A Disciple is a Reproducer too!
Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 5:03PM We are here in The Woodlands today and tomorrow seeing our friends and speaking at StoneBridge Church. I was able to share some thoughts on being a disciple this morning at a men's breakfast. Wow, it was great to see so many men all together. We explored a definition that has really gripped me in its simplicity.
A disciple is: a learner, a follower and a reproducer. Most "church guys" have done well with the learner part... then they may make a passing grade on being a follower... but the reproducer part... oh well... not so great!
The action point for most men is to just take the knowledge you currently have... take the relationship you currently experience with Christ... and pray for God to show you one other man to disciple. Ask that guy to meet you for coffee and begin to read through the Bible... or study a book together. Get to know them, hang out with their family and friends... just build a friendship. This NOT rocket science... just become friends and do life together.
Give these thoughts some time to percolate... pray about it and jump out there... Jesus never instructed us to do anything that He will not empower us to do.
Let me know if I can pray for you or if you have any questions... I'd love to know who is taking this step of action.
Reader Comments (1)
This email has been in my “draft” folder for quite a while now, before we forget we saw each other recently, in The Woodlands thought I might send it on its way.
Great to see you, Diann and Kathryn yesterday. Your message was great! We had about a dozen family members over for lunch after church yesterday to celebrate Elizabeth’s mom’s 80th birthday. A funny thing happened, you would have expected the attention to be on her as we ate cake and watched her open presents. She stopped, paused and turned to me and asked me a question while we all sat at the table. She said, “Bob, why don’t you tell us what you learned over the past year”. All eyes on me! As I recall, we found out the diagnosis of my cancer on Elizabeth’s mom’s birthday in 2010.
In my replay, your sermon immediately came to mind. I referenced your metaphor of a journey and making a decision to stay or go with God. I told my new audience I felt like I had to make a choice too….to stay or go with God on my personal journey last year. Based on what God had always promised me, I had a decision to make. I immediately responded by telling my new audience how it was almost one year ago to the day that I had been diagnosed with Leukemia and strangely I used the term “journey” as a descriptive term to what has happened over the past year. I told the group that I had written in my journal that I wanted God to “use me in a special way” and that “I desired a definitive diagnosis”…that I would be told that the tests would reveal exactly what I had. After exhaustive tests Thursday and Friday of the week last year, I was to meet my primary oncologist and learn the results. Dr Kadia and his team came in and said almost as if he had seen my notes in my journal. He said, “I know exactly what this is and know how to treat it…” He also mentioned words like rare, intense, treatable and many other medical terms I still leave to their use.
The next day, now Saturday morning, I was awakened early, 5:30 to be exact. I went into the den to have a cup of coffee and began to pray asking God what this was all about. His answer was a clear to me as Him saying to you as I recall you stated to me that it was ok for you to embark on a new journey. God spoke to me and told me that this circumstance and diagnosis was Him and that I would be ok. Wow, peace overcame me like I had not experienced in a long time. I knew at this point that I better let Him drive, not me. I was at a decision point, go with Him or reject Him…thankfully the peace that was in my heart and the knowledge I had of my creator and savior gave me confidence to move forward with Him.
My journey has been one of submission to His plan for healing, provision and strength. I began to see and experience things that were already happening outside of my control and influence. Things and events by people, through people all to the benefit of my situation and all to the wellbeing of my family. The kingdom of God was at work. I have told many people that God took “me” out of everything I was responsible for and placed Himself there at each void so I could see His glorious power in action. So, when this journey of cancer is complete, I could do all things more and through Him to praise him even more.
So a big “Amen”, to what you spoke about Sunday. Joining God in His journey for our lives is the only direction to take, if we know Him first. There were countless miracles on my behalf during treatment. Being able to witness God’s skill through his people and the implementation of his technology at MDA was amazing. Seeing the Holy Spirit work through Elizabeth and her blog (over 11,132 hits to date), reaching hundreds of people worldwide through her transparency and honesty of her weakness and where she placed God as her strength was short of phenomenal. Having my kids grow in their personal faith and expand their influence to others around them despite their dad having a very serious condition was incredible.
Cancer from my perspective was not about the 38 weeks of formal treatment, 46 days in the hospital, over 100 blood tests, 60 chemo injections, 30 months of chemo pill maintenance, 18 blood transfusions, 18 radiation treatments, 8 spinal taps, 4 bone marrow aspirations, 3 CT scans, 2 PET scan, 1 trip to the cardiac intensive care unit and going on 6-weeks of shingles and baldness! It has been all about God showing me how great he is and how He can do and does immeasurably more than all I could ask or imagine! There is an application of God’s plan in every aspect of our journey with him this last year.
We have seen the kingdom of God and have been recipients of His love in a way our whole family will never forget.
God Bless you and thank you for your ministry.