Run With Horses

Are you Content or Complacent? - Ep.205

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Are you Content or Complacent?
 
I Timothy 6:6-10 NKJV
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
 
What is it?
What is contentment?
Merriam Webster
1: feeling or showing satisfaction with one's possessions, status, or situation
Satisfied
1: pleased or content with what has been experienced or received
 
What is complacency?
Merriam Webster
1: self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies
2: an instance of usually unaware or uninformed self-satisfaction
 
Why does it matter?
You can be content with the wrong things. (spiritual growth vs. stuff)
 
You can be discontent with the wrong things. (stuff in this life, not measuring up to others)
 
What makes the biggest difference? Your perspective! Eternal or temporal. God’s or man’s.
 
Is contentment with the right things your goal Or is it your goal to “succeed” in life, whatever that means.
 
How does death figure in your future plans and your ability to be content?
It affects work, family, hobbies, etc in the here and now.
It really affects your eternity!
 
Satisfied in Christ – What is this? Why is it worth pursuing?
 
Only path to real JOY!
 
You can never really be satisfied with anything less than God.
 

How Do I Walk In The Spirit? - Run WIth Horses - Ep. 204

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How do I Walk in the Spirit?
 
Galatians 5:25 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
 
Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
 
 
Galatians 3:1–3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
 
Before we look at Walking in the Spirit, What is the flesh and what does it mean to live according to the flesh?
The Bible indicates that the flesh is human nature as it is now, tainted by sin. Sin has affected our thoughts, emotions, attitudes, desires, actions, relationships and physical being. Out total being is influenced by our sin nature.
Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
 
 
“The Holy Spirit produces in us desires for God’s way that are stronger than our fleshly desires, and thus he causes us to walk in God’s statutes.” - John Piper [https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/let-us-walk-by-the-spirit]
 
 
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
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.
 
How do we Walk in the Spirit?
Here are some ideas to help you down that path.
 
1) Accept God’s judgment of your nature -- lost, confused, and unable to make it right.
 
2) Spend time with God on a daily basis. Time in God’s Word and in Prayer helps you recognize the pull of the flesh and gives the Holy Spirit ammunition to fight it. The Holy Spirit brings passages back to your mind when you need them and gives you strength and wisdom to turn from destructive choices.
 
3) Develop honest, transparent relationships with mature followers of Jesus. Look for opportunities to encourage each other in the fight against sin and the hold it has on us.
 
4) Investigate the Spiritual disciplines. Fasting, solitude, and the like can be valuable tools in the struggle against the flesh.
 
5) Intentionally join others who are on mission with Jesus. Carrying out the work of making disciples is a worthy goal and is capable of taking all of the energy and focus you can give it. You will not find a more worthy way to spend this life than carrying out the commands of Jesus in a disiciple-making community.
 
It can be hard. It can seem like an eternal uphill climb. But the journey is worth it.
 
 
 
 

Who Do You Resent? - Run With Horses - Ep. 203

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Who do you resent?
I came across a small old book in the church library today. The Prison of Resentment by Bob Mumford.
Subtitled: The Greatest Hindrance to Spiritual Maturity
First a foundation to build on. From Galatians 5:13-26. A quick summary- you are called to freedom. Love your neighbor as yourself to fulfill the law. Walk by the Spirit. Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Live by the Spirit, Walk by the Spirit.
An unfortunate truth - it is easier to love God than to love people! Surprise!
But Mumford says, "Righteousness is relational. If you want to be righteous before God, you must get all your relationships clear."
If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, you are righteous before God. So NOW what are you going to do? Living out your faith in the world today is primarily about your relationships with those people around you. Six of the ten commandments are about our relationships with people. The beatitudes tell us about our attitude, heart focus and often relate it to people.
How important is our relationship with others? Check out Matthew 5: 23-26. It is so important that you should put reconciliation with another believer above your own worship of God. Relationships in the church, unity in the church, is important to God!
Mumford takes a slight curve and gives some good insight on why our relationships are such a mess. "When sin entered, it affected three areas: (1) it affected our relationship between us and God. (2) It affected the relationship between us and ourselves. (3) It affected the relationship between us and others."
God wants you to know and experience forgiveness from both ends. He has forgiven you, you can now forgive others.
Merriam-Webster defines resentment as a feeling of indignant displeasure or persistent ill will at something regarded as a wrong, insult, or injury. Oh, yeah it's personal!
Remember Naaman, captain of the Syrian army who went to Elisha to be healed. He was offended because he was told to go dip in the Jordan river seven times, by Elisha's servant! That is resentment. He felt slighted by Elisha.
Mumford tells us that resentment starts as a subjective thought known only to you and God. No one else can see how you feel or what you are thinking. But you dwell on it and begin to wallow in the mire of your own making, building up resentment that turns into a grudge against someone. Now you are stuck in the rut and we all tend to keep on going over it and making it deeper.
Mumford gives four things that help us as we think about resentment, both avoiding it and getting out of the trap.
First, Testing is a real thing. You will be tested in life in many small and large ways and God often brings the test through people you know.
Second, We all really need a large dose of the sovereignty of God! Nothing comes into your life that will hinder God's work in and through your life. Embrace the work He is doing as well as the method He uses to bring the spiritual growth you need.
Third, if you understand God's sovereignty, it is a little easier to accept the test with joy. This is where the rubber meets the road. Accepting with joy doesn't mean that someone else wasn't in the wrong or that you weren't hurt by them. It just mean you are learning to handle life by trusting God with the details.
Fourth, If you don't get a handle on your thoughts and emotions, resentment imprisons you and robs your relationships of the joy and value God intends. Little things become big things, are spiritual life suffers and we become bitter.
"Resentment comes when God, or another, doesn't do what you think He should." - Mumford
Our expectations of God and other people put us in the position of being disappointed often. The sin nature we struggle with causes us to desire things and believe we deserve them. We want attention, praise and recognition for every little thing we do and we want others to always treat us with respect and honor.
It makes sense when you think that we all see ourselves as the authority in our life. It is difficult to surrender to God's authority. We don't want to serve others or be treated like a servant. Humility is low on our list of traits we value in ourselves. And then there is Jesus.
Love Go with all your heart, soul mind and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself and really try to serve them. Resentment hurts you more than the one you resent. Ask God to release you and forgive you joy in Him today.

Living an Intentional Marriage

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Living an Intentional Marriage
 
1. How does your view of marriage reflect your family upbringing?
2. How does God play a part in your relationship?
3. Questions for you to ask yourself or each other.
a. How are we doing as a couple?
The idea if not the actual question needs to be addressed. Commit to staying close.
 
b. In this season of life, what is our focus and where is our joy?
 
c. How am I honoring my spouse?
 
d. Are you dealing with anything that I can help you with in this stage of life?
 
e. What are a few ways I can be more understanding of your current struggles/ life challenges?
 
f. What do I need to know most about where you are spiritually, emotionally , etc right now?
 
g. Are you satisfied with the amount of time we spend together?
 
h. What ways can we be building our friendship more?

#NDMF2023 Random Thoughts on Making Disciples – Part 2

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#NDMF2023 Random Thoughts on Making Disciples – Part 2
 
6. Don’t count people out or pre-judge who is capable or will respond. Discipleship is not just for the most mature believers.
- Who is around you now that might respond if you asked them about getting together?
 
7. Are you a disciple worth reproducing?
- Where are you in the basics? Are you intentionally pursuing Jesus? What are your strengths and weaknesses spiritually? Are you asking these kinds of questions?
 
8. Don’t pre-filter. Train everyone and then coach those who put it into practice.
- Do your best to encourage and equip everyone around you. When people respond by applying Scripture to their lives and pursuing Jesus themselves, be their biggest fan and help coach them as they grow.
 
9. Every generation has a new great commission.
- Be on mission. Jesus came to this earth with a purpose. He shared that purpose with His disciples and ultimately the church. Be clear about your purpose.
 
10. Empower, Equip, Release.
- Don’t seek or hold on to power. Give those around you freedom to grow, serve, and use their gifts.
 
11. Don’t be a savior. Lead people to Jesus.
- People don’t need you, they need Jesus. You can’t fix everyone’s problems. That isn’t your role and shouldn’t be your goal.
 
12. Keys to disciple making; close proximity, relationship, life together. Know God’s Word, read all of it, and share it together.
- Keep God at the center. Be focused on your own spiritual growth and invite those around you to grow with you.
 
The life of a disciple isn’t necessarily complicated, but it is often hard. You make choices every day that make following Jesus easier or harder. You make choices every day that draw you closer to people or pull you away.
 
Be intentional. Put Jesus first. Love those around you. Choose Joy!
And keep running. . .

#NDMF2023 Random Thoughts on Making Disciples - Part1

And Here We Are! Episode #200! Many thanks to our listeners, take a moment and let someone else know about us to help us find the people we try to encourage and support as disciple makers and followers of Jesus in the world today.
Always Rejoicing!
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#NDMF2023 Random Thoughts on Making Disciples
 
1. Remove unnecessary barriers that keep people from Jesus.
 
2. We need three spaces to be in the best position to grow spiritually.
* crowds – the Big Sunday gathering
* small groups – think of the 12 disciples walking through life together with Jesus.
* microgroup – consider the three closest disciples to Jesus. These are intentionally organic, personal, require an invitation from an individual and are focused on multiplication.
 
3. Discipleship is messy. No tools are perfect. Do something.
 
4. Disciple thrives when four things are intentionally present.
*transparency
*accountability in relationships
*God’s Word is the curriculum
* the goal is reproduction
 
4. Simple is best. Up, In, Out - God, Disciples, World
 
5. Invest in someone. Eliminate distractions, DO something.
 

Are your Goals for your Children hindering their Spiritual Growth?

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What do you want for your children? Are your goals hindering spiritual growth?
 
Many people have goals for themselves and for their children that fall short of God’s plan and purpose for their lives. Where do you stand?
Where do you get your goals for your children? Do you have clear goals for your children?
 
At the National Disciple Makers Forum ,#NDMF2023, Renae Sprouls talked about the culture problem facing the church. As she and her husband mentor young parents, they often hear variations on the same themes when they ask about goals for children:
“We want them to think for themselves. We want them to be successful. We want them to question authority. We want them to be happy.”
While those are not all awful things, they are built on a few dangerous assumptions:
1. There is no authority outside of self.
2. Self is the moral authority.
 
There is no longer a general knowledge and acceptance of the Bible as an authority for life.
 
Renae challenged parents to keep two things in mind if they want to be raising children who are not swept along with the winds of culture.
 
1. Be really clear about Jesus.
* Jesus had a high view of Scripture
* Jesus came to fulfill the law
* The Bible is God’s Word; there is no higher authority.
* Man shall not live by bread alone. The spiritual life matters. Scripture is the foundation.
 
2. Teach your children to feed themselves.
* Parents are responsible for teaching life skills. Handling God’s Word is an important one!
* Many people don’t know where to start with the Bible. Encourage and teach everyone – you can and must feed yourself from God’s Word. Give them freedom and confidence to try.
*Children can do it too! Learn to eat like an adult! What is modeled and expected becomes normal.
- TV, movies, music, SM, are all like junk food; they kill our taste for real truth.
- Teach your kids, “If you don’t like it, keep trying it.” You will learn to appreciate your vegetables and your Bible as you grow up. If you find truth you don’t like, don’t ask what is wrong with the truth, but what is wrong with me that I don’t like the truth. God changes us over time as we grow in Him.

Family Discipleship 101

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Family Discipleship 101
What?
There is a family discipleship crisis! How do we know? Look at the church culture and compare it to the world culture. Do you see a difference? No? There is a family discipleship crisis!
Parents are often overwhelmed with their own spiritual issues and have trouble finding the time and spiritual energy to help their children navigate life biblically.
So what is family discipleship? It is simply parents taking responsibility for their own and their children’s spiritual growth. Instead of leaving it up to the church to disciple your children, it is taking initiative to know and grow your kids! And it all starts with your personal walk with Jesus.
 
Why?
First, it is your role a parent. It is in the job description! Deut. 6.
My understanding is that in the past, maybe even through the 1960’s, parents were much more involved and aware of the need to be involved in their kids’ lives. Today, many expect the church and Christian schools to do it and even choose a church based on what is available for their kids!
Second, you are in the best place to work with your kids throughout the formative years of their life. You are with them most often and should be in a place to know them best.
Third, no one but God loves them more than you do!
 
 
How-To?
Keep it simple and build a foundation you can add to as they grow.
My personal belief is that all disciple making is relational, and this is even more important with your kids. Really get to know them, not just tell them what to do.
 
Two keys are time and communication.
 
Talk about spiritual things with your children as you face things. You might not be able to share everything, but you can share general thoughts about where you are and the struggle and victories in your spiritual life. As you go through life, help your kids see God at work around you and in your family. Point out the blessings and teach them to be thankful. Having this as a goal is a great challenge for those of us who might not be naturally as thankful as we should be. Knowing your kids are watching you helps motivate you to be intentional about giving thanks!
 
Encourage your children to read the bible themselves and learn to look for God at work. Help them see what obedience looks like.
 
Keep your children engaged with the church family and help them learn to see God at work in the greater church family.
 
Take baby steps and build on the foundation you make! It is worth the effort so keep going! You can do it!

Are you a Single Christian Parent? – Tips for Spiritually Supporting Your Children

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Single Christian Parent – Tips for Spiritually Supporting Your Children
 
Things not to do –
--Don’t badmouth the unsaved parent or the divorced parent. “Don’t listen to your mom.” Better way to approach that. “What does God say?” You can pray together for the unbelieving person.
--Don’t give in to depression, hopelessness, fear over ruining the kid because it’s just you. Don’t give up!
 
1. Trust God – He will do His part
Though it’s not ideal for both parents not to be Christians, God can work in spite of that.
Example: Timothy (with solid faith of mom and grandma)
Not ideal to be raised by one parent, God does amazing things there too!
 
2. You do your part – Be intentional
Work to build the relationship.
Be honest about your own limitations (time, work hours, expectations). God will provide.
Help child to learn to trust God as you trust Him, too.
Spend time in the Word of God together. Take child to church (if can).
Share your own spiritual testimony with them, apply Bible truths to daily life, pray together, etc. Make sure your spiritual life is open to your children, invite them into your relationship with God.
Try to provide good alternatives for your child if you have to be working and gone. -- library, creative outlets. Not just leaving them to video games, movies, etc.
Your attitude is so important! Don’t let regrets, past mistakes, etc. weigh you down and color how you move forward.
You, as the parent, can do a lot to encourage spiritual growth
 
 
3. Look for and Rely on the Christians around you
-- Christians in your own family (role models)
-- Christian role models in your church family
Connect your child with those who can assist in the gaps of your own parenting.
Pull in your church family – If you have no Christian wife, look for Christian women in your church who could meet some of those needs, be a good role model for your daughter. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Look for the man who can be a dad to your son or the woman who can be a mom to your daughter. Encourage those relationships with healthy couples. Encourage friendships with girls (or boys if sons) who have healthy relationships with their parents.
 
4. Expect and trust your child to do his/her part, too. They must choose and respond.
Sometimes we feel bad for our kids, so we as parents try to overprotect them. It’s difficult, but God uses difficulties to grow people, too!
 
 
It is difficult. It’s not what you chose necessarily, but God can still do great things in you and your children!
Be patient over time, do the best you can, be open with your kids, understand that God is at work. Be in it for the long haul.
 
It is one day at a time. God is doing His part, you do yours and trust Him with the results!
 

What is a self-feeding Christian?

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What is a self-feeding Christian?
 
What is it?
A self-feeding Christian is a believer who can open God’s Word himself, read it, understand the context sufficiently, and be able to apply principles to his own life. He doesn’t need someone else to explain everything to him, being “spoon-fed” like a newborn.
 
Why is this important?
1. You need to eat at least once or twice a day, but you go to church only once or twice a week. How will you be fed spiritually if you can’t feed yourself? If you wait to be fed by the pastor, you will become malnourished.
2. If you can’t read the Bible for yourself, you must rely on others to interpret and explain it to you, causing you to run into the possibility of being deceived by those who misinterpret the Bible. How will you know if they are leading you accurately?
3. Our goal is to become a disciple-maker. If you can’t feed yourself, how can you help someone else?
4. The Bible is written for the common person to be able to learn and grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Anyone can read and do this! It is a huge joy to discover truths for yourself! God wants to reveal Himself to you, and He wants you to grow by reading His Word and sharing it with others.
 
How do I become a self-feeding Christian?
1. Start reading the Bible every day! You can follow a Bible reading plan, or simply read through a book of the Bible at a time.
2. You can begin by reading a short devotional and observing how someone else reads and interprets the Bible, applying it to everyday life.
3. You can read the Bible together with a friend.
4. Attend church weekly, pay specific attention to the Bible being shared. Do you agree? If not, why not? Know your Bible!
5. Memorize Scripture. Even when you can’t read, the Bible can speak to you.