"Popular" Discipleship

Many blessings to all of you today as you start your week! I hope and pray that everyone enjoyed a good time in worship yesterday and look forward to becoming "doers of the Word" as well.

When I go to bookstores or department stores, I am easily drawn to the book section and perhaps 75% of the time I end up in the "religious" section. I am intrigued by the way many best selling religious books have taken on a "popular" discipleship approach; that is, there are 3, 5, 7, ways to do live this way or that way, or 10 principles to gain this or that, or the "secrets" of securing God's best blessings for me, etc. Don't get me wrong, there are principles we can live by through which we will experience true discipleship; however, I just don't think they're popular nor do they appear on the national best-selling lists. [By the way, many of these best selling and "popular" discipleship approaches focus on my benefits and what I can receive as I follow Christ]

In my devotional reading today I came across two phrases that reminded me of true discipleship. It was said of a discipleship community group in Scotland that "they are changing society because they have been changed." It sounds so simple and yet so distant in our Christian discipleship experience. Do I want my church to change? Well, then maybe I have to change! Do I want my community to change? Maybe I need to be part of that change. Do I want my marriage, family, and life to change? Well, maybe somewhere in the process I have to change! Change what? Well, that is between you and God in sincere prayer and reflection.

Secondly, Thomas Merton wrote, "It has never been either practical or useful to leave all things and follow Christ. And yet it is spiritually prudent." The spirit of this phrase is that "all things" should not govern my spiritual life but rather Christ should. When "things" begin to determine and shape my walk with Christ then it becomes a distorted faith because Christ is not at the center of it all.

We all know that God's blessings and goodness come to us whether we deserve them or not (Matthew 5:45). But when what "I will receive" overshadows the committment to the cross, then we are missing a key ingredient of true discipleship because the cross calls us to a discipleship that is denial of "self" as center for acceptance of Christ as Master.

It's interesting that of all of the graphic symbols and language that Jesus used in his life and ministry (i.e. good shepherd, bread of life, lamb of God, etc.), the one symbol that became the universal sign of Christianity was the cross. The message of the empty cross reminds us of both the suffering and victory of Christ.

As we journey as disciples of Christ, let us be reminded that the cross we bear is not easy nor "popular", but the one who walks along side us has already carried the cross and is here to empower us to live as his disciples.

Prayer: Lord, I praise you for your love for me. It is my desire to walk closely with you and to be a faithful disciple. Help me change so that I may be an instrument of change in my family relationships, church, friendships, community, and world. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

By grace alone,
Pastor David

Good Reflection Questions for a Disciple

I hope and pray everyone has gotten off to a good start this week!

Our "team" theme for Sunday paid off since the Cowboys scored yet another win!

No doubt that part of the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ involves being a good team player in sharing, giving, participating, and cooperating in the life of the church. A good team effort will take us a long way, especially when we follow the right game plan - God's plan for us as a church and as individuals.

In today's devotional time, I was reminded, through a series of questions, that a team's effort can be impacted positively, or negatively, by the commitment of each player or member. That is, if the whole team is on the same page regarding our mission and purpose, and I am on another page, then I will be hindering the team's success and progress. Therefore, our individual progress in the Christian journey is essential to the overall team's effectiveness. How can we measure or evaluate our individual progress? How can I know where I need to grow? How can I know what I need to do to be a better team player?

In A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie we find the following reflection questions which I will simply highlight:

"Have I today done anything to fulfill the purpose for which You did cause me to be born?
Have I accepted such opportunities of service as You in your wisdom has set before my feet?

Give me grace to answer honestly, O God.

Have I done anything today to tarnish (to stain or blemish) my Christian [character]? Have I been lazy in body or languid (lacking vigor or vitality) in spirit? Have I wrongfully indulged my bodily appetites? Have I kept my imagination pure and healthy? Have I been scrupulously honorable in all my business dealings?

Give me grace to answer honestly, O God.

Have I made more excuses for myself than I have been willing to make for others?
Have I, in my own home, been a peacemaker or have I stirred up strife?
Have I, while professing noble sentiments for great causes and distant objects, failed even in common charity (love) and courtesy towards those nearest me?

Give me grace to answer honestly, O God."

And he closes with the following prayer; I invite you to make it ours today:

"O Thou who infinite love, made manifest in Jesus Christ, alone has the power to destroy the empire of evil in my soul, grant that with each day that passes I may more and more be delivered from my besetting sins."

By grace alone,
Pastor David