...she is constant entertainment for us! i wish it would slow down a little so i can savor the moments...guess i'll just have to be more purposeful!

i made the comment to carissa yesterday that we no longer just get to be mommy and daddy to this cute little baby...now we have to be parents! we've already come across her strong little will. and it's surprisingly strong!!

o God, give us Your strength and wisdom to raise her to know and love You! draw her close to You at an early age, and use her to do mighty things for Your kingdom!

the purpose of Scripture

came across the incredible claims of Jesus in John 5. check out verse 39: "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me..."

the Scriptures bear witness to Jesus.

now that thought may seem extremely elementary to some, but it hit me this morning. i love to study, and i love to read the Word of God...but through studying and reading i should be growing in my love for Jesus most of all. that's the point of reading and studying. to know and love Jesus.

not just to study the Bible for the sake of studying. or checking it off a to-do list. or for the purpose of feeling more spiritual because of the discipline.

no, i want to know Christ. and i want to love Him more today as i read the Scriptures that bear witness to Him and who He truly is.

June 21, 2009

the day we dedicated our little girl, jolie, to the Lord!

what an incredible challenge we received from the Word on being dads who will bring their children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. and what an incredible responsibility!

being a dad is one of the greatest joys of my life. it's also one of the scariest challenges i'll ever face.

but it's good to know that i have a Heavenly Father who is good. who cares. who gives strength.

protect my little girl, Father. work in her heart to bring her to salvation at an early age and draw her to yourself. use her in mighty ways for your honor and glory!

and thank you so much for her...

the possibility of a new adventure

here's the beginning to a dream: Become a Man Ministries

who knows where God will take it!

a few scribbles and overnight french toast

so i've just passed the quarter of a century mark in life. on monday i turned 25. i had an awesome day with my fam. we went to the free zoo in lafayette, took a kids' train ride, went to am. eagle for some new jeans (compliments of a gift card from my parents), and topped it off with a steak dinner at logan's with my girls!

but i must be getting older because i find myself appreciating the little things more than i used to.

as a kid, the zoo and the train would've been sweet! and in high school it would have made my day to get a pair of jeans that weren't from wal-mart. and then tuesday we took our youth group to king's island which used to be the trip i looked forward to all year!

so it's been a great week. but the best things this week were a couple small gifts that i would have brushed off as a kid.

monday morning carissa brought me overnight french toast in bed. she had thought about me the night before and knew what would bring a smile to my face in the morning. the french toast was amazing...but i love her.

then in all the presents there was a little card to "daddy" and on the inside were a few scribbles that jolie had managed to create (mostly by herself). no words. no pictures. but it was beautiful. i love her.

what a blessed man i am to have 2 wonderful girls in my life!

thank You, Lord!

measuring discipleship

reacting to the statement: "The measure of a church discipleship effort is the number of new leaders in ministry in the church and community".

at least it's got me thinking. initially, this statement rubs me wrong. it seems to place a lot of value in the product and little in the process. theoretically, if the number of new leaders in ministry was the measure of success for your discipleship effort then it opens the door for the end justifying the means. and how do you measure those leaders? is it slapping a label on a new disciplee? like, congrats, you've arrived! you're a leader!

and what about those who will never become "leaders". i know the case can be made that we're all leaders in some capacity, but it seems like this is born out of our culture's obsession with inciting everyone into leadership (a tendency i'm afraid the Church has bought hook, line and sinker). (for a interesting perspective on this, check out joe stowell's followership)

but it still begs the question, how do you measure discipleship?

let's just say i'm in the disciple-making business (just the thought of referring to it as a business makes me queasy, but for the sake of the arguement...). how do i know that i'm being effective? how do i know if God is using me? how do i know if my "business" (ministry just sounds so much better) is successful?

and aren't we all in the disciple-making business whether we signed the paperwork or not? that's what Christ called us to in the great commission. His main command was to make disciples. the "go" was inferred...like, "as you're going". you're already going...and you've got a job to do while you're at it!

so how do we know if we're being effective at our job ("calling" sounds better in my conservative brain)?

won't the ultimate job review come at the end of this life when we hope to hear our Savior say, well done good and faithful servant?

so maybe a better question is, how do i make disciples?

and i totally get it that it's got to be God who causes the growth. we might plant the see, water, etc...but it is God who causes it to actually grow and flourish (1 Cor. 3:6).

maybe behind the labels and programs is a better understanding of what Christ meant. which leads to the more foundational question:

what is a disciple?

someone who looks, lives, acts, thinks, talks, breathes like Jesus.

oh man. ok, so maybe my "disciple effort" in the church shouldn't be focused on building people towards a position, but pushing them to the person of Christ.

still, how do you measure the effort?

thots?

God is good.

so saturday night was our first trip to the ER with Jolie. anyone who knows my little red-head knows that she can't sit still for more than 3 seconds, so that afternoon we could tell something wasn't right. she was so lethargic and wanted to lay her head down and fall asleep. we were at a friends house that evening for dinner and just kept an eye on her, but by the time we got home we could tell she wasn't feeling any better and she was starting to feel very warm. temp said 102.5! woah!

she's never been sick before (other than a little runny nose a few months ago), so this was a shocker. we had the docter paged, who immediately told us to just take her to the ER because it had to be some kind of infection and it couldn't wait another day.

all of a sudden the emotions were running high and carissa and i had to fight back the panic.

while carissa was on the phone with her mom, i just sat there in the dim light of Jolie's room holding my baby girl. i felt helpless. her little body had some kind of infection that she couldn't fight off...and there was nothing i could do to help her. i remember asking the Lord to just let me take the pain and infection...i would gladly deal with it so my little girl didn't have to.

there was just so much that i can't express in words that i felt then.

i'm her dad. i'm her protector. and i couldn't do a thing...

but in that moment...this dad had a Father to turn to.

what comfort to know that i have a Heavenly Father who is in absolute control. He is a GOOD God. and He cares for me...and for my little girl. praise God! He is good...all the time! All the time...

so we were off to the doctor. but before we left, carissa held her and we prayed to our Heavenly Father who cares. He gives peace in the panic.

it ended up being an ear infection. and after the antibiotics she's on the mend and getting into everything again. thank You, Lord! and there will be more days of sickness ahead. we know. but this was a first for the hoenshell home...and it will always be another mile marker of the goodness of our God. we can trust in Him!

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

Different

looking forward to preaching this sunday.

this has been one of those passages that's really challenged me. we're talking about the fruit of the spirit, and this week we're focusing on joy & peace. 2 things that are definitely gifts from God. but i've been realizing how often i miss out on these gifts because i respond to the difficulties and challenges in life like the rest of the world does.

but God's people are called to live differently. even if we face trials and tough circumstances we can have true joy because of Christ! He is in control and is a good God. so often we just get frustrated and angry at our circumstances or people in our lives and take it out on them. instead of exhibiting and sharing the joy and peace that comes from God we end up complaining and arguing...just like the rest of the world!

we're called to live differently so people will see the difference in our lives = CHRIST! but when we respond to the difficulties of life like everyone else we miss an opportunity to let our lives speak the wonderful difference that Jesus makes!

i'm ashamed at how often my response to something i don't like or just my attitude about it is so self-centered.

Father, help me die to myself today and put others first. Give me a self-sacrificing love for You that motivates me to respond differently when things don't go my way. Remind me of the joy i have IN YOU and the peace i have WITH YOU..the peace that will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:4-9).

in addition...

just another thought to add to the discipleship discussion...

i've found doug fields' "habits" to be helpful in holistic discipleship:

Hang-time with God
Accountability
Bible Memorization
Involving yourself in the Church
Tithing, Giving, Service for God
Studying Scripture

interview on discipleship

responded to a friend for an email interview on the topic of discipleship. thought these thoughts might be helpful.

1. what is a disciple?
easy answer is someone who is growing in their faith to become more like Jesus Christ. a disciple is a follower. i just heard dr. joe stowell, who used to be the president at moody, talking about the obsession in our culture to be developing leaders and there's all these workshops, books and conferences on leadership...but what we really need is to be developing followers of Christ...what he called, "followership". i like that! :)


2. what should a mature disciple look like?
i like what ephesians 4:12-14 talks about, that we are growing in unity and knowledge of the Son of God. a mature disciple has spent time with the One he is trying to emmulate so that he knows who He is, what He has done and what He is doing. and you spend time with Him in His Word!
also look at philippians 2:12 & 13. we are to "work out our salvation". that's the process of progressive sanctification. we are IN THE PROCESS OF GROWING TO BECOME LIKE JESUS! those 2 verses are cool because it says that we are to "work out" while God "works in" us. it's God's work of molding you to become like Christ. that's what romans 8:28 & 29 is all about. God is causing ALL things to work together for our good...and verse 29 says that our good is to "be comformed to the image of His Son".
i heard it said like this:
the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to change the Man of God into the Image of God.


3. What process(es) do you have in place for building persons into mature disciples?
let me answer it by going back to the ephesians 4 passage. verses 11 and 12 say that it's the job of the pastors/shepherds to be equipping the saints for the work of the ministry and building up the body into maturity.

our church does that by programming wholistically. we want everyone in our body to be IN PROCESS.
the process for becoming a mature disciple is one who is Worshiping Christ, Walking with Christ and Working for Christ!
we want everyone to worship together on sunday mornings. then we want everyone involved in our flock ministry so that they can experience fellowship and discipleship (growing in the knowledge of the Word and accountability). then we want everyone plugged into some kind of ministry and always reaching out in evangelism. those are our 5 purposes of the church: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and evangelism.
now, just because they're coming to one or all of those programs does NOT mean that they truly are worshiping, serving, etc...but that's the programed process we have in place to help FACILITATE discipleship.

but discipleship really happens one on one. life on life.
and we believe we have structured the programs of our church to best facilitate life on life for as many people as we can!
does that make sense?

for me personally, i meet with many of the guys in high school and at wabash. we'll meet to talk about life. and we'll always go to the Word of God to find answers and accountability for how we're supposed to live. really, i'm just meeting them along the road that they're traveling on (to become more like Christ) and i'm helping them along by showing them the truth of the Word and how it applies to their lives specifically. i almost always show them the process that God has designed for learning to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called" (eph. 4:1)...and that process is clearly stated in eph. 4:22-24. you "put off" the old self...be renewed in your mind...and "put on" the new self created to be like God. that's what we call the "put off/put on" principle.

i also am busy teaching the Word in youth group and in student leaders. which is basically the same thing...it's just not one-on-one and specific.

hope that answers the question.


4. what are your joys in discipleship?
i love watching young men fall in love with the Word of God. it's a joy for me to see them develop a hunger for God's Word and a desire to live it out. and i love hearing of young men who desire to serve the Lord for the rest of their lives!
and i like hangin' out at coffee shops! :)


5. what are your frustrations in discipleship?
guys that keep falling and eventually just kind of give up on the process. they miss out on the truth that if they are children of God then they are "dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus" (romans 6:11). i hate seeing an initial desire to change...but not a desire to dig into the word and persevere in doing good.

6. what advice would you give me in the area of discipling others?
read galatians 6:1-2. stay accountable yourself (ecclesiastes 4:9-12) and help a sister carry her burdens.
ephesians 4:15 - speak the truth in love.
phil 2:13 - remember that it's God work!

7. what do you think is the best example Jesus gives us in being a disciple?
a couple examples He gave...
1. a child - matthew 18:3,4...child like faith...they simply trust
2. the wise builder - matthew 7:24-27...he listens and obeys

His own example...
He grew (luke 2:52)...and His joy was obeying the Father (john 4:34)...and He gave us the ultimate example of servanthood and obedience (phil 2:3-11)


8. The book we are reading on discipleship says that we as christians are too fast and too programmed. What do you think about that statement in regards to discipleship?
i would tend to agree.
often in our culture we want what i would call "microwave christianity". where i can just pop in the microwave for 30 seconds and have it ready to enjoy. i want to just read God's Word once, have it change me and be done with the process of sanctification.
but growing and working out your salvation is a life long process simply because when Christ saved us from our sins, He saved us from the penalty of sin...and we are free from the power of sin...but until He comes again to take us home to be with Him for eternity, we still live in the presence of sin.

the most common analogy in Scripture for the Christian life is...the walk. it's not a sprint. it's a marathon...and we're called over and over again to walk in love, walk worthy, walk in God, walk in light...etc.

so we need to persevere and just keep walking!

another reminder

post a new mile marker of God's amazing grace...we had 871 in attendance on Easter sunday and 9 indicated decisions for salvation!! praise Jesus! it was fun to look out into a sea of faces and see many that i didn't recognize at all!

it is good to recount the works of God.

it reminds us of His sovereignty and His goodness in our lives. remembering helps us to trust for the future. God has been good. God is good. God will always be good!

and He gets all the glory!!

conference left-overs

yet again i've been convicted of my lack of faithfulness to the blogging realm. pastor terry appealed to me last weekend about the importance of journaling your experiences and thoughts @ a conference we held at our church.

we put on a conference for our college men called 'direction09'. it was designed to equip students to Biblically discern God's will for their lives. pastor terry spoke in the last main session on "following direction", and he used the example of the journal that he has kept for the past 10+ years. every time he has the opportunity to go back and read the journal entries he sees and remembers the amazing things that God has done. and it gave me a greater appreciation for the vital role that journaling plays in understanding how God's plan is unfolding in my life!

so here i am again.

my own little journaling book is a great place for my personal prayers to the Lord, but throwing out thoughts and experiences into the great expanse of the blogosphere may prove to be encouraging, insightful, and hopefully challenging to someone in need of a reminder of God's faithfulness in all circumstances. that no matter what we face we know God will be faithful to complete the work He has started in us (phil 1:6).

but God's will can be so tough to understand, can't it?!

i was challenged through james petty's book, "step by step", which deals with the theology of God's will. God has A plan for me. He does not have a plan B or plan C and so forth...because the first theological meaning of "the will of God" is just that: His sovereign plan (example found in Eph. 1:5 & James 4:15). and i can't mess that up!! He's not surprised by sin. He knows we will make mistakes. He's not caught off guard, like "woah! didn't see that one coming...guess i'll have to go with plan b..." NO! He has a sovereign plan that no one can mess up! which of course means that we CANNOT comprehend God's plan. because, for example, it includes both free will and sovereignty. good luck trying to understand that!

but it's encouraging because it means that i don't HAVE to understand His sovereign plan.

the other theological meaning to "the will of God", however, is what He has commanded. His commands! the easiest place to look for that is in 1 Thess. 4:1-3. His will/command is = my sanctification! becoming like Jesus!! and 2 Peter 1:3 says that He has given me EVERYTHING I need in order to live my life in a way that pleases Him! those commands are all over Scripture!

so in fact, every time i open up God's Word i'm seeing His will...as His sovereign plan unfolds and as He gives me specific commands in order for me to obey and glorify him with my life!

some things to muse on. and probably some great conversation starters.

i needed this conference as much as our college guys!