Run With Horses

Leading A Simple Discipleship Group - Format. -Ep. 235

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Today we continue our discussion on How to Invest in someone by exploring some of the options for both one to one and small group meetings.
 
Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a follower of Jesus. There are a lot of ways you could spend your time so thanks for including me on your journey.
 
We have covered, lightly, Why you should be investing in people as you make disciples. And we covered Who you should invest in, answering the question about how to select a person to disciple. And finally we covered How you should invest in someone, considering the big picture of Character Development, General Spiritual Growth and Ministry Skills.
 
Today I want to give some examples of a format for meeting someone as well as some thoughts on materials you might want to use. First, there are three big categories to consider.
1. Using Book - study guide, book for men, etc
Shepherding a Child's Heart, Running Scared, etc
2. Going through a Book of the Bible - Mark, Nehemiah, etc
3. Studying a Topic - parenting, fear, etc
 
There is no wrong answer for which one should I choose! Over time you will likely use all of these depending on the people involved and the needs that arise. So pick one to get started and feel free to change midstream if it is not working for your group right now.
 
For a format, I recommend keeping it simple. Here is an example for a 1 hour meeting.
15 minutes - Start with fellowship. Catch up on the week and how things are going. Often a prayer request is first revealed or at least hinted at here.
15 minutes - Prayer. I like to put prayer early because it is too easy to leave it out if we keep it till the end. Sharing a prayer request and a praise or one thing God has taught you recently or even the One Verse One Thought One Minute from Simple Journaling are all great ways to give this time a little structure as well as put some sor fo limit on it.
30 minutes - Bible and Book discussion - It helps if everyone has read the passage or chapter ahead of time. Other than referring to key verses or sections in the book, there is no need to read the passage again during the meeting if time is an issue.
 
This is a super simple format. It can be expanded to fit longer time by adding things like sharing memory verses, reading the Bible passage together, etc.
 
For another possible format consider doing a Discovery Bible Study.
 
This is an example modeled on www.dbsguide.org.
 
1. Get Real - Community/ Fellowship
To begin the study, each person answers these questions:
What are you thankful for?
What is causing you stress?
Who needs our help? How can this group help them?
 
2. Look Back - A review (on session 2 and following)
Retell story from the previous meeting.
What did you do differently because of this story?
Who did you tell and what was the reaction?
 
3. Read & Re-tell - Focus on understanding what the bible says.
One person reads the Bible passage out loud, and the rest follow along.
Someone else retells the passage by memory, if possible. Others can fill in what is missing.
 
4. Look - A deeper look at what the passage is teaching.
Read the passage again.
Discuss what this passage says about God, Jesus or his plan.
 
5. Look again - A more specific look at the implications of the passage for us.
Read the passage once more
Discuss what this passage says about humans.
 
6. Personal Application -Stop and consider what the passage says to me.
According to this study, what am I doing well?
What do I need to change?
 
7. Who else?
Who needs to hear this story?
How can I tell them?
Who can I invite to study the Bible?
 
What do I like about this format? No teacher required! If you don't feel comfortable teaching you can still lead a bible study that aims to look at Scripture and simple explore what it says. No stress required.
What do I not like about this format? No teacher required! There is the potential for one person derailing the whole discussion and trying to teach their opinion about a passage rather than letting the bible speak for itself. The larger the group and the more likely this is to be a probably with a less than forceful leader. But you can use this one on one or in a small group with 3-4 friends and it has the potential to be very profitable for everyone. I think the risks are worth it!
 
There is no wrong format for a bible study or discipleship meeting. The only failure is the failure to try. Pick a format and try it, if it doesn't work, modify it until it does work. This is something you can do!
 
Thanks for joining me today! Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net and let me know how your bible study goes. Keep investing in others and keep pursuing Jesus yourself. It is often difficult but it is always worth it! Keep running!

Beginning Intentional Disciple Making. -Ep.234

Welcome to Run With Horses where our goal is to encourage you to pursue Jesus with all of your heart, soul, mind and stength. My name is Norman and I really want to see you Thrive as a disciple of Jesus. It can be a hard road sometimes but I truly believe it is worth it. Thanks for including me on your journey.So you are stepping out and wanting to be intentional about helping someone around you grow in their spiritual life. Awesome! But hold on you say, where do I begin? Today I will give you some pointers to help you get started and hopefully make it a little less stressful if you are concerned or a little more structured if you aren't sure how to begin.As a possibly too long introduction, let me start by saying the relationship is important so taking the time to build a solid relational foundation is worth the time it takes. Some of us are hyper focused and can be too quick to pass over the relationship building to get right to the heart of the discussion. But that may keep us from seeing real progress and growth in our own life as well as the life of those we are investing in if we don't have a foundation to build on. Particularly when the discussion appoaches heart issues and areas that are more central to our image of ourself.Get to know the person you are working with well. Work, hobbies, family relationships, salvation testimony, etc. Lunch, fishing, anything is fine for your first few times meeting.Once you build a basic foundation, talking about anything and everything along the way, you are ready to move on to more intentional conversations focused on spiritual growth. There are three big topics you may want to talk though as you get started to help set some expectations and let you know where you might want to head in the future.One - general character and spiritual lifeA few questions to ask. 1. Is there any one area in life that you know of now where God is asking you to grow? 2. What trials and temptations are you facing now? 3. How is your character? Are you seeking to grow as a person?Two - Spiritual Growth1. Where do you find yourself resisting God now?  2. Are you practicing any spiritual disciplines now, what spiritual disciplines do you need to develop? 3. What actions have you taken recently to make spiritual growth a priority in your life?Three - Ministry Skills1. What new ministry skills should you think about developing? 2. In what area should you be reading or studying more? 3. What can you do to improve in ministry right now?Thanks for joining me today! You can find links to past shows at www.runwithhorses.net. Write me and let me know what you are doing to invest in others today, your questions and comments are always welcome.

Who should I invest in? -Ep.233

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How do you select a person to pour your life into?They are always a lot of people around you who you could choose, so how do you find the right person that's worth the time and energy and effort that it's going to take to invest in them.FaithfulAvailabilityA LearnerWillingness on their part.Where do you find this person?Always keep your eyes open and look around you for those who are ready for next steps.Those who are asking questions.Those who show up early and pitch in to help.Newer believers, younger believersPeople who are going through or have recently been though a transition, often see the need to grow.Listen, who is talking about wanting to or needing to grow.Be willing to meet them more than half-way. You make the offer. Not as a teacher but as a fellow traveler on the path toward Jesus. Let's go together! 

An Interview with Chloe

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Today I interview my daughter, Chloe and we learn what she is up to this summer and her plans for the coming months. You can find her music at https://chloejanelle.com/

What can we learn about discipleship from CNA training?

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Today on Run With Horses, Susan shares a little about her CNA training and a few lessons we can apply to the spiritual life.
Welcome to Run With Horses, My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a Follower of Jesus. I don't believe that there is anything more thrilling or fulfilling than joining Jesus on His mission to the world. Thanks for including me in your
journey.
Yesterday I was talking to Susan about her CNA training as we took our evening walk and we came up with some areas that overlap with the goal of being a disciple of Jesus in community with others.
She mentioned that they are learning skills that they need to be able to apply to get their certification as a CNA and you use dummies and practice with each other to learn the details of what to do in class, but then you don't always think about it when you show up at the nursing home. The nurses have to remind you, hey, you actually need to do this stuff you learned in class here. The different context throws you off somehow, you know the skill but don't have it connected to a practical situation yet.
*
So, there's a simile between learning a skill and practicing it in a certain context versus being able to use it in real life, under real circumstances.
Being in this CNA class, I'm learning educational stuff like knowledge of this is what we do, this is why we do it, and then we get a chance to actually practice it in the classroom, on each other, feeding each other, doing certain skills, and trying to remember all the steps.
But then when we go to clinicals, and we actually are in a nursing home, I've found that all my training just kind of goes out the window because that's not how they do it in real life. Or I'm not used to that setting so then I kind of forget. And after we come together and we have sort of a debriefing, I realize oh I'm still supposed to do those same steps in the real world as I've learned in my class. Just trying to figure out what that's like. And I kind of see that as a similarity between the Christian walk and being a disciple.
I mean because there's a lot of things we learn from the Bible -- truths, doctrines, what you're supposed to do, what you're supposed to look like -- and you can practice some of those things or watch other people do it and learn all these kinds of skills. But then in real life when you're in a situation, a lot of those things get left in the dust. You don't even think about how that training and how those truths are supposed to relate now here in this context
*
We have small groups or a discipleship relationship with other people to fill in the gaps between understanding theory and application. These relationships give a context where you can discuss these things in a low pressure environment.
Part of the purpose is debriefing. "Hey, I was in this situation and I totally didn't think about God. How can I bring God into my thinking, into my practice, in everyday life?"
It's like that as we grow spiritually. We learn the theory in sermons, books and reading the Bible, but small groups really help us to make it concrete. We learn that we need to live out those things and we get our questions answered. We have other people who are walking along doing it too.
Thanks for joining us today! Write us at norman@runwithhorses.net for questions or comments we can read on the show. Life is an adventure of faith and following Jesus. It is a marathon not a sprint, so keep running!

Why should I invest in others?

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Today on run with horses we're considering why you should invest in other people.We have spent some time in the past few shows thinking about our priorities and how we spend our lives.There are lots of things you can invest in but I don't think there's anything that will give you the return of investment that you will get when you invest in people. You can invest in the stock market ,you can invest in your career ,you can invest in your hobbies, you can invest in yourself, but when you invest in other people you change lives and you make a difference for eternity. There is nothing that compares to investing in someone else's life and seeing real life change take place.Do you want to live a life of value and purpose that makes a difference here and now and an eternity? Then I suggest you look at the people around you and consider how you can use your gifts, talents, and abilities to help them grow in Christ likeness. It will be life changing not only for them but also for you. I believe that there is very little that changes you as much as investing in someone else. You are forced to get outside of your own head, to stop thinking about your own problems, and you really have to consider where someone else is and what they need more than yourself. When you do that you change at a very deep personal level.Our goal is to walk worthy of Christ.1 Thess 2: 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.In the past few shows we've spent some time thinking about our priorities and how we spend our lives. But as we think about how we spend our lives, I don't think there's anything more valuable or important than investing in other people.When you think about what will give you meaning at the end of your life, when you consider your priorities as a follower of Jesus, when you think about your values, if you are a follower of Jesus, I think they will best be represented by really encouraging and investing in other people.So what does it mean to invest in other people? Go back to 1 Thess. 2, I think this is part of it. Paul is writing to the Thessalonian church, and he says that he did several things. We exhorted you, we comforted you, and we charged every one of you as a father does his own children.So he's doing three things. He  encouraged and comforted and challenged them to follow Christ well, to walk worthy. And along the way that they would put effort in to following Jesus. Not just "hey do well," try your best," or "be encouraged" - but he challenged them for something very specific: That they would walk worthy of God. That they would recognize that God has called them; He's called them to something great; He challenges them to actually apply real effort into following Jesus.God has called YOU into His Kingdom! He has blessed YOU with every spiritual blessing! He is relating to YOU as a Father relates to His children! He invites YOU take part in HIS ministry!Let us now walk worthy of THAT!He goes on later in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 11 and says: "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another just as you are also doing." So he again repeats the idea that we need to be comforting each other, but he's also saying edify, build each other up. You want to invest in each other so that all reach maturity, so that you're all built up, so that in the future you're all stronger than you are today. That's part of his vision for the people he's working with - that they grow, they mature, and that they become more like Jesus.The writer of Hebrews has some similar things to say in Hebrews chapter 3 verse 12 and 13: "Beware lest there be in any of you with an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." So be careful that you don't get pulled away by your own desires; by unbelief; by the distraction of the world and all those things. But instead of being pulled away - and to make sure that YOU'RE not pulled away - exhort one another daily! Every day look for opportunities to encourage and challenge and exhort and build up and edify one another. It says: "While it is called 'Today,' lest any of YOU be hardened through deceitfulness."We live in a world where our life really pulls us away from God. And one reason why it's worth investing in each other; really being involved in each others' lives is because it helps us walk this path better; follow Jesus better; more consistently.We all have distractions! We all have days when we're going to do poorly! But if we are exhorting one another...walking together...encouraging EACH OTHER...if we're living this life together IN COMMUNITY then it's easier for us continue on without being distracted or pulled away!Proverbs 27:17 is a very familiar passage which says: "As iron sharpens iron, so iron sharpens the countenance of his friend." And it speaks to the idea that we serve a valuable role in each others' lives. We help each other be better because we invest; because we contribute; because we intentionally put in the effort to build up, to sharpen each other. That's what biblical friends do.Think about an axe: When it's sharp, it works better! If we're investing in someone else's life, then WE'RE helping THEM be better! And that's really our goal as disciples and disciple makers!I would say it's really important that we invest in others because the result of not investing in others is often selfishness. You know, if you don't invest and think about others...it usually means you're primarily thinking about yourself.You only have a couple options: You are working towards something - contributing effort and time and energy - either for yourself or for someone else. The life I think is well lived is a life that's lived meaningfully investing IN SOMEONE ELSE!I think THAT'S where the greatest joy is! It's where the greatest satisfaction is! A lot of personal issues...personal things that we fear or worry about or are concerned about seem much less important when WE'RE investing IN SOMEONE ELSE!When WE'RE seeking NOT OUR OWN GOOD but THE GOOD OF SOMEONE ELSE! When WE'RE seeking TO SEE THEM CHANGED...TO SEE THEM GROW...That energy...that focus keeps us from dwelling on our own issues. Our own issues become too big in our eyes when were completely focused ON them. When were thinking ONLY ABOUT this problem THAT WE HAVE, IT becomes SO BIG, THERE SEEMS NO WAY AROUND IT!But when YOU look at someone else’s life – one reason why WE NEED EACH OTHER – you can see THEIR PROBLEM IN GOD AND THE PERSON,  YOU’RE NOT QUITE SO EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO IT…SO YOU’RE IN A BETTER PLACE TO see the real picture and offer needed HELP!That’s also true when YOU’RE the one that needs help. You need people who are investing IN YOU…who are looking at YOUR issues and helping you see that, “Hey! God's still there! The problem is not as big as it seems like when you're in the middle of the mess!”So we NEED each other! That's an important part of the spiritual life that we can never get away from.
Check out runwithhorses.net for show notes and past shows. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net if you have comments or questions. Join our facebook community and tell a friend if you have found this show helpful! Keep Running!

Interview with Cameron Smith

Cameron returned from a medical missions trip to Bolivia recently with some lessons and thoughts for us.

Counting the Cost and Following Jesus

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INTRO
Today on Run With Horses, I am continuing my discussion from last time on living a life that is worthwhile. We need to count the cost, but it is always worth it to follow Jesus.
 
My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Run Your Race Well, not just Surviving but Thriving as a Disciple of Jesus! There are a LOT of things you could do with your life, but I don’t think anything compares with following Jesus and joining Him on His mission of bringing Hope to the nations.
Thanks for including me in your journey!
 
On the last show I asked two important questions, First, What is your life worth? You are spending your time on something. Is it something worthwhile?
Second, What is 1 thing worth giving the next 5 years of your life to accomplish?
I want to challenge you to live an Intentional life. If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time. But I’m not sure that Jesus really intended for us to live that way. Look at Luke 14: 25-33
 
My take is that Jesus is calling us to an intentional life and we need to consider what it will take to live it. John 8:12
I’m pretty sure that is a good thing! Jesus wants us to join Him on His mission, and He wants us to kow that it is a lifetime commitment that will cost us. But it is worth it!
 
So if you are tracking with me, you are considering what your life is worth, and thinking about what is worth your life. Maybe you are already committed to following Jesus and have a clear picture of the tower you are building and have your sleeves rolled up as you put in the effort to see God’s work in your life and through your life accomplished. If so, Awesome! Let me know what God is doing in your life, I would love to rejoice with you and pray for you as you live a life of eternal meaning and purpose!
Reach out and encourage those around you to join you and keep on keeping on!
 
But I know many feel stuck in a run and want to make some steps of faith. The tower they began working on years ago is still just a foundation that has sand blown across it and weeds starting to creep in along the edge. The busyness of life and the distractions of the world make it easy to leave the hard work of building a spiritual tower for another vague time in the future when “things settle down”. Hey, no judgment here, I have been there.
 
But it’s not OK to stay there. God really is doing something in your life and He wants to make you a better you, and give you a bigger purpose than just making it to the end of the week unscathed.
God never hides the fact that He has great plans for us. See Ephesians 2:1-10.
 
As you pray about what God is doing in your life and seriously answer the question about what is worth spending the next five years of your life to accomplish, remember that God already knows and has planned the good works for you. And He has prepared you for those good works!
There is no reason to fear or turn away, God Himself has promised to go with you and give you His strength to accomplish His purpose in and through you. Maybe the old Nike slogan, Just Do IT, would be appropriate here. We often hesitate and loose momentum or even sink into the mire of earthly things and get stuck in our spiritual life. And that carries over to all aspects of life. You can’t be the best YOU without being tied to God’s mission on earth and your part in it. He gave you gifts for a purpose and without using them, you are always out of step with your eternal purpose.
 
Know that you are created with a purpose and embrace God’s call on your life. But, count the cost. The work God has called you to will cost you. And it will be worth it.
 
As you look toward the future and consider how to invest the life that God has given you, along with all of your gifts, talents, abilities, and resources; consider how you can be intentional along the way. I believe God has given us intellect for a reason, Use it to plan out a path forward that is in line with His mission, uses your gifts, and builds up His church. Evaluate yourself and consider adding new skills to your list. What will help you be a more effective servant along the way? Similar question, Who should you be traveling with? As you build a spiritual tower and are counting the cost, consider how Nehemiah rode around the city walls evaluating and only then did he reach out and invite others into the work God had laid on his heart. He presented a clear plan of action and challenged everyone to do their part for the Glory of God. Who can you challenge to go with you as you intentionally pursue a life in Jesus’ footsteps?
 
OUTRO
Thanks for joining me today! Check out runwithhorses.net for show notes and past shows. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net if you have comments or questions. Join our facebook community and tell a friend if you have found this show helpful! Keep Running!

What is your Life Worth? -Ep.227

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INTRO
Today on Run With Horses, we consider the value of a life. You are trading your time for something, is I worth it?
 
My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Run Your Race Well, not just Surviving but Thriving as a Disciple of Jesus! There are a LOT of things you could do with your life, but I don’t think anything compares with following Jesus and joining Him on His mission of bringing Hope to the nations.
Thanks for including me in your journey!
 
Hey I have a question for you! What is the one thing that has encouraged you the most as you follow Jesus and grow as a disciple maker? I really want to know, please send me an email at norman@runwithhorses.net with your answer. I hope to do a show using some of your responses in the future so get in touch and let me know what has been an encouragement to you along the way. I know we all need it and it comes in many forms and through many people. What or who has encouraged you? 
 
I have had a busy few weeks, months actually, with big changes in where I am, what I am doing and how I am able to spend my time. As I think through my options and consider how God is working in me, I have been considering the question, What is worth spending a life on?
Many options: career, family, pursuit of leisure activities, to become skilled at something, fame, etc. Certainly the world gives you lots of ideas to pursue!
 
In some ways the actual value of your life is the sum of all the activities that make up your life. What are you doing with the time you have? Have you ever wondered if it is worth it?
All the time, some people say, and yet they aren’t willing to do anything different to change things.
 
Here is my real question and challenge for the day. What is 1 thing worth giving the next 5 years of your life to accomplish? Your whole life is too big too think about. You change over time as your experiences influence you. But you do need to plan out a course of action that will give you direction in the neat future. You do have a plan for your future don’t you? ; )
 
For those who are lost already, here is my summary of life planning.
You need to see the big picture. You and Eternity. This life definitely has meaning both in the here and now and in eternity. Your choices matter. Big picture – where are you headed? What gives your life meaning and purpose? God needs to be front and center here and you want your life to be attached to what He has said is important.
 
Once you have the BIG Picture clear in your mind, you can begin to consider your direction in life. You have a standard to refer to along the way and to guide you as you make decisions. Are my choices leading me closer to the goal or further away? Are my choices consistent with what I say I believe or do they call me a liar?
 
Consistent choices lead you somewhere over time. Hopefully nearer to the heart of God!
With that BIG Picture as the context. I want to repeat my question from earlier.
What is 1 thing worth giving the next 5 years of your life to accomplish?
 
What is a here and now, this life challenge that is worth the time and effort it will take to see the needle move? Maybe it makes more sense to ask it this way. If you were serious about following Jesus daily for the next 5 years what would you do?
What choices would you make differently than you do now? How would you evaluate your progress? Success?
Who would you want with you on the journey?
 
I think too often we spend all our time focusing on the details of today without stepping back to consider the BIG Picture of what God wants to do in and through us. We fail to make the changes that would move us closer to Him and keep us on His pathway. Ministry becomes an afterthought it we think about it at all. Service is for others, we are too busy.
 
What would it take to change that for you?
Is it your desire to follow Jesus with your heart, soul, mind and strength? What is keeping you from it?
Do the people you talk to day after day motivate you to love God more and serve people more or are they helping you stay distracted and focused on your own plans and desires?
 
In light of eternity, in light of the call of Jesus for you to take up your cross and follow Him, What is ONE thing that is worth giving the next 5 years to accomplish? What moves you closer to Him and His mission of reconciliation?
 
Jesus has called you. Your life is the answer. What does it say?
 
OUTRO
Thanks for joining me today! Check out runwithhorses.net for show notes and past shows. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net if you have comments or questions. Join our facebook community and tell a friend if you have found this show helpful! Keep Running!

A Disciple Maker in Asia - Josh

Today I interview a missionary with ABWE to Asia.