About shepherdbryan

My passion is to disciple and see men discipled in every area of their life to see the multiplication principle actually work in a 100 year generational blessing. As go men in the church, so goes the church. As go men in the nation, so goes the nation. Fortunately, because men have often not taken their spiritual role to the limit, God has raised up many godly women to carry the torch where men have laid it aside. May God rapidly raise up men for the next generation of leaders to the Fourth Generation of spiritual leaders! As men lead in a godly way, women will follow in a godly way and that people will be blessed of the Lord.

Book Review: Successful Home Cell Groups by Dr. Paul Yonggi Cho

Posted on February 7, 2013 by shepherdbryan

“Successful Home Cell Groups” by Paul Yonggi Cho is a great testimony of God’s grace in building His church in South Korea and the influence Cho has had around the world. Dr. Cho has initiated more projects and influenced more lives that likely any other Christian in our age. He is obviously committed to Jesus Christ and making disciples. He was so focused on building God’s kingdom on earth that he didn’t need to listen to many others about building a church. His church numbered about one million in 2007 and he has now turned the church to Dr. Lee Yoon. This book was written in 1981 when the church was only about 150,000. He set off with dependency on the Lord with goals in mind. His goal of numbers drove him to see the largest church built in the world.

He based his growth on two things. First, he realized if he was going to expand beyond the 2400 he saw his church plateau at, he would need to decentralize the authority. He did this through home cell groups who came under his authority. He gave cell leaders his message and training on Wednesday nights. He then expected from them after the Sunday message, they would build up the people with the Word and love them into the group. It wasn’t love that was just mentioned, but love that had feet to the actions.

The home cell groups were the means of outreach. He exhorted his people to reach out to neighbors and love them in tangible ways. The examples he gives demonstrate the humility of the people under his ministry. If anyone wanted to join Cho’s church, they first had to sign up to be a part of a cell group.

The second basis of growth was setting goals with numbers. He made sure people knew the numbers and they submitted to his authority to reach more people. I wouldn’t want to take away anything that the Lord has done through his ministry, yet the eastern humility and authority orientation of the Korean culture is off the charts and likely assisted in the expansion. Yet, he has been effective in many other countries around the world. He also attributes a great deal of his ministry to the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Some might argue about some of his theologies. I am always amazed at the reality that some people may not see Scripture exactly as I do. But what I do respect is the humble results of what God has done through Dr. Cho. It is incredible and astounding. You will catch a vision for the possibility of home groups if you haven’t been in one before and you’ll be reinforced to press to the upward call if you already are using home groups.

MSG: Strategy for Grace – Raising Spiritual Parents

Posted on February 5, 2013 by shepherdbryan

This is the fourth in a five part series on Vision given at Grace Church on February 3, 2013.

Strategy of Grace – Raising Spiritual Parents

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

In 1974, a quaint little show called Little House on the Prairie followed the life of a family and a young girl named Laura, who grew up in Western Minnesota in the 1870’s. Each week, Laura encountered a new situation to learn about life, develop values and morals, and take responsibility. She had conflicts with the local bully, Nellie; she fell in love with a boy who didn’t love her back. She learned respect for her parents. Most importantly, each child learned his/her purpose and role in the family. Laura helped her mother care for the younger children; her older sister did sewing jobs to contribute to the family. Everyone pitched in to help with the farm and animals. There was no law at the time to say children must attend school; it was considered a privilege. Laura did her homework nightly because she wanted to learn and because it was expected. Her parents allowed her to experience struggles and she learned she could overcome adversity. Her mother didn’t run to bully Nellie’s mother over every argument. The message Laura received was “Work it out.”

Fast forward to 1987. That was a time of big hair, pop music and a comfortable life. A movie called Parenthoodwas a film about the joys, anxieties, and ups and downs of parenthood. It was also a movie that subtly showed how society had begun to change its views regarding the roles of parents and children. One of the characters, Larry, is a 33-year-old adult child who has returned to his parents’ home. With thousands of dollars in gambling debt, he returns with a small child. Larry literally cannot believe it when his father suggests he get a “regular job,” with no potential for a quick payoff and riches. “I’m better than that,” he says. The end of the film shows Larry’s father, a man in his sixties about to retire after a lifetime of hard work, getting a job so he can pay off his son’s debts, while Larry leaves on another get–rich–quick scheme. The father also takes on the role of raising his grandchild, as Larry has no ability or inclination to care for his child himself. Larry was never made to take responsibility.

Let’s move on to 2006. There was the romantic comedy Failure to Launch, which depicts the life of a 35-year-old man who has never grown up. He has no idea how to commit to a real relationship and is perfectly comfortable living with his parents. His parents, on the other hand, are veryuncomfortable and hire a beautiful woman who makes her living doing guess what? Building a man’s self–confidence and creating a “crisis” that he can successfully resolve, thus gaining the skills he needs to make it on his own. Her job is to help grown men accomplish what they never did in adolescence or early adulthood – to live independently. God’s goal is not for His children to live independently from each other OR from each generation. God desires far more than independence.

Researchers suggest that kids grow up believing that they’re so special, so talented and can be anything they want to be. When that doesn’t pan out, they easily fall into chronic disappointment and despair. The idea seems to be that if you cannot have exactly what you want, there is little point in trying and they move home. I think we call it the entitlement attitude. If we don’t, as a society, know how to raise physical parents, how will we raise spiritual parents? What is God’s solution to raising spiritual parents? Growing up Spiritually?

1) Pursue the Lord’s pattern for raising parents Deut. 6:1-9

Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess,

²“that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.

³“Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you–`a land flowing with milk and honey.’

⁴“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!

⁵“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

⁶“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.

⁷“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

⁸“You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

⁹ “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deut 6:1-9 NKJ)

Let’s go back to the physical realm first. How does God tell us to raise parents? Yes! In God’s first set of books the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy 6:1-9 lays out the plan for parenting responsibilities. If parents followed this under the filling of God’s Spirit, children would grow up seeing the example of what parents are supposed to be and they would be diligently taught what they are supposed to do.

Note verses 1.These are not suggestions from God. They are His commandments. They are commandments so people will learn “the Fear of the Lord.” Now that’s something that is missing in society today! Note the responsibility given: to 1) you and 2) YOUR son and 3) YOUR grandson. There is a connection between each generation. Parents are responsible for training and loving their children to the Lord and their grandchildren. I used to laugh at the expression “Spoil your grandchildren to get back at your children.” That is so worldly and wicked. Only a fool would think that is funny. We have the privilege of helping our children and grandchildren grow to godliness. For how long? Until the nest is empty? No! Verse two states “all the days of your life.” And the blessing is that if we are diligent there will be prolonged days to enjoy those children and grandchildren.

Moses declares in verse four that God is one! God is not double-minded. God is not confused about His purposes. There is one plan. God’s plan is to raise up physical parents who understand Him and His will. The only way for that to happen is to give ourselves entirely to the Lord – our heart, soul and strength. I must learn to not fit God into my schedule, but fit my schedule of work and even family into my relationship with God. Then we get to the good stuff in verse six.

Moses charges that these words of the Lord are to be in your heart. How do you know when the words are in the heart? They are not in the heart when you hear them. They are not in your heart when you can pass an academic test regarding the content of Scripture. They are not even in your heart when they merely influence your life. They are in your heart when it is coming out of your heart in your words and actions. Jesus said, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. (Matt. 15:18) The Word must be in the parents to raise parents. It can’t be a Sunday morning thing.

Some people say garage comes from the heart because garbage goes in. You’ve heard of GIGO “garbage in, garbage out.” There is great truth to that, but garbage will come out of my heart even when I don’t put garbage in, because I was born with a sin nature and God will continue to set my heart aside for His purposes as long as I am alive. If I don’t pursue the truth, I’ll always have garbage in my heart. I need to get His word in my heart so I can fulfill the next few verses. If you want to know what’s in your heart, ask your children or grandchildren, what they think is in your heart. That can be revealing!

Moses writes in verse seven that parents are to teach children diligently. It’s not enough to expect the church to train your children. It’s not enough to set an example and hope they will “get it.” Every child must be taught diligently. They must be taught until they are raised to spiritual adult status. Then they are ready to launch and raise more spiritual children (if they are of age physically also!).

Then Moses tells parents to use every opportunity to teach God’s Word (verse seven). When you sit down includes family devotions, but also serious conversations about life or even discipline. It includes sitting down to dinner. Walking by the way refers to those times in life where you see a point of truth in everyday circumstances. When you lie down means that parents can help their children recall what God had done during the day and go to sleep with the hope of all that God is and does for the next day. When you rise up refers to the joy that “this is the day the Lord has made” and there is hope for what God will do in the future. If you are going to raise parents, you must be diligent and use every opportunity to instill confidence in God’s good character and His perfect will for raising parents.

Then Moses adds in verse eight to “bind them as a sign on your hand” refers to instilling “doing” the Word and not just hearing. Parents, you must be diligent to teach your children to obey. Love them as special and precious children, but ensure they obey God’s Word. The “frontlets” refers to establishing God’s way as the lens of sight. Teach children to guard their eyes to avoid evil and see only according to God’s holiness to build His kingdom. Finally in verse nine Moses admonishes to “write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” In other words make sure that every time your children go out of your home, they are going out representing the king and building his kingdom. When they return through the gate, they are returning to rest in God’s purposes knowing that when they pass through the gates again, the children understand their purpose is to reach the world for Jesus Christ. That is raising parents, because that will raise children to be parents for Jesus Christ.

Many of you have heard of Ephesians 6:1-3, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: ³“that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth. “ This is not so parents have someone to order or do their bidding. Parents must have the Word in their heart and train their children so children can spiritually grow. What must be true? Because parents represent God, they must have a wise plan on how to raise their children. Parents need to know God’s plan, because they represent God to their children. They have to be like God in training, that is clear, patient, consistent, self-controlled and merciful, but always helping the children rise to the holy standard of God. If they do, children will be raised to be good parents. What is God’s solution to raise spiritual parents? Raise children to be godly physical parents in order to teach principles of how to teach spiritual parents.

2) Pursue the Lord’s pattern in raising disciples Matt 4:18-22

If you were God, how would you establish your kingdom on earth? If I was God, I’d direct the angels to secure auditoriums and gather invalids I could heal and give everyone my dictates. People would submit to that show of miracles and power. Probably not. It wouldn’t matter. That’s human strategy. God’s way is different. Jesus took twelve men, one who never believed, and formed them into disciplers. It was the Holy Spirit who transformed them into an unstoppable group of men sold out for Jesus.

Jesus did minister in large group contexts proclaiming His kingdom message, but he only explained the message to a small group – those who wanted to know and understand. Most of His time was spent in the small group. They traveled together, shared meals, experienced hardship together and even faced deception from religious leaders.

Jesus chose to spend time listening, encouraging, challenging, forgiving and debriefing the disciples. Jesus’ emphasis was on relationships in the small group, not on programs. The men were not brilliant. They were common, but teachable. They ran off when the going was tough. Jesus knew they were ones the Father gave Him (John 17:6) and Jesus asked that the Father set them apart (17:17). It was through those common men that millions would believe their word (17:20). What’s God’s solution to raising spiritual parents? Pursue the Lord’s pattern for raising parents and pursue the Lord’s pattern in raising disciples. Finally, note the Lord’s exhortation.

3) Pursue the Lord’s exhortation to raise spiritual children 1 Thes. 2:5-12; Heb. 5:12-14

Note these exhortations.

For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness– God is witness. ⁶Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. ⁷ But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. ⁸ So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. ⁹ For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. ¹⁰ You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; ¹¹ as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, ¹² that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. (1 Thess. 2:5-12)

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. ¹⁴ But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Heb 5:12-14)

God exhorts us like a Father to grow up spiritually and become spiritual parents (disciple-making people). So what is the best way to make that happen so most of the congregation, let’s say 80%, feel like they can achieve that and actually see that happen?

What is the wisest approach to help 80% of the congregation become spiritual parents (disciple-makers)? Some possibilities:

· Disciple people to be seminary graduates emphasizing on original languages

· Disciple people to be Bible College graduates from a correspondence network

· Disciple people with years of intense Systematic Theology from the pastor

· Disciple people with years of intense counseling training and practical theology

· Disciple people in small groups teaching various books of the Bible

· Disciple men through the Colossians 2:7 material

· Disciple people in small groups using the Message Based Discussion Questions

Every example above is great for churches. They are great goals. However, it won’t happen. People have their lives to live and maybe 2% might become seminary graduates, 5% might become Bible college graduates, 10% might be deeply entrenched into Systematic Theology or plug into counseling training and 20% might be able to lead a book of the Bible study in a small group, but that still leaves the majority thinking they could never disciple a group of people. If we are going to fulfill the Great Commission, we need a plan whereby 80% feel like discipling other people is even a remote possibility.

The last possibility is the most effective for 80% of the people to see that they could become spiritual parents. Message Based Discussion Questions are something that almost any Christian with a little biblical background and trust in the Lord could lead and facilitate a good discussion. It’s interesting that the early church devoted themselves to what the apostles taught. Luke records in Acts 2:42, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

I’m all for our Fellowship Groups and am thankful for the truth that is taught in them. They have many strengths and here are a few of them.

Current Fellowship Groups have strengths of:

· Equipping with solid teaching of God’s Word

· Credible leaders teach and provide opportunities for others to teach

· Relationships form and exist in and out of FG

· Prayer support for those in the FG

· Care Group support for those in the FG

If we were expecting a reproducible process to occur through Fellowship Groups, it’s likely not going to happen. We don’t have the right model and below are listed a few weaknesses related to reproducing in a Fellowship Group.

Several weaknesses of Fellowship Groups related to reproduction:

· Some people hide in the group and end up as spectators

· They are content driven and we may be unsure how much is absorbed

· Some absorb content, which doesn’t have to be practiced

· There is often not an intentional method for reproducing disciples

So that brings us to the wisest environment I see in the church to capture 80% of the people to become reproducible disciple-makers or what we call spiritual parents. Below are found many of the strengths of a small group related to helping people become spiritual parents.

Small groups provide a wise environment to develop spiritual parents (disciple-making people):

· There are 10-14 people which is easier to develop trust

· They develop deeper relationships because more time is spent in relationships

· They provide a safe place to be authentic with personal struggles and get help

· They allow for many groups outside the church building

· They provide a back door for people to come to church

· Everyone participates because we learn by doing (teach them and release them)

· There are 12, rather than 30 or 50, so people are willing to lead also

· It’s easier to know if people are “getting it” because of greater feedback

· They practice a model where a new person can learn quickly he can lead also

· Often more is caught than taught

We should recognize there are at least two assumptions to this scenario.

n This assumes 1) on-going training, 2) support for disciples and 3) accountability for the discipling leaders

n This assumes using a material that 80% of the people can grasp, apply and implement

With these assumptions, 80% of the people can become multiplying disciples as spiritual parents. Here’s the key for the message:

The Lord Jesus gave the example and

taught us to become spiritual parents.

· Too many Christians mimic the movie, “Failure to Launch.” The goal is not being independent, but interdependent raising new spiritual parents or disciples to Jesus Christ. Are you in a FG or HG, accountable for growing to the next spiritual level? Is there someone helping you advance?

· God loves you where you are, but where you are God wants you to keep growing. He wants you to become spiritual parents for others. That means adjusting your schedule to fit with others.

· Life is not about you. Life is about Jesus Christ and His message to disciple others, i.e. raise spiritual parents.

[The introduction comments were adapted from the website empoweringparents.com.]

Here’s a copy of the Message Based Discussion Questions for the message:

Message Based Discussion Questions

1) When and how were taught to be an adult who was ready to raise children?

Digging Deeper:

2) In Deuteronomy 6:6, where is the word supposed to be solidified? _________. What will that look like according to the larger context of Deut. 6:1-9?

3) How many times was Peter called to follow by Jesus? _________ (compare John 1:35-42 with Matt. 4:18-20). What do you suppose was going through Peter’s mind?

4) What are the three challenges Jesus makes in Luke 9:57-62?

a) _______________________ ; ________________________;

________________________

b) What are examples of challenges today that you face in considering the invitation by Jesus (Luke 9:57-62)? How do they hinder disciples from being fully committed to follow Jesus?

Application of the message to life:

5) Are you ready to seek the next stage of growth? What are three things you might have to do or rearrange in your life?

6) Do you know the miracle and joy of taking responsibility for discipling others in Jesus? How is that more fulfilling that not having spiritual responsibilities?

The Light at Christmas

Posted on February 1, 2013 by shepherdbryan

This is a recent article included for the December, 2012, Grace and Truth Newsletter. We broke from expositional teaching to celebrate the advent season as many churches do. Each Sunday, a message was given according to each candle: God’s Hope; God’s Love; God’s Joy; and God’s Peace. This introduced our congregation to that series.

The Light at Christmas

As a boy, I remember the Christmas season as having the longest nights and the shortest days outside. But I also remember Christmas had the brightest lights from all the lights on the house and in the house. The darker the night, the brighter one light would shine. I remember going to church and singing “Silent Night” with our candles lit and thinking of how bright the church became even though the lights were off. It warmed our lives and set the mood to receive Jesus as the Light of the World.

This year we are going to celebrate Christmas season using the Advent candles. Each of the candles give a symbolic meaning in the Advent, or arrival (or appearance), of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are usually five candles. Three candles are purple, one pink and one white. What do they signify?

The first candle is purple and is the Prophecy Candle or Candle of Hope. The prophets made it clear that Messiah was coming and He was Israel’s hope. We have hope because Jesus Christ arrives and penetrates the darkness.

The second candle is purple and is the Bethlehem Candle or Candle of Love. Born in the city of Bethlehem is the greatest bundle of love God has ever given. Jesus Christ, the seed of David, was God’s greatest expression of love to satisfy His own righteous character, so that we might have the opportunity for eternal life.

The third candle is often pink as the Shepherd Candle or Candle of Joy. When the angels appeared to the shepherds they rushed to find the Babe and spread the good news of great joy.

The fourth candle is purple and is the Angel Candle or Candle of Peace. As the angels praised God before the shepherds they said, ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Man could not create peace with God by anything he could become or do. He could only accept what God had done for him. Do you have peace with God?

The fifth candle is white and is the Christ Candle. The white reminds us that Jesus was the spotless Lamb of God sent to remove the penalty for our sins. We will light this candle on Christmas Eve as the children and youth have a special presentation and drama to welcome in Christmas.

What does the darkness mean or do to you? What does the light of a candle mean to you? Do you know the Light of the World, the Lord Jesus Christ?

This Christmas season we celebrate the Lord Jesus in His arrival into the world of darkness, so that we might have Light within ourselves, the Lord Jesus Christ. Seek the Lord Jesus and the Light of life will become real to you. Trust in Jesus Christ and the Light will become part of your life. Join us during this Advent Season as we celebrate the Light of the World!

Question: Resurrection: Who and When?

Posted on January 31, 2013 by shepherdbryan

Resurrection

Who is taken at the different resurrections? And when do they take place?

1) Resurrection comes from a word that means to stand again (anastasis.). It is the transformation of the physical to the spiritual (1 Cor. 15:50-54), the transition from the temporal to the eternal (1 Cor. 15:52) and the transparency of the ambiguity to clarity (Dan. 12:3; 1 Cor. 13:12).

2) The basis of the teaching is built upon the empty tomb of Jesus (John 20:1-17).

3) Resurrection is more about the corporate resurrection than the individual. There are two resurrections: The resurrection order of the living (elect) and the order of unbelievers (non-elect) (Matt. 25:33-46).

4) Jesus’ first resurrection order is for all believers and includes Jesus (Rev. 20:5-6).

a) Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrection (Rom. 8:29; 1 Cor. 15:23).

i) The Father planned that Jesus be raised from the dead (1 Thes. 1:10).

ii) He was raised by the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 1:4).

iii) Jesus’ resurrection is the basis for our hope in life (1 Pet. 1:3).

b) The raptured Church is second (1 Cor. 15:51-57; 1 Thes. 4:13-18).

c) The Old Testament saints and Tribulational martyrs are third at the end of the Tribulation. There would be a rest for the Old Testament saints until the last days concluded during the Tribulation (Dan. 12:13).

i) Martha knew Lazarus would rise in the last day (John 11:24).

ii) The Old Testament saints will rise from the dust (Is. 26:19-20).

iii) Tribulational martyrs will join the Lord at this point (Rev. 20:4).

d) Millennial saints are fourth at the Millennium end (Rev. 20:11-15).

5) The second resurrection occurs at the end of the Millennium and is composed of all unbelievers who rejected the saving work of Jesus on the cross (Rev. 20:11-15). They will be judged based on their works, because they were not persuaded to believe in Jesus as their Savior (John 3:36).

a) The Day of Judgment will come (2 Pet. 3:7).

b) The evil of rejecting Jesus Christ brings condemnation (John 5:28-29).

c) They will join the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41).

Multiplying Together

Posted on January 30, 2013 by shepherdbryan

Multiplying Together

If I offered you two options for financial success, which would you choose? Would you choose to receive one penny today and double that each day for the next 30 days? So the second day you’d have two pennies and on day three you’d have four pennies and so forth. Or, would you rather receive 10,000.00 each day for thirty days?

Some people might say, “Go for the fast $10,000.00! He might run out of money!” And humanly speaking that would make sense. Besides, after only ten days, one person would have $5.12 and the other person would have 100,000.00! That seems like a no brainer. And that is probably why we don’t follow the Lord’s principle for discipleship in ministry.

A good math student knows that after thirty days, the person receiving the $10,000.00 each day will end up with $300,000.00, which seems like a sizeable amount and a good investment from any perspective. Yet, the person who received the penny and doubled each day would have $5,368,709.12. Yes, that’s over five million dollars!

Friends, that’s what happens when we disciple and multiply other people. Reach them with the gospel and then fulfill the Great Commission by discipling faithful people. Paul said it very well,“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”¹ Do you see the four generations involved? The first generation is Paul and the second generation is Timothy. Then the third generation is “faithful men” and the fourth generation is “others” who are taught by the faithful men.

Jesus spent time with twelve men. He spent time with them. He taught them. He put them to work. He helped them practice what He was teaching them. After just a little over three years, they went out to disciple others – some more and some less, but they transformed the world! Multiplication always produces more fruit than addition.

The third statement of our Grace Church vision statement is “Multiply together to reach the world for Christ.” Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen” ²

If a believer discipled two people who then discipled two more people, then the number would climb slowly but multiply exceedingly! If they each discipled three or four then the potential for growth and impact would increase exponentially. Going back to the initial doubling illustration, after 30 generations there could be five million followers or disciples of Jesus Christ. My friends, we might not see the impact now but we will when we get to heaven!

Let me give you several thoughts on multiplying at Grace:

First, train your children to walk in godliness. They are your first responsibility and can effectively influence their world to come.

Secondly, train someone how to do your ministry. If you are ushering, ask someone to come alongside you to observe. If you are teaching, find an assistant who can watch you teach, so that you can entrust that class to them if the Lord leads you on to another opportunity.

Thirdly, help us reach out to your neighbors. If you know of someone who would like a visit, the outreach team is more than willing to go with you or make the visit. If they become believers, we can help them multiply by discipling them to godliness. Then they can, again with our help, become disciplers of disciplers!

Fourthly, become equipped to disciple others by being discipled yourself. Then begin discipling two or three other faithful people who will be able to disciple others.

There are many ways to serve Jesus Christ. The most fulfilling, in my view, is discipling people to take the next spiritual step to become disciplers of disciplers. Discipleship is multiplication, which produces more results than addition. As we assume personal responsibility for building in the kingdom, we will multiply and watch the exponential growth! Join the team and see the growth!

¹2Timothy 2:2; ²Matthew 28:19-20

Equipping Together

Posted on January 26, 2013 by shepherdbryan

Equipping Together

There are few things more exciting than watching a team rally together and take on “enemy forces.” These “enemy forces” may be another school’s football team, show choir, or marching band. It’s fun to watch the training, focus, discipline and execution that brings individuals together into a team. I remember playing “kick the can” against the other neighborhood’s kids and “capture the flag” with a friendly church group. At Grace we work together not only to do ministry but to fight as a family against spiritual forces. There are spiritual forces and distractions like busyness, becoming like the culture, or even gossip, division, the scourge of the tongue or worse.

Equipping Togetheris the second aspect of Grace’s Vision Statement. Here are the three statements:

Connecting together to worship God

· Equipping together in grace to be more like Christ

· Multiplying together with the gospel to reach the world

Last month we looked at the first statement on Connecting Together. This month let’s highlight Equipping Together!

Equipping is a biblical word and concept. Note these two great passages Paul writes:

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equippingof the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God…¹

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.²

Equipping is the nurture, love, training and exhortation you get at church and in fellowship with other believers to give glory to the Lord in and through His body. It means you can’t “sit, soak or sour” as a Christian. You can measure how you’re doing by how you’re expanding your ability to reach and disciple other people.

Together means you are not alone. It means you work with others in the body to become more like Christ. It means you don’t just stay home and study, when your privilege is to help others grow to be more like Christ, (even if you have better ideas and you think you can be more efficient!) Together means you consider others more important than yourself.³

To be more like Christmeans God’s purposes are for us to become conformed to the image of Jesus.⁴ When God’s people are conformed to the image of Jesus, then there will be an assembly of prayer and praise at churches across the land, rather than division and discouragement. There will be outreach of gospel truth and compassion to communities. Why? There will be growth because church will be a place of unity, empowerment and growth with all believers equipping together.

I see this going on at Grace. Steve Perron and Mike Monfreda put together a great Elder Training series this summer for equipping potential future elders. I see this in Youth Ministry as Justin works with AJ Hillebrand, Josh Georgen and others for equipping in youth ministry. I see this in the quarterly Children’s Ministry Training; Pat Hillebrand and Vickie Hovenstine equipping teachers and helpers for the children’s ministry. I see Rich Witmer equipping musicians and singers for leading us in praise. I see this in the Fellowship Groups and Home Groups as people both learn truth and learn how to apply the truth in good relationships.

We saw a great manifestation of equipping as the Connection Team equipped many of the ministries to rally together for the Ministry Fair. I get to see the behind-the-scenes work of the Communication Team working on branding and brochure work as well as connecting to ministries to facilitate better communication at Grace. I saw the Men’s Ministry equip families at the movie “Courageous” after which many men and women stood up to take on the challenge of standing tall for Jesus. I see the Outreach Team equip many people for outreach ministry.

The opportunities and follow through for equipping together to be more like Christ are present, ready and growing at Grace. Let’s keep working together as a team so that no “enemy forces,” whether human or angelic, can thwart or hinder God’s open door for ministry at Grace! How do you see our team coming together to equip together?

¹Ephesians 4:12-13a; ²2 Timothy 3:16-17; ³Philippians 2:3-4; ⁴Romans 8:29

Connect Together

Posted on January 25, 2013 by shepherdbryan

Connect Together

I enjoy meeting new people who visit Grace. There are a number of reasons why people check us out and I’m always interested. Most people are looking for a place to worship by learning about Scripture or by raising their children – they want them in a safe friendly place or a church where they will be accepted. I’ve heard many people say that Grace Evangelical Church uses the Scriptures during the messages! It’s hard to believe that a church would not value and preach God’s Word, but I’m told many churches don’t use much Scripture. Their teaching may be merely stories or a psychological rendering of people’s problems.

Whatever their reason for visiting Grace, I always think, “How I can connect people to help them feel a part of the family at Grace?” That’s part of our Vision Statement:

Connecting together to worship God

· Equipping together in grace to be more like Christ

· Multiplying together with the gospel to reach the world world

My first concern is really the first line of the vision statement. Let me take a few moments to address that first line.

The Scott family recently joined Grace. Steve works on the north side now and Kayce is the co-director of Noah’s Ark. I loved hearing how they are connecting together to worship at Grace. Kayce was sharing with the new staff of Noah’s Ark and she said, “We love being at Grace, because people here know so much Scripture. They rattle off verses about what the Bible says to every circumstance of life. I have not been around that before. It’s amazing!” She also commented that connecting to groups is what helps us worship the Lord. Steve and Kayce have connected with the Word Processors. Kayce said she loves how the group is walking through books of the Bible in a way that they understand.

Connection helps us fulfill God’s way of worship. When we come together and show both the truth and caring for others, people respond in exalted worship of the Lord.

Our new Connection Team Ministry is always working on trying to help people see how they might connect in the groups we offer – both fellowship groups and home groups. The Ministry Fair was put on by the Connection Team and the Communication Team so that we can connect together to worship Godcorporately and work in our community as the Body of Christ.

Yes, connection is extremely important for us to worship God. The writer to the Hebrews records: And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.¹ Whether we are described as a body,² living stones built up into a spiritual house,³the household of God,⁴ a holy temple of the Lord,⁵ or built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit,⁶ God designed us to worship Him together. We do that best when connected through a variety of ways – worship service, fellowship groups, home groups and serving together.

I pray that you’ll get to know some of our new people so that you’ll connect together to worship God in Spirit and in Truth!

¹Hebrews 10:24-25; ²1 Corinthians 12:12-20; ³1 Peter 2:5; ⁴Ephesians 2:19; ⁵Ephesians 2:20; ⁶Ephesians 2:21

Question: What does hate mean in the Bible?

Posted on January 24, 2013 by shepherdbryan

What does hate mean in Scripture?

Here are a few thoughts.

Most people think of hate as the opposite of love and it is.¹ Hate is often expressed by opposition, or the actions of detesting and despising toward another with whom you have no desire for contact. Love draws in, while hate separates. Amnon hated Tamar with a greater hate than the phony love he expressed to her and drove her away from him (2 Sam. 13:15).

We read of how God hated Israel’s festivals, because they were mixed with sin and human glory. God hates any action of worship from sinful, unholy people (Is. 1:13-15; cf. Zech 8:17). God hates the wicked (Ps. 11:5). God hated idols (Deut. 16:22) and those who love God will also hate idolators (Ps. 31:6). That hatred is acceptable to God.

However it is not always a violent separation or opposition. It can be a passive action as when David hated his friends who stood with him against his rebellious son Absalom. Joab rebuked David, “…you love your enemies and hate your friends” (2 Sam 19:6) when he showed mournful love toward his rebellious son Absalom. That kind of hate is a passive indifference of not caring about those who loyally stood with him.

We can hate someone by not loving the one to whom love is expected (Gen. 29:31-33). Jacob was not showing love to Leah (unloved, saneh, i.e. hated) and God blessed her in spite of his indifference.

If a man had two wives, and one was unloved (saneh, hated), the man could not give firstborn status on the son of the loved wife. He must give firstborn status to the firstborn, even if the son was from the unloved (hated) wife (Deut. 21:15-16).

The word, therefore, expressed a choice of one over the other. How that choice is manifested can be expressed in different ways.

¹Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, ed. by Harris, Arch and Waltke, Vol. 2, p. 880

Connect; Equip; Multiply: Vision for Growth

Posted on January 23, 2013 by shepherdbryan

This newsletter article was printed for the August, 2012, Grace and Truth Newsletter.

Connect; Equip; Multiply

August 2012

It’s hard to drive down the road while looking into thick fog. That’s why clear vision is a key ingredient for forward movement. A Vision statement needs to be simple, memorable and clear to guide us where we need to go.

Most of us are visually oriented. Imagine keeping your eyes closed for 24 hours! A Visionstatement captures the mind to tell people where they are going and guides them along the way. Visionis the picture that gives people a sense of belonging and community.

Before we continue with Vision, let’s note the mission statement and purpose of Grace. A Mission states why an organization exists. Our Mission statement is: “Love God, love others and make disciples to Jesus Christ.” Purpose defines why the vision and mission statements matter. Our purpose is found in our constitution and states,

The purpose of Grace Evangelical Church shall be to glorify God by means of teaching and preaching of the Word of God, by fellowshipping with one another, by discipling believers into maturity, by emphasizing spiritually strong families, by providing a weekly time of corporate worship and prayer, and by encouraging believers to share the good news of Christ through life and words in the sphere of the home, community and throughout the world.

If we are clear on our purpose, we must be clear on our Vision. There are three statements in our Vision:

· Connecting together to worship God

· Equipping together in grace to be more like Christ

· Multiplying together with the gospel to reach the world

Let’s note several thoughts about these statements. First, each statement includes the word “together.” We are the Bride of Christ together. We will all one day worship together before His throne:

“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and .the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”¹

We gather together to honor Him in worship in one purpose of the Bride of Christ.

Secondly, each statement is proactive and measures something. Paul writes,

[Communication gifts were given]…for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head– Christ– ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.²

You can tell when you are connected – you are in fellowship with people at church and “knit together”, growing to unity of the faith (doctrine). You can tell when you are equipped – you are in the work of ministry. You can tell when you are multiplying – you are training and sending your replacement.

Thirdly, each statement focuses attention vertically and horizontally. The horizontal element is seen in the equal standing we have together before God. The vertical element is seen in “worshipping God,” becoming “more like Christ” and taking the “gospel [good news from heaven]” to reach the world.

Connect, Equip and Multiply. Those three words will see us through to accomplish God’s purpose for Grace. I’ll take each word in the next three months to amplify and help us capture the Elder’s vision so you can see where we’re going!

¹Revelation 5:11,12; ²Ephesians 4:12-16

MSG: Strategy for Grace – Stages of Growth

Posted on January 20, 2013 by shepherdbryan

This is the third of four messages on the Strategy for Grace Evangelical Church in Indianapolis. The first two messages were given on December 30, 2012 and January 6, 2013. I invite you to read through them to understand the sequence and background for this message. If you desire to listen to them, you can pick them up on www.indygrace.org. I also invite your comments and questions at the bottom of this post.

Strategy for Grace – Stages of Growth

1 John 2:12-14

January 20, 2013

One of the greatest miracles of life is the conception and birth of a human baby. God’s infinite wisdom provides the miracle of a body that develops, grows and then reproduces in time. The body is an amazing creation. Although many of us have experienced sickness this fall and winter, the body is very resilient to return to health. We all go through a process of physical growth.

There are five stages. There is the twinkle in your father’s eye. That’s the stage before you were born, when you did not exist as a baby. The second stage is an infant or baby. The third stage is a child. The fourth stage is young adult. And the fifth stage is being a parent. Someone offered me a sixth stage, which is the broken down grandpa stage, to which I said, “Amen!” but wouldn’t add it to the list! Let me describe the last four stages.

The second stage is the infant stage. We start out as helpless babies, the apple of parent’s eyes. The baby infant cannot provide, defend or do anything for himself when he is born. Without caregivers, the baby would die, but with loving, nurturing and protecting parents, a baby will survive and thrive. A baby is born with reflex actions like the startle reflex at loud noises, and the grasp reflex when an object is put in the hand. The infant responds to warm touch, learns by imitating sounds and develops into a thinking, playing, walking and building child.

The third stage is child. The 3-year-old child learns to balance, to hop, to skip, to catch and to take care of necessary needs. Slowly by imitation, the child learns to print and write, cut, paste, play ball and his most difficult achievement – to play well with others. An infant doesn’t know how to play well with others. We teach a child the world doesn’t revolve around him. The child must be taught to be a young adult or the child will still be living at home dependent on momma at age 25.

The fourth stage is young adult. The young adult realizes there is a world around him and he needs to adjust to it. The young adult sees opportunities for education and training and tries those opportunities to see what he’s good at and where he finds success. The young adult uses his God-given strengths and talents to engage in social conversations, work and refinement of values for living with others. The young adult learns the importance of behavior, which conforms to social values and that good behavior is maintained by the presence of authority, which is a good thing. In time, the young adult leaves his parents and cleaves to a God-given partner and they often become parents.

The fifth stage is being a parent. The parent is the person who assumesresponsibility for reproduction and raises one like himself. Parents die to themselves for the sake of the infant. They provide unconditional warm touch, constant nurturing and protective care to a helpless infant who needs over a decade of care, protection, instruction and training unto righteousness.

The same is true spiritually. God has provided spiritual stages of growth for us to grow and develop in His spiritual growth cycle. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone understood what the spiritual stages were and where we each fit? What is the spiritual growth process of the normal Christian?

The spiritual growth process includes five stages. These are important to understand, so that we can grow to the next spiritual stage and help others grow in their spiritual journey. The goal is to become a spiritual parent.

The first spiritual stage is that of the unbeliever. Everyone begins as an unbeliever and is spiritually dead before God.

1) Unbeliever – Spiritually dead Eph. 2:1-3

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, ² in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, ³ among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. (Eph 2:1-3)

Ephesians 2:1-3 above describes everyone. Every single person begins in this stage and everyone begins living as a son of disobedience. We begin life living in sin and need to trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ, in that He died on the cross for our sins. When we as sinners trust in Jesus Christ, God accepts us into His family (John 1:12). We all lived pursuing the desires (lusts) of our flesh and what we thought was right. We had to learn truth from Scripture from someone who was willing to teach us the truth.
This person does not know Jesus and has not accepted Him as Savior. He is unbelieving and rebellious.

2) Spiritual Infant – focus on self 1 Cor. 3:1-3; 1 Pet. 2:2-3

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. ² I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; ³ for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? (1 Cor. 3:1-3)

As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Pet. 2:2-3)

Paul was writing to believers above in 1 Corinthians 3. They were babes, because they were focused on themselves and didn’t care what others thought. They were divisive, envious and full of strife. They were still living like unbelievers, which is what spiritual infants do. They were still sucking on milk.
Peter tells those in the Dispersion that they should long for the milk of God’s Word, because that’s how they are going to grow. Peter acknowledges they hadn’t been discipled and were not growing well. They had persecution and the milk of the Word would get them through and able to grow stronger.
This person has accepted Jesus as His Savior, but is not connected in a relationship environment for the purpose of Biblical Discipleship. He is ignorant of God’s Word, confused and dependent on others.

3) Spiritual Child – What can I get? 1 John 2:12; 1 Thes. 2:10-12; Phm 1:8-11

I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake… I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father. (1 John 2:13)

You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; ¹¹ as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children,¹²that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. (1 Thess. 2:10-12)

Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, ⁹ yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you— being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ– ¹⁰I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, ¹¹ who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. (Philem 1:8-11)

John writes to spiritual children that their sins are forgiven. Why? In the physical realm, children grow and thrive best in a home where there is stability, security and love expressed in forgiveness. It’s true also in the spiritual realm. When people feel oppressed, judged and condemned, they don’t thrive. They barely make it spiritually, so John makes sure they understand their sins are forgiven and they can keep trying to learn about how great God is, even when we sin. It’s been said that 85% of people who are committed to mental institutions would be able to walk out the door if they knew they were forgiven. That’s why the spiritual life is so important to help people grow up from living in sin and living righteous lives.
Paul remarks in Thessalonians that he is like a father to children who while they may need comfort, they also need exhortation and challenge to keep growing and not remain children. Don’t be that young man dependent on momma at age 25.
Then in Paul’s letter to Philemon, we see a beautiful example of Paul’s exhortation to Philemon to forgive the spiritual child Onesimus, who has just become a Christian and he needs a spiritual parent who will take him in and let him eventually prove his spiritual worth.
This person recognizes his need for relationships with other Christians and is connected in a relational environment for the purpose of discipleship, but life is all about him. He is self-centered, prideful, idealistic and has either a high or low view of self often because he lives by pride or emotions.

4) Spiritual Young Adult – wants to serve 1 John 2:13-14; Gal. 5:13-14

I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one… I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one. (1Jo 2:13b – 14b)

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Gal 5:13-14)

As John writes, the young adult has learned a great deal of God’s word and is applying it. He is a doer of the word and not merely a hearer. He overcomes the devil’s and fleshly temptations to focus on self and not serve others. He is an overcomer! Why is he an overcomer? He overcomes, because he is strong from God’s Word. He continues to depend on it and is now leading others.
Paul helps us understand that freedom from self is using Christian liberty in Christ for serving others. He doesn’t use his Christian liberties for his own purposes, but for the name of Jesus in loving others.
He recognizes his part in the body of Christ. This person has moved from self-centeredness to God- and other-centeredness. He is characterized by service, zeal, mission and spiritual independence. He learns to push on when discouraged.

5) Spiritual Parent – reproducing 1 John 2:13-14; 2 Tim. 2:2

I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning…. ¹⁴I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. ( 1 John 2:13-14)

And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (2 Tim. 2:2)

In the 1 John passage, John writes the exact same thing twice, except he writes “I write” in verse 13 and “I have written” in verse 14. It’s not because he is old or has forgotten. God is making very clear to us that “Fathers” or spiritual parents are in an intimate relationship with the Lord and are doing His will. They know about the word and they know about God. But far more than knowing about the Word or God, they know God. They understand His character and His will. They know God. They are living the Great Commandment (Love God and love others) and they are living the Great Commission (Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations…).
In Paul’s letter to Timothy, we see the four generations of biblical discipleship. Paul is writing to his disciple Timothy. Paul exhorts Timothy to disciple faithful men who will be willing to disciple others. That is “knowing” God and being obedient to Him. The spiritual parent has an ongoing intimate relationship with the Father and is seeking to obey God in the most important commands given to Christians.
He has been serving and ministering and now thinks in terms of reproducing. He can feed himself and intentionally recruits people for personal growth and reproducing disciple-makers on the church team.

Please note: These stages are not based on the content of Bible knowledge, but practical implementation.

Now how do you know what stage you are in? You can tell what stage you are in by your words and by your actions. Jesus makes this very clear in Luke 6:43-45:

“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴ “For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. ⁴⁵“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:43-45)

Jesus is saying that if we’re walking with Him, our words and actions will reflect God’s Word and if our words do not reflect God’s word, we should examine ourselves. We can know, IF we are a genuine Christian, whether we are living according to the flesh or according to the Spirit. More specifically, what comes out of your mouth and your actions explain well where you are spiritually.

The chart below explains fives stages of spiritual growth. Each of the stages has common expressions that identify them. Read through the chart and then note the descriptions of the typical beliefs, behaviors and attitudes from the stages in the second chart. The second chart gives more specifics, which describe why each spiritual stage expresses different kinds of words.

“Phrase” from the Stage

Unbeliever	I don’t believe there is a god. The bible is just a bunch of myths. I don’t believe in miracles. Evolution explains away a need for God. God is just a crutch. There are many ways to get to God; Jesus is only one way.
Spiritual Infant	I believe in Jesus, but my church is when I’m in the woods. I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian. I gave my life to Jesus and I go to church, but I don’t need to be close to other people. I don’t have time to be in a relationship with other Christians. My spouse is my accountability partner; I don’t need anyone else. I pray and read my Bible; that is good enough for me.
Spiritual Child	I love my small group; don’t add any more people to it. Who are all these people coming to my Church? Tell them to go somewhere else! I am not coming to church anymore. It has become too big; it has too many people. My small group is not taking care of my needs. They aren’t teaching what I want to hear, so I’m going to find one that meets my needs better. I didn’t like the music today. If only they did it like…”
Spiritual Young Adult	I think I could lead a group with a little help. I have three friends I have been witnessing to, and this group would be too big for a relational environment. Randy and Rachel missed group and I called to see if they are okay. Their kids have the flu, so maybe our group can make meals for them. I’ll start. In my devotions, I came across something I have a question about. I noticed that we don’t have a retirement home visitation team. Do you think I could be involved? I am so exhausted this week. I called all sixty men from men’s breakfast to see how they were.
Spiritual Parent	This guy at work asked me to explain the Bible to him. Pray for me. We get to baptize someone from our small group tonight. When is the next Belonging class? I want to get her plugged into ministry somewhere. Our small group is going on a mission trip and I have given each person a different responsibility. Where do you think we should go? I realized discipleship happens at home… will you hold me accountable to disciple my kids I have a person in my small group who is passionate about children. Can you have the children’s ministry people call me?

Each person in the five spiritual stages have the same value. One stage is not more important than another stage. However, God wants people to grow spiritually and not remain infants or children (Heb. 5:12-14). What are other phrases that someone in each stage would say? If you go to home group this week, you’ll pick up many more examples.

This second chart gives further descriptions of the typical beliefs, behaviors and attitudes of each stage. It’s important to understand the differences between the stages, so you as a spiritual young adult or spiritual parent can develop an intentional discipleship model to help the spiritual infant and spiritual child grow.

Typical Beliefs, Behaviors and Attitudes of the Stage

Unbeliever	Unbelief and rebellion. Blind to the truth. Belief in one God, but many ways to get to Him. Anger toward Christians or the church. Ignorance and or confusion about God, Jesus and the church. Misinformed about spiritual/biblical truth; spiritual blindness. Belief that the answers they are seeking lie in worldly prestige, power, fame and so on. Disbelief in the supernatural, or belief in many forms of the supernatural (multiple deities, interactions with the dead, superstitions, astrology…)
Spiritual Infant	Ignorance about what they need spiritually and what the Bible says about life Ignorance about or frustrated toward Christianity and the church Belief that Christians can make no mistakes (no tolerance of) Unrealistic expectations of themselves and others Confusion about the Christian way of life Mixing Christianity and other religions and not knowing it.
Spiritual Child	Excitement over having deeper relationships, which they might not have had before Remember who they were as unbelievers so they appreciate how God has changed them Understand much of the Christian language But: Disillusioned because of their high expectation of others Belief that feelings are most important, which leads to spiritual highs and low Comparing themselves to others and competing with them Lack of wisdom about how to use what they are learning- for example too aggressive when sharing their faith or too legalistic in their approach to dealing with their friends and family Belief that people are not caring for them enough
Spiritual Young Adult	Desire to serve for others’ good and the glory of God Feeling responsible for how others respond to the gospel message Possible pride if a person accepts the message and possible discouragement if they don’t Desire to serve but not strategic about how to train others Naivety about how tell how other believers are doing – they believe that others are on fire for Jesus because one seems to be fine at church Black and white about what should happen in a church
Spiritual Parent	Has a coach mindset Wants to see the people they work with mature and become fellow workers who love them but aren’t dependent upon them to complete the mission Thinks in terms of how to help a younger believer take the next step in his development Reproduces disciples Feeds themselves Values the church team

There is a huge caution with these charts. If someone looks down on another Christian, because his/her life is characterized by infant or childish characteristics, it is sin. The higher you grow spiritually, the more you die to yourself and look for opportunities to help a spiritual infant or child to grow without judging or comparison (Matt. 7:1,5; 2 Cor. 10:12). A spiritual young adult or spiritual parent will look at a spiritual infant or spiritual child with compassion, understanding and a desire to help them grow. You never look down on someone, which is a sign of spiritual immaturity and sin.

That is the reason for the third chart. The third chart explains how to come alongside someone in that particular spiritual stage. It explains what that person needs in his/her spiritual stage of growth. It provides the basis for loving one another. In other words, when someone is a spiritual infant, even though he might be 55 years-old, you don’t put expectations on him of a spiritual young adult or parent. You also don’t give him responsibility he can’t handle. Scripture says, “Let him first be tested or proven” (1 Tim. 3:10).

If Christians would follow this chart, the church would explode with spiritual growth.

Spiritual Needs of the Stage

Unbeliever	Secure relationship with a growing believer. A picture of the real Jesus in front of them. Answers, evidences for Christianity. An explanation of the gospel message. An invitation to receive Christ.
Spiritual Infant	Individual attention from a spiritual parent. Protection . An explanation of truth from God’s Word. An explanation and modeling of the habits of growing believers.
Spiritual Child	A spiritual family. Help for how to start feeding themselves. Teaching about who they are in Christ. Teaching about how to have a relationship with Christ. Teaching about how to have relationships with others (believers). Teaching about appropriate expectations concerning other believers.
Spiritual Young Adult	A place to learn to serve. A place to make mistakes and learn. A spiritual parent who will debrief them about ministry experiences. Ongoing relationships that offer encouragement and accountability. Help for establishing appropriate relationships and actions. Guidance regarding expectations of people they will serve. Spiritual skills training.
Spiritual Parents	An ongoing relationship with co-laborers. A church family. Encouragement.

This is the conclusion of this message:

God calls each of us to become spiritual parents.

(Disciple-makers of all the nations)

Ask yourself these questions:

In what spiritual stage am I?

Do I know how to grow to the next stage?

Am I involved in discipling others?

The next message will describe the best environment for growing from one stage to the next. It will describe how anyone coming into Grace Church can see how to reproduce themselves in six months to a year.

Here’s the message based discussion questions that some of the home groups will be discussing. I’d encourage you to think through them and maybe join one of the groups. You can call the church office for more information.

Message Based Discussion Questions

What physical stage of growing up did you enjoy the most? (child, young adult, adult… or did you ever grow up J?)

Digging Deeper:

Based on the charts, what are some other phrases of a child?

What are phrases of a parent?

What are differences between a child and young adult?

Why is it important to understand the Spiritual needs of each stage? What are the needs of spiritual infants and children?

Application of the message to life:

What are at least four things you could do to ensure you are growing up spiritually?

If you want to be considered spiritually mature, what needs to be true?

*I want to gratefully acknowledge Jim Putman for great information on the three charts.

Shepherding Truth

Renewing Truth, Rightly Divided

Author Archives: shepherdbryan

About shepherdbryan

Book Review: Successful Home Cell Groups by Dr. Paul Yonggi Cho

MSG: Strategy for Grace – Raising Spiritual Parents

The Light at Christmas

Question: Resurrection: Who and When?

Multiplying Together

Equipping Together

Connect Together

Question: What does hate mean in the Bible?

MSG: Strategy for Grace – Stages of Growth