Taking Next Steps with Jesus

Pocket knives I enjoy mine. I started carrying one in my pocket about 6 years ago.  I never realized how much I would use one.  Birthday presents needing the packaging cut, a rope cut when securing a post, plants pruned, wires separated, splinters removed.  It's become a a regular fixture in my wardrobe.  It's cool.  I've found that there are others like me who really enjoy carrying a pocket knife, and I have had some very interesting conversations with people about knives, steel, manufacturers, fav's.  It's fun.   It's also brought me some confidence and comfort. After experiencing a season of violence against me and my family during a ministry adventure, I decided that I needed to think more seriously about protecting myself and my family.  So, part of carrying a pocket knife was a detente between my sensibilities that were prayerfully wrestling with what this might mean.  There was a sobriety that came with a pocket knife.  A te...

 I met with a pastor this weekend and had a chance to talk about disciplemaking with him for a long time.  It was refreshing.  Not just to talk about how to live a disciplemaking life, but to actually talk about walking with each other, with Jesus, with others; and helping each other take next steps with Jesus together.  Ahhhh, mutual community. The surprise... Neither of us knew each other before this weekend. Through a mutual friend, I was told that this was someone I should say hello to as we were passing through.  I was invited out for coffee.  My family was then invited over for dinner, to hang out with the missional community group that they were having that evening.  It was great.  There were folks there from all different places in their walk with Jesus.  They knew their neighbors.  We were warmly welcomed, and their hospitality made us feel right at home. We laughed, talked about Jesus, talked about life, music, motorcycle...

Please take a prayerful deep breath and walk with me a moment. Matthew 28:18-20 is where we find the passage in the Bible that commissions us to live as disciplemakers. This is a process, and a lifelong walk with God. If you consider how you became a Christian I would assume that there was a process that God used to invite you to come and follow Him and see who He was, and what walking with Him was like.  I also assume that there was a time where you came to know Him as Lord and Savior by faith.  I also assume that this process has continued as a lifestyle where we have the privilege to follow Jesus and be apart of that process with others. Who did God use to help you along this process? What experiences did God use? How did He speak to you in this process? Jesus engaged people very differently, and used different approaches to meet them where they were at.  He did the same with us in our lives. So, I want us to take a look at the Gospels in th...