I hope that we will be able to carry the conversation on through the week. We can use this space to post ideas and thoughts on what we're studying.
Peace!

We really began our study yesterday morning. The book is titled; The Master Plan of Evangelism. We did this study last fall in an evening bible study and I thought it would be a great study to begin this class. There are podcasts on the Church website. You can find them in the directory under Discipleship Course.

We discussed the first chapter; Selection.

Jesus selected men who were teachable and men that people would follow. It's interesting to note that these men were not learned or even accomplished individuals. They weren't qualified by the call, it was the call that qualified them.

Jesus focused on a few yet did not neglect the masses. By focusing on a few he was able to spend more time with them. His teaching was concentrated on these few.

If you can't make our study, you can check out the podcasts on the website or you can stream them if you don't want to download them to your computer. I also have plenty of books and if you would like a copy just ask.

Your thaoughts can be posted here.

Peace!
Greg <><

The discussions at the 9:30 class on discipleship are inspiring.
When Jesus called the disciples to join him they had no idea the plan he had for them. The plan included us and is still the same plan today as Jesus taught them back then.
Come out and hear this plan.

This week we discussed Association.

Jesus curriculum was himself. There was no school or course of study. His disciples were to be with him. By being with him they not only learned but witnessed and what they didn't understand was later explained to them.

The class was well attended today and the discussion was lively.

I missed Sunday school today! Yikes! Anyone care to catch me up on the discussions?! Thanks!

Hi Laurie, we completed chapter 3 (Consecration) and will begin chapter 4 (Impartation) this Sunday. Chapter 4 is my favorite in the book.

Sometimes I think how awesome would that have been to be there with him learning and witnessing. I'm not saying I don't have that now but I think you know what I mean.

I often imagine what it would have been like to learn at the Master's feet. What it would have been like to travel the countryside with Him, listen to Him teach and witness His miracles. AS we've been going through the study we've seen how He taught those whom He called. The study has been an eye opener. We'll begin the final chapter of our study this Sunday. The topic will be reproduction. As I've been preparing for Sunday, I've realized how effective His Style of teaching was and is.

My son Aaron has a fish. Flippy has been in Aaron’s room now for over a year and a half and I sometimes go in there to watch him swim about. Fish are simple creatures that really don’t need a whole lot to survive. If they are fed and their environment is clean and at the right temperature they will live a relatively long time. We frequently drain and replace the water in Flippy’s aquarium and less frequently put him in another container to give his home a thorough scrubbing. But no matter what we do he can never live out of his home. If we were to release him he wouldn’t live long at all so, in order to keep Flippy alive, we must keep him comfortable in his glass box.
It is not this way with God’s children. Our creator desires that we grow and “bear much fruit.” He knows that when we become comfortable we become complacent. We don’t like to have our comfort zone invaded, but Jesus never called us to a life of comfort and ease. Jesus said; “I come to give you life and that abundantly.” We should note that an abundant life would be one that includes many experiences, good and bad. The good news is that we don’t have to go it alone the Holy Spirit will guide us and give us comfort when needed.
But what if we become too comfortable? Could this same Spirit also work to make us, in a spiritual sense, uncomfortable? What happens when God has a plan for us or desires that we move in a certain direction but we are too comfortable where we are to follow? Is it possible that the Spirit would make some uncomfortable with being comfortable? I believe, and scripture affirms, that this is one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit. Gods shows His love for us through His desire to see us grow and “bear much fruit,” but sometimes the only way to get us moving is to pierce our heart with conviction. The Spirit may make us uncomfortable so that we are compelled to look at those areas in our lives that need to be examined. After all, wasn’t this the purpose of the Old Testament prophets?
The disciple’s life is one of transformation. It begins, not at baptism but, when we make the conscious decision to follow Jesus and it continues as we live our lives in Him. We should not be the same people we were before, and we should never stop growing. How are we to grow if we stay, in a spiritual sense, where we are?
A life in Christ is not static! It has been my experience that the times of greatest spiritual growth have been when, called out of my comfort zone, I obeyed. The Mt. Ephraim experience is an example of this principle.
The question is: has God been speaking to you? Is He asking you to move but you are uncomfortable about where He’s leading? I would encourage you to follow because, He will not ask you to do what He will not equip you to do. You have been given the gift to accomplish His plan. Trust and obey because faith is only a word until it is exercised. It’s time to get out of the aquarium and live the life that God has for you. There is no greater peace than to be in the center of God’s Will and, you will find that there is great joy in the journey.
Peace!
Greg <><