Wrong Ideas About Discipleship

More about discipleship. Maybe it would be better to say what discipleship is not.
   I know a church that has a pastor who thinks that discipleship just happens . He is telling his people that they are all to be making disciples and he feels the whole things is taken care of by small groups and Bible Study Fellowships, and witnessing.
   That may be part of it but it is not discipleship.
   First off a disciple is a follower of Jesus Christ. A person can not follow someone they have not studied and know. Discipleship is a process, not a moment in time.
    Discipleship is two people sharing life together, the good times along with the bad times. Two sharing failures as well as successes. It is putting life in boot leather.
      It is being free to cry and cheer in each others presence.
      It is not leading a person to the Lord and then leaving him to figure out the rest. To find out how the Bible relates to life.
       I believe that when you set up a disciple there should be at least eight years between the two of you and no more than eleven. Too close and it is too soon for the discipler to have enough to share. Too long and there is the problem of relating to the needs expressed.

    Discpleship is sharing life and wisdom with another person. You can't do that if you make a convert and run. You must stay and work with the person until they can turn and duplicate.
    Complete the process.

Training Places

  The church needs gifted individuals. Yes. but also trained individuals.

   A good foundational University to attend for Bible training and literacy is Biola University. You will get 30 units of Bible no matter what your declared major. You get it even if you are not a Bible major.
    Another good school is Moody Bible Institute.
   And if you wish to beccome a leader in the church you can consider Talbot School of Theology which meets on the same campus as Biola University.
   I also would recommend Dallas and Western. Masters Seminary is also a good training ground.
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Discipleship Is Needed

Pastor Joe has a vision for the ACTS family. We need to get a program going of discipleship. So the question is, what is discipleship? Yes, it includes Bible study and prayer.
  As I see it discipleship is a one on one relationship between two people. Our example for discipleship would be Jesus. He had twelve and of those twelve he had three. And those who were his disciples ate with, walked with, talked with and observed Jesus.
     It has been sugegsted you have an eight to ten year age difference between the two of you. Man should disciple men and women should disciple women.

     This sounds like a good way to grow the church. Small groups are not discipleship. Needs groups are not discipleship.
      Go slowly. but move forward.
   Pastor Joe states we will need a gifted person to take on the training and leadership to duplicate in the life of others. I think he means we need a trainer who is a Christian who is gifted by God, the Holy Spirit, with the exact gift of discipleship
   True, all Christian should be discipling yet we aren't.
    God has given to the church gifted individuals to train and build up other believers. I think this is what Pastor Joe is talking about.

Sermon Rocked The House

     Last Saturday in Victory Christian Fellowship, a new church being planted in the city of Santa Monica, a guest speaker, a Pastor Cheery Smith, a graduate of Biola University and Talbot Seminary, both located in the city of La Mirada, CA, spoke on the need for community. He pointed out from the book of Acts that the early church had all things in common and they gathered together to hear the apostles doctrine (preaching) and they shared  what they had with one another.
     We need community because no one of us has all the abilities within themselves. We are dependent on others. For example, you may have a need to know how to share the word of God with others. Your fellow Christian has just shared the word and he comes and shares with the group his success. You can learn from him and be built up. "So that is how it can be done. I am encouraged."

       He was very good and I think he had the attention of the young folks. Victory Christian Fellowship is for the young people by the young people and needs to grow. Pastor Daryl is trying hard but he can't do it alone. He needs once in a while a guest speaker to come in and give him a rest. This is what was happening.

Sheep Know His Voice

  Today being a Sunday I went to services. Todays' sermon concerned the passage in John about the sheep and the shepherd. The shepherd leads the flock. He doesn't push them along. The sheep know and trust the shepherd. that is why they follow. And they only know their shepherd not someone elses.

 And just how do the sheep know who is their shepherd? Glad you asked. It is because the shepherd has been with them since they were lambs. They grew up with him and have learned to trust him.
So it is with us who are called Christians. Jesus is our shepherd. He leads us and we, in trust, follow Him.
  Do you knw Him? Is He your shepherd?

Safe People

        Are you a safe person?  In relationships with others are we safe? Or  is there some resistance to growth?
     We show resistance when we refuse to allow others to get in to our life and interact with us? Pastor Joe calls it his Sybil. Sybil was a woman who had multiple personalities.
    We all have a form or resistance within ourselves. It is something we developed in childhood to protect ourselves. Now it has become a game to deny everything. Every time  we deny we reinforce the resistance.to change and allow the unreal you to show up.
      Now talking about the Christian person within the fellowship who is immoral, I mean, a sexual immoral person who won't change ever though you approach him or her and confront him or her, they just won't change, the best thing you can do, according to what God has said, is to separate yourself from him or her. Sure, it will feel like abandonment, but if they show resistance and it becomes a habit, then the only thing you can do is leave.
   Stop the cycle and become a safe person. Be real. Admit you don't understand all about yourself. Ask for feedback. Ask questions such as what do I do that pushes you away from me? And what do I do that draws you toward me?
   These are two good questions to ask your loved one if married, or to that person you are dating.

Certification of Victory Christian Fellowship

      He is back here now. He has spent four days up in Sacramento looking for the okay to be a new church plant. Never mind that for a year now he has been holding services under the name of Victory Christian Fellowship. Never mind the fact that he is a church plant sent out from ACTS Church. Without  the group approval of  organization he would be unable to get sponsorship money. Never mind that for the past year he has had to do it without any money coming in.
      If  you were to meet Daryl face to faced he would come across as a humble person who has no needs. I am sure of if wasn't for his wife he would be a mystic who denied his needs.
       Not that I am trying to put him down. I admire him. But if he were to look me in the face and say that he lives on faith, I must say, fine, faith is good but it won't pay for lighting, for hymnn books, for upkeep, for.. you name it.
      I realize this posting is way different from the others.
      I guess what I want to say is it isn't easy being called by God to be a church leader. It is a hard road and few there be who can walk it.