Run With Horses

Stop Going To Church! -Ep.261 -Run With Horses Podcast

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Today we are looking at some reasons why people don’t go to church. And can I start by saying that this is part of the problem. We “go” to church, something that was impossible in the NT.
 
Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a disciple of Jesus. God is working to grow you into the image of Christ and HE will complete that work. What a joy to know that it all doesn’t depend on us!
 
Let’s go to church! Ok, we already have a problem. . .
Church is not a place. The church is a group of people called out by God, gloriously saved by His Son and united through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. You cannot GO to church.
If you are genuinely saved by Faith through Grace you can choose not to use your Spirit given gifts to strengthen and build up the Family of God, the Bride of Jesus, His glorious Church. Avoiding time with God’s family will keep you from serving His Church. Let’s call that what it is, disobedience. But you cannot GO to church.
 
The church is not a building that can be taken away or a service that can be scheduled. The church can meet in a building or under a tree. The church can meet in a large group with thousands or in a coffee shop with three. But you cannot GO to church. And if that is what you have been doing, you are part of the problem. Because if you can go to church, you can NOT GO to church.
 
If your life, your family, your community and yes, even your church, are to change, we have to stop going to church and start BEING the church. Every day in every house, on every street, in every town, in every nation. We ARE the Church of the True and Living God.
 
So why don’t people go to church?
 
Reference - https://churchhelper.net/why-people-dont-go-to-church/
 
1. They deem the church irrelevant.
The church is a group of people who are bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus. As such, He has placed us into His family. The church is instantly relevant if you understand the mission of Jesus in the world.
Sermons that are theology without application. Although some can take a sermon and run with it, most people need or at least will benefit from discussions about the passage/ topic that allows them to see how it works out in their life.
2. They cite the hypocrisy and moral failures of church leaders.
This is straight up bad news. It points to the need to emphasize character as we train and prepare leaders in the church.
Dealing with sin in the lives of leaders. Confession, repentance, humility.
Side rant. We cannot allow the training and preparation of pastors and church leaders to be left to bible colleges and seminaries. They are great supplements to churches discipling and preparing leaders but they cannot replace the churches role.
3. They feel God is missing in the church.
Spectator churches can easily be focused on the audience and felt needs, not God. God IS and that matters. He is Holy and that matters. The church has to be focused on God. When we are, it changes us.
Biblical doctrine matters. We need to see God in His Word. Hearts prepared to follow Him are hearts prepared to worship Him. If God is missing in your life the rest of the week, God will likely be missing in your time with His Family or at least, you won’t see Him.
4. They feel that legitimate doubt is prohibited.
God is big enough to handle our questions. The pastors pride might not be.
Spurgeon - “Suppose a number of persons were to take it into their heads that they had to defend a lion, full-grown king of beasts! There he is in the cage, and here come all the soldiers of the army to fight for him. Well, I should suggest to them, if they would not object, and feel that it was humbling to them, that they should kindly stand back, and open the door, and let the lion out! I believe that would be the best way of defending him, for he would take care of himself; and the best 'apology' for the gospel is to let the gospel out.”
As the church we need to be inviting people to ask questions. God can handle it. You don’t need to answer everyone’s questions, point them to the Word and encourage them to ask God for answers to their doubts. He is amazingly good at it.
5. They don’t learn about God or Jesus.
I don’t know what church this is true in but it is shameful if it is true!
6. They don’t gain any significant or new insights about faith.
There is a need to be growing and making efforts yourself. Pursue Christ.
1 Timothy 6:11-12 - 11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Practical obedience is part of our growth. Without it we will stop learning. Our spiritual life is more than head knowledge, we have to live it or we will struggle in our faith.
7. They have trouble finding a community.
If you don’t find community, you build it.
There are others who want that unity that the NT talks about and are willing to fihgt for it. Look for them and build a small community.
 
Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you.

Small Church,Large Church: Same Purpose! -Ep260

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Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a disciple of Jesus. The road often seems long but we are in this together.
 
The Church. God’s amazing, wonderful, frustrating, beautiful, distracted Family. Hard to live with at times, impossible to live without at others.
 
 
Reference - https://outreachmagazine.com/resources/small-church-america/74242-god-can-use-a-church-of-any-size.html
 
Reference - https://research.lifeway.com/2021/10/20/small-churches-continue-growing-but-in-number-not-size
 
If the goal is getting every member involved int eh mission of Jesus it would seem that smaller churches have an advantage.
 
 
But small churches have a challenge as well.
 
 
Large churches have a place.
 
 
My thought is that disciple making is difficult in any size church. It takes intentional effort not to be distracted by the challenges of being small, or big. Disciple making is intentionally investing in the life of another person. The size of your church doesn’t matter. Your focus and your clarity of purpose do.
 
Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you.

Are you becoming more like Jesus?

Today we finish our overview of the spiritual life and the five areas we need to focus on if we want to see consistent progress in Christlikeness.
 
Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as as follower of Jesus. The spiritual battles we face are real. The battles of the future will require you to be growing and trusting God even more than you do today. Your spiritual life, Is your life. We may try to break it into different parts to better understand it and to apply intentional efforts to grow and change, but our life is unified in Christ. Everything matters.
 
Mental Life - Mental life includes emotional, psychological, and social aspects. It is how we think, feel, and act, and determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Includes education.
 
Physical Life – From conception to our last breathe we are physical beings. We don’t have control over much of our physical life but our choices do influence our health and ability. Exercise and diet are key.
 
Relational Life - Humans are interconnected. The family and community play an important role in our lives. Humans are meant to connect with others on a personal and emotional level and strong, fulfilling relationships help people build and maintain emotional health. We need people. Mentors, coworkers, friends.
 
Emotional Life - There are many types of emotional skills (aka emotional intelligence). These skills: like emotion regulation, gratitude, empathy, and kindness — help you relate better to others and yourself. Feelings don’t lead us but they do impact us greatly.
 
Physical Health - Humans are interconnected. The family and community play an important role in our lives. Humans are meant to connect with others on a personal and emotional level and strong, fulfilling relationships help people build and maintain emotional health. We need people. Mentors, coworkers, friends.
Spiritual Life – The life lived in Jesus, in communion with God.
Basics – prayer, spiritual community, bible knowledge. Or three areas of spirituality – doctrine, affection (love) and experience.
 
1. 1 Peter 2:2-5 –
Our desire is to know Him and His Word. - Mental Health
We know Who we are. We believe what He says about us. Our Identity is settled. --Mental and Emotional Health
We are growing, maturing and our life glorifies God. - All areas affected as we grow and mature, becoming more like Jesus.
We are part of His family, a priesthood that serves Him. - Relational Health
Our actions are in line with our faith. - Whole life
2. Col. 2:6-10 -
Our actions matter every day.
Our faith is settled and we build on it.
Faith is vibrant, alive and leads us to Thanksgiving!
We lack nothing we need for Spiritual Health in Jesus.
Ephe. 4:11-16 –
All areas of life, working well, result in the body of Christ growing, serving, and building up itself as we all become more like Jesus.
Matthew 28:18-20 –
A Healthy Spiritual life is one that is engaged in the mission of Jesus to take the message of reconciliation to the world, inviting others to join us as Ambassadors for Christ.
The question we all must ask ourselves is not “Where will I be when I face the most difficult challenge in my life?”, but “Who will I be?
Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you.

How are your Relationships?

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Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as as follower of Jesus. The spiritual battles we face are real. The battles of the future will require you to be growing and trusting God even more than you do today. How can you be the person that you need to be to face the challenges of the future? Your relationships play a big part in your spiritual life and growth. Who you hang out with affects your thought life and your choices. True Spiritual Health requires us to pay attention to our relationships.
 
We are getting closer to completing our look at the five areas of life that influence our overall Spiritual Health and potential for growth.
Spiritual Life – The life lived in Jesus, in communion with God.
Basics – prayer, spiritual community, bible knowledge. Or three areas of spirituality – doctrine, affection (love) and experience.
 
Mental Life - Mental life includes emotional, psychological, and social aspects. It is how we think, feel, and act, and determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Includes education.
 
Physical Life – From conception to our last breathe we are physical beings. We don’t have control over much of our physical life but our choices do influence our health and ability. Exercise and diet are key.
 
Emotional Life - There are many types of emotional skills (aka emotional intelligence). These skills: like emotion regulation, gratitude, empathy, and kindness — help you relate better to others and yourself. Feelings don’t lead us but they do impact us greatly.
 
Today we are looking at our Relationships- Humans are interconnected. The family and community play an important role in our lives. Humans are meant to connect with others on a personal and emotional level and strong, fulfilling relationships help people build and maintain emotional health. We need people.
“We are relational beings, but the sin that destroyed our relationship with God also ruined our relationship with others. This is why life’s greatest hurts, as well as life’s greatest joys, come through relationships with people.”
So how do you deal with the fact that people are a pain and yet we need people on so many levels? I mean, sinners abound! But comfort comes through people. Encouragement comes through people. Jesus gave the call to love and serve . . .people. And then again, our greatest hurts come from people. So what do you do?
There are options. You can be a hermit. You can avoid as many people as possible. You can live near people without any real connection to them. It is not uncommon for people to attend a church for years and not really get to know anyone. It is possible to live near others and never meet.
But Jesus calls us to relationships with others. Why?
1. We are God’s ‘A plan’ to reach the world with the good news of His Son. There is no plan B.
We are Ambassadors for Christ and have the message of Reconciliation that the world needs to hear.
Mark 12:29-31
Not easy. But not complicated. Love and serve others for the sake of the Gospel.
2. Our loving service and use of our gifts builds up the church towards maturity. Maturity builds unity. Unity glorifies God.
1 Cor. 12:12- 26 -
The fact that Jesus is returning should motivate us to love each other, comfort each other and use our gifts to build each other up.
1 Thess. 5: 1-11
But Relationships are Hard! You might say. And you would be right. No getting around it. Sin is a real thing, even in the life of a believer and we are easily swayed by our hearts to choose our own way rather than Jesus. That usually doesn’t work out well for our relationships!
A good question to ask yourslef, if you are a follower of Jesus and consider yourself His disciple, is : Do my relationships look like the relationships that Jesus had with people?
Phil 2:1-11 -
Jesus humbled Himself for the glory of God. He wasn’t a doormat. He ran people out of the temple with a whip, also for the glory of God. Jesus lived a life that lifted up God. That desired showed itself in every action and in every relationship.
As a follower of Jesus we have the same calling. To live a live that is pleasing to God. One that glorifies Him in every relationship as we put Him first and help others see how great that He is. It really isn’t an option to avoid people. Our choice is how will we relate to them? Will our interactions with others make the message of the cross clear and allow the Hope of the Gospel to shine bright? I certainly pray that they do. Life is all about our relationships.
How are you doing in yours this week?
References - https://www.globaldisciples.ca/blog/christian-relationships-relating-with-others/
The question we all must ask ourselves is not “Where will I be when I face the most difficult challenge in my life?”, but “Who will I be?
Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you.

Do your emotions control you? - Ep.257

We have been looking at five areas that all impact our ability to grow and have a healthy spiritual life.
 
Spiritual Life – The life lived in Jesus, in communion with God.
Basics – prayer, spiritual community, bible knowledge. Or three areas of spirituality – doctrine, affection (love) and experience.
 
Mental Life - Mental life includes emotional, psychological, and social aspects. It is how we think, feel, and act, and determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Includes education.
 
Physical Life – From conception to our last breathe we are physical beings. We don’t have control over much of our physical life but our choices do influence our health and ability. Exercise and diet are key.
 
Relational Life - Humans are interconnected. The family and community play an important role in our lives. Humans are meant to connect with others on a personal and emotional level and strong, fulfilling relationships help people build and maintain emotional health. We need people. Mentors, coworkers, friends.
 
Today we are looking at our Emotional Life -
 
As beings created in the image of God, we have many emotions that we use to express ourselves and that reveal our inner character. The challenge is to allow the Holy Spirit to rule not only our actions and thoughts, but our emotions as well. As the challenges of the summer intensify, each of us will reveal our “true self,” as fatigue and the mental exhaustion of living and working in another culture take their toll. Self control is the result of a Spirit-controlled life! Following the Way means balance in Life.
From Two Steps to Improve your Emotional life –
1. “You want to be able to choose what you become emotional about and when you become emotional.” Proverbs 29:11 - A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back.
Prov. 16:32 - He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
2. “Be able to choose how you act when you are emotional. “
1 Tim. 1:7 - For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Gal. 5:22-25 – 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Self control is the result of a Spirit-controlled life!
Reference - https://bigthink.com/articles/two-steps-to-improve-your-emotional-life/
There are many types of emotional skills (aka emotional intelligence). These skills: like emotion regulation, gratitude, empathy, and kindness — help you relate better to others and yourself. Feelings don’t lead us but they do impact us greatly.
Reference: https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/emotional-skills.html
As beings created in the image of God, we have many emotions that we use to express ourselves and that reveal our inner character. The challenge is to allow the Holy Spirit to rule not only our actions and thoughts, but our emotions as well. As the challenges of the Christian life intensify, each of us will reveal our “true self,” as fatigue and the mental exhaustion of living and working in another culture take their toll. Following Jesus means seeking His control of our life.
How are you doing at keeping your emotions in their proper place? They definitely have value. We were created as emotional beings. But our emotions shouldn’t be running the show.
The question we all must ask ourselves is not “Where will I be when I face the most difficult challenge in my life?”, but “Who will I be?
Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you.

Spiritual Growth and our Mental Life

We are looking at all of our spiritual life and have divided it into 5 key area to help us consider how we are made and where to apply effort and energy for change. Let’s review.
 
Spiritual Life – The life lived in Jesus, in communion with God.
Basics – prayer, spiritual community, bible knowledge. Or three areas of spirituality – doctrine, affection (love) and experience.
 
Mental Life - Mental life includes emotional, psychological, and social aspects. It is how we think, feel, and act, and determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Includes education.
 
Physical Life – From conception to our last breathe we are physical beings. We don’t have control over much of our physical life but our choices do influence our health and ability. Exercise and diet are key.
 
Relational Life - Humans are interconnected. The family and community play an important role in our lives. Humans are meant to connect with others on a personal and emotional level and strong, fulfilling relationships help people build and maintain emotional health. We need people. Mentors, coworkers, friends.
 
Emotional Life - There are many types of emotional skills (aka emotional intelligence). These skills: like emotion regulation, gratitude, empathy, and kindness — help you relate better to others and yourself. Feelings don’t lead us but they do impact us greatly.
 
 
 
Mental Growth - Proverbs 23:7, 1 Corinthians 13:11 The Christian life is an incredible challenge and adventure that requires us to commit everything we are and have to the task. As Christians, we are leaders wherever God takes us, leading the way among lost sheep looking for direction. Through the study of God's Word, we will examine the life of a spiritual leader; through the activities of the summer we will have opportunities to practice what we learn. Everyone will receive training to prepare devotionals as well as practical ministry training, like how to lead a meeting or plan a strategy for ministry. Teamwork initiatives, Japanese language study, reading assignments, and times of discussion will all help us to challenge our thinking and stimulate mental growth. Weekly challenges in the form of rock climbing, rappelling, airsoft scenarios, and team competitions are designed to take each of us to our personal limits, facing our fears and overcoming them as a team. Following the Way requires new thinking.
Tips for mental well-being. Notice how much overlap there is with the other 5 area we are considering. We are not divided beings but unified. All areas of life impact all other areas.
1. Learn to understand and manage your emotions.
Name the emotion you feel and identify the root cause if you can. Journaling can help. Don’t let your emotions control your thoughts.
2. Stay connected to others and regularly talk through things with a friend.
Strengthens relationship and steadies emotions. Allow you to learn from your mistakes as well as others.
3. Get enough sleep.
4. Exercise!
Reduces stress, improves sleep, gets your blood moving and can make you sharper mentally. Great for problem solving.
5. Eat healthy.
Impacts your mood, ability to think clearly, tiredness, irritability, etc.
6. Plan things to do that are positive and move you forward.
Projects, personal and with family/ friends. Things to try help you grow spiritually, spiritual disciplines,etc.
7. Pray.
1 Thess 5:18 – 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Keep your eyes on Jesus in the midst of every trial. Be thankful and learn to express gratitude daily as a natural response to God daily mercies.
Psalm 118:24 - This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Choose Joy!
8. Be a Life-Long Learner.
Learn to ask questions. When you meet new people – be curious. Explore the Bible as a traveler to another country, look for the differences and ask WHY? Research – deeper bible study, practical applications – the “How To”
Make a list of potential skills that would be useful to you or that you would like to know. Pick one and begin!
9. Choose to give your thoughts direction.
Phil. 4:8-9 - 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Don’t let your thought lead you down paths you don’t want to follow. Make choices about what you allow into your mind and be proactive about giving yourself positive things to think about. Choices – books, music, movies, even friendships, will fill your mind with potential avenues your mind will explore. Choose wisely. Exert self-control and discipline.
Reference; https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/our-best-mental-health-tips
The question we all must ask ourselves is not “Where will I be when I face the most difficult challenge in my life?”, but “Who will I be?
Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you.

Exercise and the Spiritual Life - Ep.255

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Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as as follower of Jesus. The spiritual battles we face are real. The battles of the future will require you to be growing and trusting God even more than you do today. An important piece in your overall spiritual health is your physical well-being. From handling stress to having the energy to push through a difficult situation, your physical health greatly impacts your spiritual ability to respond well tot the trials that will come.
 
Quick review to get us started today. Five area of life that are critical for our overall spiritual growth and maturity.
 
Spiritual Life – The life lived in Jesus, in communion with God.
Basics – prayer, spiritual community, bible knowledge. Or three areas of spirituality – doctrine, affection (love) and experience.
 
Mental Life - Mental life includes emotional, psychological, and social aspects. It is how we think, feel, and act, and determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Includes education.
 
Physical Life – From conception to our last breathe we are physical beings. We don’t have control over much of our physical life but our choices do influence our health and ability. Exercise and diet are key.
 
Relational Life - Humans are interconnected. The family and community play an important role in our lives. Humans are meant to connect with others on a personal and emotional level and strong, fulfilling relationships help people build and maintain emotional health. We need people. Mentors, coworkers, friends.
 
Emotional Life - There are many types of emotional skills (aka emotional intelligence). These skills: like emotion regulation, gratitude, empathy, and kindness — help you relate better to others and yourself. Feelings don’t lead us but they do impact us greatly.
 
Physical Health - 1 Corinthians 3:16 – 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
1 Corinthians 3:16 tells us that our bodies are the temple of the true and living God. We are stewards of His dwelling place here on earth. What an awesome responsibility! To maintain a fitting vessel prepared for His service, we will exercise daily and be ready for every opportunity that He gives us to serve.
1 Cor. 6:19-20 – 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
“Physical training is good…” (1 Timothy 4:8 - 7 But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.)
So why focus on our physical health?
1. We are to Glorify God in our Body. 1 Cor. 6:20
2. Being healthy means being physically able to serve others.
Increase energy levels. Can reduce pain. Improve sleep quality.
3. Regular exercise can be a spiritual discipline.
Builds humility, self-control, endurance.
4. Stress relief <https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469>
Virtually any form of exercise, from aerobics to yoga, can act as a stress reliever. It’s meditation in motion. It improves your mood.
5. Taking care of your body is stewardship of God’s gift to you.
Stewardship : the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care (Merriam-Webster)
“Stewardship defines our practical obedience in the administration of everything under our control, everything entrusted to us. It is the consecration of one’s self and possessions to God’s service. Stewardship acknowledges in practice that we do not have the right of control over ourselves or our property—God has that control. It means as stewards of God we are managers of that which belongs to God, and we are under His constant authority as we administer His affairs. Faithful stewardship means that we fully acknowledge we are not our own but belong to Christ, the Lord, who gave Himself for us.” - https://www.gotquestions.org/biblical-stewardship.html
A focus on physical fitness will allow us to see the results of consistent training and challenge us to apply the same concept to our spiritual lives. Progress is the result of developing new habits. New habits are the result of hard work. Ministry is often tiring and stressful but by maintaining a high level of fitness, we recover faster from hard days and are better able to handle the stress of ministry, preventing burnout and extending our years of productive ministry. Following the Jesus is not easy.
The question we all must ask ourselves is not “Where will I be when I face the most difficult challenge in my life?”, but “Who will I be?
Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you. Our lives are complicated with all five of these areas interacting in many ways. The good thing to remember is that God is using all of them in the process of sanctification, preparing us for the day we meet Him face to face.
Until that great day, keep running!

Five Areas to Focus on for a Healthy Life -Ep.254

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com
Website: www.runwithhorses.net
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcastToday we are looking at our spiritual life and introducing five areas where we should be focusing if we want to see consistent progress in our spiritual life.
 
Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as as follower of Jesus. The spiritual battles we face are real. The battles of the future will require you to be growing and trusting God even more than you do today. How can you be the person that you need to be to face the challenges of the future? One way is to apply consistent attention to your Spiritual Health. But your overall spiritual health is affected by more than just your prayer and bible reading. Let’s look at a few areas that need attention for us to be all that God intends for us to be.
 
God brings life to those who were once dead. That life has many aspects. Spiritual Life, Mental Life, Physical Life, Relational Life, and Emotional Life are five important parts of the person God has made you.
All of those parts can use attention from us as we follow Jesus. We will be looking at each one separately in the next few shows but today I want us to get an overview and consider the whole person.
Let’s look at a few definitions to get started.
 
Spiritual Life – The life lived in Jesus, in communion with God.
Basics – prayer, spiritual community, bible knowledge. Or three areas of spirituality – doctrine, affection (love) and experience.
 
Mental Life - Mental life includes emotional, psychological, and social aspects. It is how we think, feel, and act, and determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Includes education.
 
Physical Life – From conception to our last breathe we are physical beings. We don’t have control over much of our physical life but our choices do influence our health and ability. Exercise and diet are key.
 
Relational Life - Humans are interconnected. The family and community play an important role in our lives. Humans are meant to connect with others on a personal and emotional level and strong, fulfilling relationships help people build and maintain emotional health. We need people. Mentors, coworkers, friends.
 
Emotional Life - There are many types of emotional skills (aka emotional intelligence). These skills: like emotion regulation, gratitude, empathy, and kindness — help you relate better to others and yourself. Feelings don’t lead us but they do impact us greatly.
 
Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you. Our lives are complicated with all five of these areas interacting in many ways. The good thing to remember is that God is using all of them in the process of sanctification, preparing us for the day we meet Him face to face.
Until that great day, keep running!
 

Is the Christian LIfe a Marathon or a Sprint? -EP.253

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com
Website: www.runwithhorses.net
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcastWhy do we struggle so much to consistently live the Christian life? It seems to be either a constant struggle or a sporadic sprint with long periods of stagnancy in between. Is this all there is? That is the question we address today.Welcome to Run with Horses. My name in Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a follower of Jesus. None of us live life perfectly, but if Jesus is at the center of our relationships, we definitely live life better. I don't think life has to be a drudgery or a mad dash. God is the God of patience and joy. If we delight in Him the slow times are sweeter and the periods of busyness are under His control. The question is, How do we live out a life that is devoted to Him and still move forward with day to day responsibilities to our family and community.Three challenges we face.1. Slow progress - we get discouraged when we don't see progress as quickly as we had hoped. Lasting change often takes time.Impatience can cause us to try to ourun God'd work in our lives.2.Life changes constantly - our situation is always shifting, forcing us to figure out new ways to fit in the needs of the day. Spiritual concerns are often moved aside for what feels more urgent right now.Example: move to USA to care for Grandma3. We often do have other pressing priorities - most of us do have things that are important that require our time and energy. It can be difficult to navigate a life that can feel overwhelming.
Finances, health concerns, relationships all give us headaches.4. Some face opposition from their family and friends - if those around you don't share your priorities, you may be criticized for your choices.So what do we do? How do you handle the challenges of life?
Keep the focus on growing. Your spiritual journey will take a lifetime. Commit to the long haul and do what it takes to bear fruit. Spiritual fruit will take you through any trouble.Fruit of the SpiritGalatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
 
1. Don’t worry about going slow. Keep putting consistent effort into your spiritual life and you will see progress over time.
 
2. Learn to embrace the challenge that changes bring. You have more opportunities to grow though challenge than you do through the smooth times. Look for the lesson.Galatians 6:7Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
 
3. Don’t forget your WHY. You will always have tests that force you to consider what is really important. Remember that the struggle is worth it. Jesus is working to make you like Him. The struggle is the way that He grows you. In the midst of the the trial, you have the opportunity to join His church in carrying out an eternal work. Keep an eternal perspective.
 
4. Remember that you are never alone. Even when the people around you don’t understand why you choose Jesus. He is always with you and will walk with you through your darkest night.
 
Thanks for joining me today. Let me know how you are doing at staying focused and motivated to keep on keeping on when it is difficult. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net with your story. It may not be easy but following Jesus has eternal value. Keep running!
 

What is My part in Building a Church Community? -Ep.252

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com
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Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcastWhat is my part in building community? -Ep.252 – Run With Horses Podcast
 
Take responsibility for your community.
1. Know your Purpose.
Build your community by keeping your purpose in mind and reminding yourself of how your contribution matters.
As a leader, provide people with vision and line of sight so they are crystal clear about the broader purpose of the organization and how their work fits into the whole.
2. Help others know that they Belong.
Plato said, “The part cannot be well unless the whole is well.” Communities take care of their members and vice versa. Stay in touch with people. Invest time and energy in maintaining your relationships.
As a leader, Have frequent meetings with your team so you can coordinate tasks and ensure people are making meaningful connections. Encourage relational ties.
3. Face Challenges well.
Strong communities adapt and become stronger as they cope together. Embrace conflict and diversity—working through differences of opinion and making space for civil discourse and the learning that occurs from appreciating multiple points of view.
As a leader, support people if they try something new and fail. Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress. If you’re not seeing some mistakes or missteps, your team may not be reaching high enough.
*Reference
Tracy Brower, PhDhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2020/10/25/how-to-build-community-and-why-it-matters-so-much/?sh=57cd6675751b
How to build community in your church.
1. Cultivate and support small groups.
The key is to build a time of prayer, a devotion and fellowship into each meeting.
2. Train small group leaders to do the work of pastoral ministry.
No pastor, no matter how caring, can provide personal attention to more than a dozen or so people at a time.
3. Be willing to give up expediency. Take time.
If we want to build authentic community, sometimes the labor-intensive choice is the best choice.
4. Preach and teach regularly on the importance of caring.
Caring means reaching out to new people in meaningful ways, like sharing a meal with them or inviting them on an activity.
5. Set a good example.
Be the first to show up at events and the last to leave. It takes time to build community.
It takes hard work, vigilance and a commitment to training laypeople to do the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16)
*Reference
Lisa Price
https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Five-Ways-to-Build-Community-in-Your-Church