Things Spiritual Infants Say #discipleship #spiritualmaturity
How can I know where I am or where those I’m trying to disciple and lead are spiritually? Try listening. My last post was about Things Spiritual Giants Say. A few years ago, I posted about Jim Putman’s great book Real-Life Discipleship: Equipping Disciples Who Make Disciples. In the book, he breaks down five stages of spiritual maturity by what will be common phrases for a person at each stage. Jesus said, “The mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart” (Matthew 12:34 HCSB), so our words reveal our spiritual condition.
Spiritual Infant
- “I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.”
- “I pray and read my Bible. That’s good enough for me.”
- “I didn’t know the Bible said that.”
- “Jesus helps me be a good person. I don’t need church.”
- Characterized by ignorance, confusion, dependence, worldly perspective.
- Needs personal attention of a spiritual parent, teaching and modeling the Christian faith, accountability to develop new habits.
Spiritual Child
- “My church isn’t taking care of my needs.”
- “I didn’t like the music today. If only they did it like…”
- “I love my small group; don’t add more people to it.”
- “I’m not being fed at my church, so I’m going to a church that can meet my needs better.”
- Characterized by self-centeredness, pride, idealism, spiritual highs and lows.
- Needs relational connections to a church family, help to start feeding themselves, teaching about identity in Christ.
Spiritual Young Adult
- “I love my small group, but there are others who need a group like this.”
- “Randy and Rachel missed church today. Their kids have the flu, maybe our group could make meals for them. I’ll start.”
- “I have some friends I’ve been witnessing to. I think I could lead a Bible Study for them with a little help.”
- “In my devotions, I came across something I have a question about.”
- Characterized by action, zeal, God-centered, others-centered, independent, desire to serve others.
- Needs opportunities to serve, ongoing relationships that offer encouragement, accountability and skills training.
Spiritual Parent
- “This guy at work asked me to explain the Bible to him. Pray for me.”
- “Our small group is going on a mission trip, and I have given each person a different responsibility.”
- “We get to baptize someone from my small group today. I want them to get plugged into a ministry right away.”
- Characterized by intentionality, reproduction mindset, dependability, desire to see others mature.
- Needs ongoing relationships with other disciple makers, a team approach, accountability and encouragement.
So where are you? If you’re moving toward spiritual maturity you may want to get this book or the training manual to learn more about how to be a spiritual parent and make disciples who make disciples. Here’s a few other great quotes from the manual:
- Every Christian is commanded to participate in the mission to make disciples.
- Your work is complete when the person you are discipling can make a disciple.
- The church was not designed to be a group of spectators who attend weekly lectures; it was designed to be a trained army with a powerful message.
- We cannot change the definition of discipleship to sit and listen and then expect to make disciples as Jesus did.
- Don’t mistake Bible Knowledge, years of church attendance, physical age, education, and so forth for spiritual maturity.
- A church is successful when everyone is in the game, maturing into disciples who can reproduce disciples.
- Relationships create the environment where discipleship happens best.
- Serving produces players, not spectators. Service helps a disciple develop and mature.
Things Spiritual Giants Say
I’ve known what I’d consider a few spiritual giants in my life. These are spiritually mature people who I’ve looked to for encouragement & as an example of faith and discipline and spiritual growth. In thinking about what leads to spiritual growth, I got to thinking about their stories and their paths and what I’ve heard these people say about their own growth. What were the catalyst for them? Here’s a few that I remember:
“I surrendered my life to Christ when I was __ years old.”
Spiritually mature people can point to a time when they began their journey with God and they see that event as a catalyst for almost everything in their lives.
“I was reading the Bible the other day and…” or “It’s like the Bible says…”
Spiritually mature people have devotional habits like Bible reading that give them a foundation for decision making and life.
“I met ____ and they helped me understand God’s will more clearly.”
Spiritually mature people often point to catalytic relationships that spurred them on in their spiritual growth & pursuit of Christ. A pastor, a small group leader, a godly friend or family member.
“I was on a mission trip in ____ and…” or “I got involved in the ____ ministry of my church and…”
Spiritually mature people are always on mission. You’ll find them on mission trips, leading ministries, opening their homes, cooking, serving, sharing, giving.
“Life took a turn for the worse, but God & my church family gave me strength.”
Spiritually mature people often experienced hardships and tragedy, but they can point to the good and to God’s providential hand at work in the situation. And they can often testify that the hardship was a catalyst for growth and for deeper dependence upon God and others.
“Can I help you with anything?” or “Can I pray for you about anything?” or “How are you doing?”
Spiritually mature people are focused on others. Visit with them and you’ll leave with more than you came with – spiritually and maybe physically. Always giving, always pointing to others.
So, are you and I on the path to spiritual maturity?
- Can you point to a time when you began a relationship with God?
- Do you practice daily devotional habits that shape the way you live?
- Do you have catalytic relationships that challenge you? Or are you in the right place for these to happen?
- Are you on mission? Are you serving others through your church or some other way?
- Have you allowed the circumstances and hardships of your life to aid your dependence on God and spiritual growth?
- Are focused on others or yourself?
Like a Blur… A Church Planter’s Sunday
His office is his dining room table. His pulpit is a music stand. His breakfast on Sunday is adrenaline & coffee (& maybe Red Bull). On Sunday, he’s often a Pastor / Worship Leader / Sound Guy / Church Secretary / Church Administrator / Children’s Minister / Janitor. He can type the bulletin, enter the power point presentation, run the sound board, make copies, make coffee, change diapers, repair sound equipment, setup the chairs, preach the sermon. He uploads the sermon to iTunes & then to Facebook WHILE greeting every guest, thanking every volunteer, cleaning up a few spills, downing another Red Bull. First one there, last one to leave. Grateful for my church planting brothers this morning.
(adapted from personal experience & from the experiences of those I know on the front lines of planting new churches in North America).
The Bane of Thankfulness #devo #wesley
You have abundant reason to praise God, both for spiritual and temporal blessings. Beware of indulging gloomy thoughts: they are the bane of thankfulness. You are encompassed with ten thousand mercies, let these sink you into humble thankfulness.
John Wesley, in a letter published in the Works of John Wesley
The Dragon Slayer vs. The Fly Swatter
The older I get, the more clearly I can see the big things – DRAGONS TO SLAY – that the little distractions – FLIES TO SWAT – keep me from working on. There are a lot of little flies out there that can keep us distracted from giving our lives to a mission bigger than ourselves & that will outlast this world. I want to live out my life Slaying Dragons & not just Swatting Flies. Here’s a few on my list:
DRAGONS TO SLAY:
- A majority of the world & my community are facing eternity without Christ.
- Discipling & capturing the heart of my kids.
- Loving my wife as I love myself.
- Overcoming my own selfishness & sin so that I can experience personal spiritual growth for myself & others.
- Financial discipline & good stewardship.
- Encouraging those who are losing hope.
- Leading a church that makes disciples & glorifies God.
- Living healthy so that I can be my best for God & my family for the longest possible time.
- Fatherless kids without mentorship.
FLIES TO SWAT:
- What other people think about me, my work, & my tribe.
- The latest gadgets & gizmos.
- “Must see TV.”
- The Facebook Newsfeed. (A swarm of flies of Biblical proportions on there!)
- Taking refuge (beyond just general enjoyment) in the things of this world – food, entertainment, etc.
- Being satisfied with the way things are.
- What people are NOT doing.
- Relying on my own strength instead of God’s power.
- Petty issues that bring divisions between God’s people.
Are you swatting flies or slaying dragons?
What Should I Wear? #devo
This is a key question to ask for those who want to be an effective witness for Christ. Are you serious? The clothes I wear impacts my impact on others? Well, maybe, but I’m talking about what ATTITUDE & DISPOSITION you wear everyday. In today’s world, your disposition & attitude are a tremendous opportunity for evangelism. People are so beat down & discouraged & negative. If they see the joy of the Lord in you, they’ll want to know what the heck happened to you. People of salvation should be the most joyful people around. We have ETERNAL LIFE! Direct access to the God of the universe! The promise that Jesus is living in us & is with us ALWAYS! & so much more. I’ve met a few people that have said to me “I’m a Christian” & I thought about responding to them with, “Well, you better tell your face about it.”
Colossians 3:12-13 says, “as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, PUT ON a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”
If you WEAR compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, forgiveness, you WILL stand out wherever you are today AND overtime someone will want to know how & why you’re different. (Check out THIS GREAT LIST of other things that the Bible says we should PUT OFF & PUT ON).
Even Christians who are experiencing less than joyful circumstances often will be recognized by the inner joy they carry. Joy is in believers, not because of what’s on the outside, but because of what’s on the inside. Like a bird that sings during a hurricane. His song reflects what’s inside, not what’s on the outside.
So, what are you wearing today? Put on Christ-like character & the joy of the Lord & get ready to make a difference!
This is a summary from part of Sunday’s message at Bridge Church. Get the audio here.
Am I Neighboring Well? Diagnostic Quesitons
Just finished Alan Briggs’ book Staying is the New Going. Challenging book & easy to read. Briggs is a church planter in Colorado who challenges readers to stay well in their community through being a good neighbor, loving your city, embracing tension, drop wanderlust, etc. This book really makes you think & examine yourself by asking great questions. I found myself going back to these questions, during & now after reading, so I thought I’d share. I’m calling these Diagnostic Questions for Neighboring Well:
- Would anyone care if you put a for sale sign in your yard?
- Are you a character in the story of your neighborhood? Would others truly consider you a character in the story of your place?
- Is your home a fortress from life or a hub for life? A hub for ministry or a refuge from ministry?
- How many people enter your house in the course of a month? How many of those people don’t know Jesus?
- lingering is a sign others are comfortable enough to stay when everyone else has gone. How many people have lingered in your home this month?
- You know people are getting comfortable with you when they start to inconvenience you. How many last-minute favors have friends and neighbors asked of you this month?
- How many meals have you shared with people far from the church this month?
- How many unexpected opportunities have you seized for the sake of embodying and proclaiming the gospel?
- How many invitations have you had to serve on a community board or leadership team?
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Would the businesses, residents, and organization around your church building care if your church relocated?
A few other quotes from the book that have stuck with me:
- Our mission trip began the day we were born; it ends when God calls us home.
- Christ followers should be a gift to their neighborhood, and a church should be a gift to its city.
- It’s always easier to lust after other places than to face the hard realities of our own place.
- How sad would it be if our neighbors only know us as the ones who drive to church on weekends, but never bring the gospel home with us.
Well worth reading! Look forward to taking up the challenge to stay well.
A Church Planter’s Sunday
He’s up early, pulling a trailer, setting up the chairs, making the coffee, motivating the team, shaking every hand, saying thank you 100’s of times. Welcomes the guest, preaches the message(s), extends the invitation, stacks the chairs, loads the trailer, cleans up the messes. Misses kickoff but doesn’t care. Grateful for all my church planter & portable church brothers this morning.
Glorious Contradictions #devo #Tozer
“God has revealed so many glorious contradictions in the lives and conduct of genuine Christian believers…”
- The Christian is dead and yet he lives forever.
- The Christian saves his own life by losing it, and he is in danger of losing it by trying to save it.
- the Christian is strongest when he is weakest and weakest when he is strongest.
- The Christian is in least danger when he is fearful and trusting God and in the most danger when he feels the most self-confident.
- The Christian actually has the most when he is giving away the most
Lord, help me be a glorious contradiction to this world.
http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=235
Louisiana Baptists are Multiplying!
[from my September 30th, 2015 report to the Louisiana Baptists Executive Board, whom I have the privilege of serving as Church Planting Strategist]
[UPDATED November 5th, 2015]
Louisiana Baptist are indeed Multiplying! New church plants have increased 75% in Louisiana since 2011: In 2011, 8 new churches were planted; 14 in 2012; 18 in 2013; 26 in 2014; and so far in 2015, 33 new churches have been planted across Louisiana!
2015 Baptisms Poster
What’s the impact of church planting?
- New commitments to Christ! Since 2010, new churches in years 1-3 have reported 8,909 new commitments to Christ & 1,643 baptisms.
- New partners in cooperation! In the last two years, new churches in Louisiana have given $365,957 to the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention and $73,624 to their local Associations.
And through church planting we’re closing some of the missiological gaps & trends in our state. One of the haunting lines in the President’s 2020 Commission report presented at the Louisiana Baptists Annual Meeting in 2013, was that the Louisiana Baptist Convention was a declining, northern, anglo movement. Church Planting is allowing us to change these trends.
- The President’s 2020 Commission found that out of 1,600 churches only 5% were considered non-anglo, while 40% of the population of Louisiana is non-anglo. In the last two years, 69% (41 out of 59) of our new churches have been non-anglo. Including 25 African American, 14 Hispanic, 2 Asian.
- 2 years ago, we found that 74% of the population of Louisiana was in the south (south of Bunkie) while 64% of our LBC churches were in the north. So 64% of our churches are located where only 26% of our population resides. In the last two years, 78% (46 out of 59) of new churches have been planted in south Louisiana. Including 11 in New Orleans, where 21% of our population resides.
We still have much work to do. In 2010, Associations helped us forecast the need in their regions and with their help we set the goal of 300 new churches by 2020. Our current scorecard is at 122. So 178 new churches still needed to meet the needs across Louisiana!
And EVERY CHURCH can get involved. How can your church help? Check out these resources to help you get started:
