Time Well Spent

Recently, I spent some time away at a training in the La Jolla area of San Diego.  Known for its picturesque beaches and scenery, this area makes one recall thatlife is a great adventure.  You begin to wonder how much of the adventure you have taken advantage of or simply avoided over the years.

The training refreshed me spiritually and otherwise.  Also, it renewed my vision and focus.  I even made a connection with an old friend who had been just as busy as I have lately.   We committed to getting together and making things happen for the benefit of our communities and the generation coming up after us.

All in all, I would have to say that it was truly time well spent.  I thank God for the opportunity to have been selected from among my peers to gain this training and experience as well as the responsibility to bring back what I have learned to the larger group.

Getting Good at Good Works

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. - Titus 2:11-14 (NKJV)

Good works are to be part of the Christian church's DNA.  Paul stressed that to Titus, his "true son" in the ministry of sharing the Good News, as he instructed him about establishing elders and setting things in order in Crete. Paul instructs Titus, as the appointed pastor over the Cretan believers, to show himself as a pattern of good works.  The people are to learn to become zealous for good works as the Lord's "special people" by following after the Lord's example and the example set by their spiritual leaders in the name of the Lord.  The people have to hear about it by sound doctrine and they have to see it by demonstration.  The church becomes more engaged with good works due to what the Lord showed and shared with the world over 2,000 years ago and what the pastor shows and shares with the congregation as the spiritual leader day by day.

We are not to simply sign up and show up for opportunities to do good works.  That's not the essence of the message from Paul to Titus.  We are to become "zealous for good works," according to Titus 2:14, demonstrating a fervent spirit for our calling to do good works in accordance with Ephesians 2:10.  Paul stresses that godly people should not only "be ready for every good work," as in Titus 3;1, but also learn to "maintain good works" in Titus 3:8, 14.  According to Titus 3:14, our good works lead to our fruitfulness as we meet urgent needs.

• Is your ministry demonstrating a "pattern of good works?"
• What sort of trail are you leaving behind? Good works and good fruit?
• Are others learning to minister to others based upon the example that you are providing?

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works - Hebrews 10:24 (ESV)

Discipleship Inside Out

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.-1 Corinthians 11:1

Paul outlines the dynamics of discipleship that most church leaders should take today. He doesn't offer a do-as-I-say-not as-I-do leadership credo. He simply shares truth with a church that had numerous internal struggles a way for getting on the right track and simply following another follower of Christ. Such an approach echoes much of what Jesus shared after offering the parable of the Good Samaritan when He stated: "Go and do likewise."

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Church leaders have to see themselves leading others down the right path of Christian living. Just as Paul shared, an example of faithful Christian living should be provided to the Christian newcomer in the form of a living, breathing believer who can mentor others as the embark on their personal journey with Jesus. Every pastoral leader should have a body of people he has trained and taught for leadership roles that may or may not fit into the church's organizational chart. If you can't find anyone you have taught and trained for leadership, then your first move may be to pray to the Lord for insight and ideas on how to identify and start training others for future leadership roles. Here is where vision serves as a key ingredient. You'll have to see where you want to go and design a pathway for getting there.

Paul demonstrates another key component of discipleship. Discipleship is personal. You have to be willing to allow someone to examine you up close and personal as you seek to disciple them. They'll hear you more as they come to know and understand you more. They need to know that you are still flesh and blood behind all of that saintly speaking and righteous rhetoric.

Don't expect to be perfect. Try with all your might, but don't simply expect it. We are all imperfect people privileged to be working on God's perfect plan. The journey is worth telling others because they can look forward with hope to the joy that they will experience when their Bible students get a grasp of their weekly small group lesson on righteous redemption or when the man who struggled with his identity in Christ becomes at peace with striving to be more like Him. Discipleship is exactly that; a journey that you have agreed to go on with someone else as you serve as their tour guide. Yep. That's what it is.

Connect within Community

People are not to merely coexist. We are to do more than share air and space together. We are to connect with others as a community. I find that, with the advances of the Internet, social media, and other mobile communications, we have no excuse for not connecting beyond what we have done in the past. We should be even more connected to others than in previous times.

Look at what I said about community on my other blog. Visit http://revbruce.wordpress.com/category/community/ and discover insights and ideas about community in a modern perspective.

Check out www.give.org and www.pointsoflight.org for ways to contribute and connect within your local community. If you want to make a difference in your community, check out http://www.usaweekend.com/section/MDDAY and www.servenet.org today.

Keep up with the latest tweets from Life Path @ www.twitter.com/lifepath01/

Grow-Go-Glow

I believe that there is a way that we can develop people who can disseminate the gospel message to the uttermost parts of the world. Each believer can utilize his or her unique caling for specific purposes, but we all most follow the general plan, the big picture that is outlined for the body of Christ, the church. here is a sample of a simplistic view of how to get started in teaching and reaching with the Word and by the Word.

• Grow: We need a place where people can grow.
  *Teaching
  *Training
• Go: We need to develop people to go out into the world with the Word in word and deed
  *Equip
  *Educate
  *Empower
• Glow: Let your light shine before men. . . Our glow should allow others to see what God has done in our lives and the difference that He has made.

Putting Principles into Practice

The church has a duty to both God and its people. The church must honor and give glory to God. That is simple. Most people won't argue with that one. Yet, the church also has a duty to its people. The church must teach and train its people. Look at Ephesians 4:11-12, 13. we've been put into position for a distinct purpose,"for the perfecting of the saints."
We should teach and train our people. We need to teach our people the principles that come from the Word of God. Many will call them the statutes or tenets of our faith. however you would call or name them, these principles should be taught to the people by leaders and teachers within the church. Then, we must train our people in the practices of our faith. Teaching tends to fall by the wayside when we fail to follow it up with training. The teaching sounds good but does us no good because we have not applied it to our own lives through daily practices of life application. the two go hand in hand. wemust teach and train our people to put the principles into practice throughout their daily lives.

Stewardship 101

I am convinced that much of how we taught people in previous years transcended beyond the simple, especially in the church. Whatever happened between the old school and new school did a lot to get us away fom the basics of what the Bible teaches us about how we are to live in Christ. We soon discover all of these new terms like atonement, propitiation and reconciliation amid the countless treasures of biblical knowledge available to us. We need to learn about stewardship and that's real. Churches and pastors should teach from the broad spectrum of stewardship rather than Christian giving. Why? Well, let's identify the benefits that outweigh simply teaching about giving. Stewardship is a lifestyle, not a mere act. As stewards, our actions are driven based upon how God has positioned us in this life. We can become better parents, spouses, employees and even employers as we learn more about stewardship. Stewardship teaches us about accountability as well as responsibility. As we share more about wise stewardship, we will reveal more and more about our actions as a response to our relationship with God. Start with Stewardship 101 and we should see a change in the people and their actions. I believe that we can do this. Learn about giving and you can give an offering Sunday by Sunday; learn about stewardship and you can learn to take care of the kingdom business just as you would take care of your own.

Saved2Serve Network (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Saved2Serve Network

Ephesins 2:8-10

Some time ago, when we were in the beginning stages of launching Life Path Ministries & Services, Ephesians 2:8-10 stuck out for me. I read and reread the passage, discovering some deep truths about our salavation and the call to serve. After some deep thought and prayer, I saw the Lord leading Life Path to lead a rebirth in Christian volunteer service within our local congregations and communities. Thus, the Saved2Serve Network was born.

We are at the point where Saved2Serve is ready to recruit and lend support and technical assistance to local churches and community organizations. This fall will serve as the major launching of Saved2Serve's initial offerings to the faith community in San Diego County. The technical assistance and networking opportunities provided by Saved2Serve will be based upon biblical principles in the spirit of Christian service.

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"I pray, expecting an answer."- Andrew Murray

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Check out the numerous opportunities available to serve:

www.rcno.org

www.urbanministry.org

www.christianvolunteering.org

www.servenet.org

www.volunteermatch.org

www.faithfreaks.com