Episodes
Saturday Apr 06, 2024
Saturday Apr 06, 2024
Podcast: rwh.podbean.com
Website: www.runwithhorses.net
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast
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Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together!
Let’s begin to dig into what it might look like to live out my working definition of church.
MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH
A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission.
I. Relationship
We are a group of people on the same journey following the same tour guide.
Group - a number of individuals assembled together or having some unifying relationship. Merriam-Webster
A. Can’t do it alone!
We all need help bearing out burdens.
We are united in Christ.
B. Ministry requires a connection
Relationships matter. One another’s, accountability, encouragement.
The mission of Jesus is a church responsibility.
C. God’s Word commands it. Heb. 10:25 – do not neglect.
D. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is relational
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:20-21)
Christians gather together. We are joined into one body with Jesus as the head. We need each other.
1. We are in this together. The “one another’s” require a community.
2. We all have gifts the church needs. You can’t be who you are meant to be without the church family.
3. The mission requires us all to do our part. The work that Jesus left the church is too big to be done alone.
4. Everyone needs encouragement sometime. Be an encourager, be encouraged.
E. We are equipped by each other. Eph. 4
Saturday Mar 30, 2024
Saturday Mar 30, 2024
23_03_30 -Ep.305 - Run With Horses Podcast – Multiplication in the Essential Church
Podcast: rwh.podbean.com
Website: www.runwithhorses.net
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast
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Go forth and multiply! It is the last command that Jesus left with His disciples and one of the main concerns of the church today.
Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together!
Last week we looked at maturity the essential church. The main point is that we have to be changing if we are maturing and becoming more like Jesus. He is working a wonderful transformation in our lives.
Quick review:
MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH
A CHURCH is a group of Jesus’ disciples who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission.
It is my view that this process embracing the mission of Jesus and becoming a disciple maker is an important part of how God transforms you.
We started session one with the topic SEEDS: What’s our Disciple Making DNA?
Matthew 4:19: "Follow me," Jesus declared, "and I will make you fishers of men." Jesus doesn't just call disciples, He equips them to make more disciples.
We moved on to session two with the topic TREES: What is your vision of Maturity?
Hebrews 5:11-14 11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
Stages of Spiritual Growth – Dead, Infant, Child, Young Adult, Parents, Grandparents
And Today we are ready for Session 3: Forests: How Do We Multiply?
Big Idea: Multiplication is the result of putting disciple making into practice.
Disciple making is contagious! As we mature as disciple makers, we equip others to do the same, resulting in a multiplication effect: the growth of the local church and planting new churches near and far.
****
Starting an Evangelistic Bible Study
Make a list and pray for it
Make your list of who you want to talk with and pray for them
Find a partner and make a plan
Try to find a partner to do this with, and make a plan for the next few steps
Schedule it and reach out to people
Come up with a schedule for your meet-ups, make contacts with people using the conversations checklist and invite them to the meetup.
Start meeting and improve it over time
Start meeting and keep it going, improving what you started and making it better. It doesn’t need to be perfect right away–or ever really!
Be faithful and try to be fruitful
Just faithfully keep meeting with people and having conversations, and pray that there is fruit of people growing closer to Jesus. Your job is faithfulness and intending to be fruitful, but God provides the fruit.
Be consistent
Consistently keep having intentional conversations and a regularly scheduled and communicated meeting, and that consistency will over time be part of your success.
6 Questions for Leading a Bible Study
THANKS - What are you thankful for?
CHALLENGE - What challenges are you facing?
→ PRAY for challenges→ READ & RETELL passage
GOD - What does this passage tell us about God?
PEOPLE - What does this passage tell us about People?
DO - What should I do in response to this passage?
SHARE - Who should I share it with this week?
******
Thanks for joining me again today! How is your church doing at fulfilling it’s biblical purpose? I’d love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.
Saturday Mar 23, 2024
Saturday Mar 23, 2024
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_podcast
How do you know if you are growing? Today we focus on identifying spiritual maturity in the Essential Church.
Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together!
Last week we looked at an overview of disciple making as part of the fundamental DNA of the essential church. Today we consider maturity, particularly the idea of spiritual transformation. We have to be changing if we are maturing and becoming more like Jesus.
Quick review:
MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH
A CHURCH is a group of Jesus’ disciples who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission.
It is my view that this process of accepting the mission of Jesus and becoming a disciple maker is at least part of what God uses to transform you. Think about the questions we are left with after thinking through the definition of church.
How do you worship God? Spirit and Truth gives some guidance. Truth should lead us to look at the Bible for answers.
What does the life of a living sacrifice look like? Humility is there. What is sacrifice? Probably want to look at the OT for some insight.
How do we get together? When, where, how often, what do we do? The NT gives some idea of the big picture, Acts and Paul’s letters need to be investigated.
What is the mission of Jesus? The Gospels give His words directly, Acts gives the early churches application of them.
What is the Gospel and how do we best communicate it in our location to the people around us? Back to the NT.
How do we make disciples in our context?
What are Jesus commands?
How do we edify others? Who is responsible to do this?
Struggling with these Questions in your particular context forces you to consider what God says about each issue and what is left to adjust for your time and place. Struggling to Live what you believe is the context for lasting spiritual growth and transformation as we all learn to trust Him more.
We started session one with the topic SEEDS: What’s our Disciple Making DNA?
We move on to session two with the topic: TREES: What is your vision of Maturity?
Saturday Mar 16, 2024
Saturday Mar 16, 2024
23_03_16 -Ep.30? - Run With Horses Podcast – Disciple Making in the Essential Church
Podcast: rwh.podbean.com
Website: www.runwithhorses.net
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast
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Today we make the shift from defining what the essential church IS to considering what the church does in more detail. It will be no surprise for regular listeners to know that we will begin with Disciple Making in the Essential Church.
Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together!
I have been thinking about the idea of Essential Ecclesiology for awhile now. Last week we concluded with my working definition of the essential church.
MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH
A CHURCH is a group of Jesus’ disciples who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission.
There are definitely things that are only implied and not spelled out. There are definitely questions a church will need to answer for itself based on its local context and culture.
Specifically,
What do you not see in this definition? There is not much to tell HOW to do these things.
Let’s make a list.
How do you worship God? Spirit and Truth gives some guidance. Truth should lead us to look at the Bible for answers.
What does the life of a living sacrifice look like? Humility is there. What is sacrifice? Probably want to look at the OT for some insight.
How do we get together? When, where, how often, what do we do? The NT gives some idea of the big picture, Acts and Paul’s letters need to be investigated.
What is the mission of Jesus? The Gospels give His words directly, Acts gives the early churches application of them.
What is the Gospel and how do we best communicate it in our location to the people around us? Back to the NT.
How do we make disciples in our context?
What are Jesus commands?
How do we edify others? Who is responsible to do this?
I believe that disciple making is at the center of what it means to be the church.
Many have produced catechisms to help teach the foundational truths of God’s Word. What is the chief end of man is the way one talks about our purpose. The answer, the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. ("Glorify" does not mean make glorious. It means [to] reflect or display as glorious. Other words you could use for "end" are "goal" or "purpose". - John Piper)
HOW do we glorify God? Primarily by humble obedience to His commands. You cannot glorify God and do your own thing! Disciple Making is at the center of what it means to be a follower of Jesus so a simple connection would be to say that we best glorify God when we are most engaged in his mission of reconciliation through relational disciple making.
I will be at a retreat this weekend focusing on discipleship, it’s perfect timing so I will start today going over some of the material I am preparing for the retreat.
We start session one with the topic SEEDS: What’s our Disciple Making DNA?
What is DNA?
******
Thanks for joining me again today! How is your church doing at fulfilling it’s biblical purpose? I’d love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.
Saturday Mar 09, 2024
Saturday Mar 09, 2024
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: htts://twitter.com/RWH_podcast
Today we are continuing our look at the church and trying to form a simple, coherent definition that covers the basics well without going too far into preferences and without leaving anything out that God intends for us to do or be.
I have been thinking about the idea of Minimal or Essential Ecclesiology.
Minimal:
The least viable form or the least possible to call something a church. What can you remove from your existing church and it still be a church?
Essential:
If you have nothing else you must at least have this to call it a church.
Ecclesiology: doctrine relating to the church
The goal is to consider the smallest, most adaptable, most flexible definition of the church. Why? Because we need more churches! And it is hard to begin with the finished, mature product, what can you start with? A seed that contains the DNA of the church at maturity. I believe Acts gives us a good picture of this seed that has all the characteristics of the church that will thrive in any setting.
To me that is KEY. The church is God’s people thriving and on mission in every culture and time period. What are the essentials that are consistent in a thriving church in every culture and age?
The Essential Church
What can you remove from your existing church and it still be a church?
If you have nothing else you must at least have this to call it a church.
A seed that contains the DNA of the church at maturity.
Can you separate what the church IS from what the church DOES?
If it doesn’t apply in in all ages, in all cultures and in the persecuted church then it can’t be considered ESSENTIAL.
The Church IS:
WHO:
Baptized Followers of Jesus -
Leadership – When and how much is required for a church to be a church? ie. when is a gathering of believers a church and not just a gathering of believers?
DO WHAT:
Worship
a- John 4:24
-in Spirit and Truth
b- Rom. 12:1-2
– living sacrifice
c- Phil. 2:5-8
-humility and obedience
Community/ Fellowship
a- Acts 2:42-47
b- Acts 2:41
1 Cor. 11:23-26 - baptism and communion
c- Hebrews 10:25
- assumes gathering together is normal
Mission
a- Acts 8:4
- share the gospel.
ie.
Acts 1:8
- To BE His witnesses.
b- Matthew 28:18-20
-make disciples
1-teaching
A-to obey Jesus commands. Not just knowledge.
2-baptizing
c- Ephesians 4:11-13
-Equipping the Church for ministry and edifying toward Unity and Maturity, ie. The Image of Jesus
A CHURCH is a group of Jesus’ disciples who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission.
What is this definition missing that you believe is necessary to understand the church?
There are definitely things that are only implied and not spelled out. There are definitely questions a church will need to answer for itself based on its local context and culture.
Specifically,
What do you not see in this definition? There is not much to tell HOW to do these things.
Let’s make a list.
How do you worship God? Spirit and Truth gives some guidance. Truth should lead us to look at the Bible for answers.
What does the life of a living sacrifice look like? Humility is there. What is sacrifice? Probably want to look at the OT for some insight.
How do we get together? When, where, how often, what do we do? The NT gives some idea of the big picture, Acts and Paul’s letters need to be investigated.
What is the mission of Jesus? The Gospels give His words directly, Acts gives the early churches application of them.
What is the Gospel and how do we best communicate it in our location to the people around us? Back to the NT.
How do we make disciples in our context?
What are Jesus commands?
How do we edify others? Who is responsible to do this?
******
Thanks for joining me again today! How is your church doing at fulfilling it’s biblical purpose? I’d love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.
Saturday Mar 02, 2024
Saturday Mar 02, 2024
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_podcast
We are still looking for a good definition of the essential church. Maybe we will find it today!
Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together!
I have been asking, “What is the church? Specifically the idea of Minimal or Essential Ecclesiology.
Minimal:
The least viable form or the least possible to call something a church. What can you remove from your existing church and it still be a church?
Essential:
If you have nothing else you must at least have this to call it a church.
Ecclesiology: doctrine relating to the church
The goal is to consider the smallest, most adaptable, most flexible definition of the church. Why? Because we need more churches! You don’t start with the finished product, What do you start with? A seed that contains the DNA of the church at maturity.
I have looked at several definitions over the past two weeks and today I will start to narrow it down and will make some decisions about the minimal definition of church.
From the past few weeks here are a few key points I will be considering.
Can you separate what the church IS from what the church DOES?
I think not, so the purpose of the church becomes really important when defining the church. If a church is not at least attempting to fulfill it’s purpose, is it still a church?
Saturday Feb 24, 2024
Saturday Feb 24, 2024
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_podcast
Today we continue looking at the essential church. Or the minimal church. Maybe just church.
I started last week by asking, “What is the church? Specifically I wanted to look at the idea of Minimal or Essential Ecclesiology. Quick review.
Minimal:
The least viable form or the least possible to call something a church. What can you remove from your existing church and it still be a church?
Essential:
If you have nothing else you must at least have this to call it a church.
Ecclesiology: doctrine relating to the church
The goal is to consider the smallest, most adaptable, most flexible definition of the church. Why? Because the church is intended to be multiplied in any environment. If church planting is really important, and we are going to do it, we need to identify the seed, the core definition of church.
You don’t start with the finished product in gardening or in church planting or in disciple making!
What do you start with? A seed that contains the DNA of the future life at maturity.
Resources:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/chuch-of-shrinking-definition/
https://www.catalystnw.org/Groups/1000103697/Catalyst/Catalyst_Network/Microchurches/Microchurches.aspx#:~:text=Our%20%22definition%20of%20church%22%20(,Jesus%2C%20they%20are%20the%20church.
https://www.tampaunderground.com/microchurches
https://saturatetheworld.com/2021/01/26/7-marks-of-essential-ecclesiology/
https://www.ruralministry.net/post/ecclesiology-and-the-rural-church
Christ Loved the Church by William MacDonald
Rediscover Church: Why the body of Christ is essential by Collin Hanson and Jonathan Leeman
The Doctrine and Administration of the Church by Paul R Jackson
Doctrine of the Church by Dr. Harold L. Wilmington
Practical Christian Theology by Floyd H. Barakman
Principles and Practices for Baptist Churches by Edward T. Hiscox
https://realfaith.com/what-christians-believe/characteristics-church/
Future Church by Will Mancini and Cory Hartman
Saturday Feb 17, 2024
Saturday Feb 17, 2024
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_podcast
Last week I finished up a series of shows that focused on some practical tips and pointer for living an intentional life. We covered our purpose, roadblocks and resources as well as some final thoughts on making clear goals to strive for in our spiritual life. In and through all of that we kept coming back to the big idea of God’s purpose for you. Today I want to begin to look at God’s purpose for you as it relates to the church.
We are going to begin our journey by wrestling with the question, What is the church? Specifically I want to look at the idea of Minimal or Essential Ecclesiology.
Minimal: relating to or being a minimum: such as
a: the least possible
a victory won with minimal loss of life
b: barely adequate
a minimal standard of living
c: very small or slight
a minimal interest in art
The least viable form or the least possible to call something a church. What can you remove from your existing church and it still be a church?
Essential: 1: something basic
2: something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable
If you have nothing else you must at least have this to call it a church.
Ecclesiology: theological doctrine relating to the church
The goal is to consider the smallest, most adaptable, most flexible church. Why? Because the church at it’s most basic is in the best form to be multiplied rapidly in any environment. If church planting is really important, and we are going to do it, we need to identify the seed.
You don’t start with the finished product in gardening or in church planting or in disciple making!
What do you start with? A seed that contains the DNA of the future life at maturity.
***
Resource; https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/chuch-of-shrinking-definition/
The Church, it is assumed, is simply plural for Christian. So wherever two or more Christians are gathered to discuss about and live in the way of Jesus, that’s church.
The problem with this minimalist ecclesiology is that it confuses definition and function. I have no problem with defining the church as elect people of God, or as the gathered Christian community, or as all those who have put their faith in Jesus. These are pretty standard definitions. But to say the church is the people of God is not the same as saying that wherever the people of God are there you have a church.So as a definition the church may be the people of God, but for God’s people gathered to be a church they must function in certain way.
*****
Resource: https://www.catalystnw.org/Groups/1000103697/Catalyst/Catalyst_Network/Microchurches/Microchurches.aspx#:~:text=Our%20%22definition%20of%20church%22%20(,Jesus%2C%20they%20are%20the%20church.
Microchurch – Worship, Mission and Community
Our "definition of church" (ecclesiology) is simple: When a group of likeminded people band together in sincere worship and genuine community to accomplish a part of the mission of Jesus, they are the church.
We believe that small, missional groups are the Most Essential Unit of the Church; and that church organizations exist to serve the smaller, micro-expression…and not the other way around. The Early Church embodied 3 essential, irreducible functions of WORSHIP, COMMUNITY, and MISSION; giving great freedom for people & groups to express them in their own contexts.
Resource: https://www.tampaunderground.com/microchurches
We affirm microchurch as the most basic expression of the church. Our ecclesiology is simple. When believers work together in sincere worship and genuine community to accomplish part of the mission of God, they are the church.
Worship, community, and mission are our ecclesial minimum.
***
Resource: https://saturatetheworld.com/2021/01/26/7-marks-of-essential-ecclesiology/
A church is comprised of believers who gather regularly for discipleship. A church’s goal must be discipleship: seeing people come to know Jesus and be increasingly formed into His likeness and love together.
A church declares the gospel and is shaped by the Spirit and the Scriptures. The good news (Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, kingdom, and return) is the church’s central message, and must be proclaimed both in gatherings and in everyday life.
A church worships God in various ways. A church helps people understand and participate in worship. The Bible describes song and prayer as worship, as well as using our spiritual gifts, serving others, sharing the gospel, giving, celebrating, working hard, resting, and obeying God. Almost everything in life can be worship, if in spirit and truth.
A church serves each other and its mission field(s). Each Christian has gifts, stations in life, and resources which God uses to bless Christians and non-Christians.
A church carries out baptism and communion. Whether defined as “ordinances” or “sacraments” (and while different churches add other acts to these), a church follows Jesus’ example and carries out baptism and communion regularly.
A church defines and trains God-given human leaders. Jesus is the head of His Church. And the New Testament shows us churches led by teams of Biblically-qualified servants, who humbly equip the saints for the work of ministry.
***
Resource: https://www.ruralministry.net/post/ecclesiology-and-the-rural-church
In the broader context, there is universal agreement that theologically, the church “is the community of all true believers for all time.”[2] However, there is far less agreement regarding the practical view and definition of the church (i.e., how we perceive and understand the word “Church” when it is mentioned). For some, the term church becomes synonymous with the local organization. The church is a building we attend at a specific location. As a physical building and organization, the church becomes defined by its organizational structure, programs, and a shared vision that moves the church organizationally.
Saturday Feb 10, 2024
Saturday Feb 10, 2024
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_podcast
Today we will look at a simple process to come up with realistic goals that you can work toward in your spiritual life. Actually, the process works for the rest of your life too!
Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. There are lots of moving parts to the journey but our foundation is built on Jesus, the solid Rock. Keep your eyes on the prize and keep making steps forward on your spiritual journey.
Last Week we looked at Roadblocks and some Resources that you can count on. Whatever the obstacle that you fae in your spiritual life, God already has plan to use it for your good and His glory. Be patient and continue to pursue Him through till the end. Take the daily small steps to follow Jesus where you are and trust Him to do the work in and through you that He wants to accomplish.
1. What do I want to accomplish?
God’s purpose for you. Employer’s purpose for you. Your own goals.
In each arena of live you may have a different level of control over determining your purpose. Work vs. Home. But God’s purpose for you trumps all others. Luke 14-25-33 – You cannot be Jesus Disciple without committing to Him First. It is a matter of priorities.
2. What’s my starting point? Where am I now?
Do I need extra skills, training, information?
Honest personal evaluation is often difficult for us. Getting a second opinion here is helpful. DiSC profile, etc.
3. What are potential Roadblocks? What Resources do I have to address them?
This is a good time to consult with others about how they see the path ahead. Not just your potential. Take some time to learn about the journey. What have others experiences been like? Talk to people who are doing what you want to do.
4. What are the key steps along the way I can use as markers of progress? How can I be accountable to keep moving? Who can I invite into my process?
5. Build a roadmap. Starting with where you are, include the key steps and needed skills, training along the way. What is a reasonable timeframe?
This is where you take all the information you have gathered aabout yourself and current situation and build a plan to gain the skills and experiences you will need to accomplish your goals. It is a timeline of key steps moving you closer to the goal.
6. Have someone you trust go over your plan with you. Do they have suggestions to improve it?
Someone who has done it before. A mature Christian you respect.
7. Do it!
At some point you have to start, ready or not. As long as the first steps are clear you can continue working on the pathway while you are moving forward.
8. Take a break and evaluate. Recalibrate and rework the plan as necessary. Learn from mistakes. Keep moving forward.
Assume that you will need to make changes along the way. That is not a problem, it is part of the process of refining the vision. God directs us as we are following Him. You often learn things along the way that change your understanding, you grow spiritually and are ready for a greater challenge than you imagined. That is all part of the journey. Enjoy the journey!
Practical Example
1. I believe God is directing me to be a missionary.
2. What training do I have now? What do I need? What experience would be good to get first? First Step – consult with your pastor! Talk to a mission board or two about other possible requirements.
3. What are potential roadblocks? Do I have financial obligations now? Loans, etc. How will I pay for additional training?
4. What are key steps along the way?
Bible college – Mission Board – Language School
5. Roadmap – First, talk to your pastor again. Your church may have both additional requirement and additional resources you need to know about.
Prioritize the steps you know about now. Run your plan past a missionary or mission board representative.
You plan might look something like this.
First, finish bible college or seminary. Take a mission trip before graduation.
Second, intern with a church plant while paying off any debts.
Third, select a mission board and join.
Fourth, Raise support and Take a short term, 1-2 year trip to the prospective country. Begin learning the language and culture. Consider how you will fit into the ministry that is ongoing now.
Fifth, Raise support to return full-time while gaining any additional training that you see the need for after spending time in the country.
6. Have your pastor and a missionary in the country as well as a mission board rep look over your plan. Is it realistic? What are potential hiccups?
7. Pray, confirm you calling. Do it.
8. Evaluate at each step along the way. Has anything changed? New information may lead to modification of the original plan.
My opinion is that people who are moving forward, pursuing personal Christ-likeness and opportunities for ministry are easy for God to direct. Keep the priority on personal spiritual growth and continually ask the question, How do I live this in the world, in the community that God has given me?
Thanks for joining me again today! What is God doing in your life now? How are you focusing on abiding in Christ in the midst of a busy schedule? I’d love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.
Saturday Feb 03, 2024
Saturday Feb 03, 2024
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Today we look at the things that might keep you from being fruitful and doing well in life and then consider what you can do about it. It’s all about roadblocks and resources!
Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. There are lots of moving parts to the journey but our foundation is built on Jesus, the solid Rock. Keep your eyes on the prize and keep making steps forward on your spiritual journey.
Last week we discussed our roles and I encouraged you to brainstorm some ideas connecting your gifts, talents and abilities with the roles you have in life. How did that go for you? Easy and fun? Challenging?
I know for some people, it is rare to step back and consider the big picture in life as we have been doing here. But I promise you it is worth it when you reap the benefits of intentionally joining God in the work He is doing in and through you. Understanding why and how God made you, your purpose and gifting, gives clarity to all you do.
This is particularly important considering the number of decisions we all have to make each day. Each choice you make has the potential to bring you closer to Jesus and the rest and peace He offers, or to take you further away. And I know which one I want!
And then something happens that makes everything harder. Like when you are on your way home early because a storm is coming and you find a tree across the road. Hit the brakes. Now what? Roadblocks are common when we are trying to follow Jesus and honor Him in every area of life.
What are some common barriers?
Fear is a big one. Fear of man specifically but fear of the unknown and even fear of success! Fear of change.
Doubt is a close cousin to fear.
Social pressure. Maybe related to fear of man but not always. The people around you expect you to act a certain way. You have a track record.
Sin. Alway buts a damper on things. Makes you question your calling and ability.
Laziness. Ouch.
Shallow and improper relationships.
Misplaced priorities. Aiming for the wrong goals. Not aligning life with Jesus and His mission.
Consequences from past mistakes.
You may be surprised that I didn’t list time and money as roadblocks. If our goal is toe be like Christ, I don’t believe time and money are issues. Now, how you use your time and money, that is a different story. But generally, with a few exceptions, you have time to do what you want and money doesn’t grow your spiritual life.
Time for some reflection. What are the things in your life that have the potential to be roadblocks on your way towards spiritual growth and Christ-likeness?
After a short break I will be back to consider our resources to combat those roadblocks.
What resources do you have to overcome the roadblocks in your life?
There are some resources that we all have access to and need to rely on for wisdom and strength.
Bible
Holy Spirit
Prayer
Church family – need for closer, more intentional relationships.
I can’ t encourage you enough to be part of a community of Jesus followers who are focused on living out His commands and carrying out His mission. Most of the roadblocks we all face in life are best faced together.
A Plan – hey, that’s what we are working on!
Being intentional about how you live and what you pursue in life leads to constantly addressing problems as they appear. That means many small issues are addressed before they become large ones!
There are also resources you may have access to that are unique to you and your situation.
Particular people for example. Who is someone God has brought into your life that might be able to shed new light on your situation?
I am a big fan of brainstorming. Use it to attack the roadblocks you face in life. First, take advantage of all of the common resources mentioned earlier. Put a priority on God’s Word, Prayer and God’s Family. Whatever else you may need to see the end of the tunnel, it won’t be less than these.
With that foundation in place, trusting that the Holy Spirit is working in and through you, take one roadblock that you believe would really make a difference if it was overcome. Pray about it, ask your church family to pray about it. Consider any biblical principles that apply.
And then, put some mental muscle to work on the problem. Given who and where you are now, what can you practically do to solve or lesson the problem? Is there anything you can do today to lesson the pressure even a little? Ok, do that first!
Next, is there anything you could begin doing that would eventually give you the ability to overcome the current problem? For example: Hate your job? Can you begin training to do something else?
Ask yourself, What little steps can I make today that will add up to meaningful change in the future? Do that.
Thanks for joining me again today! What is God doing in your life now? How are you focusing on abiding in Christ in the midst of a busy schedule? I’d love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.
Welcome to RWH
Hi, my name is Norman and I am a husband to a wonderful wife, father to three awesome kids, missionary in Japan, sometime artist, occasional musician and songwriter, often a runner, dog lover, motorcyclist and all-around normal guy.
But mostly I am just trying to follow Jesus in a broken world.