Run With Horses

Connect – The Church, Jesus and His Family

24_07_27 -Ep.322 - Run With Horses Podcast - Connect – The Church, Jesus and His Family
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
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Last week we focused on why must we ENGAGE with our community if we truly are the church. This week we consider how important it is that we are connected together as one body united.
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!
Thank you for joining me today! If you are new to the show, you may want to check out our website, runwithhorses.net, and listen to some of the past shows to catch up. I have spent several shows focusing on a simple definition of the church and the current discussion we are having about a discipleship pathway is best understood in the context of the church. If you have been enjoying the show, I would appreciate it if you would leave a review wherever you are listening! And as always, your questions, comments and feedback are welcome. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net. And now, on with the show...
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HABITS - Bible Reading
There are many habits that will help you on the road toward Christ-likeness but the habit of reading the Bible is one of the absolute most important ones you must constantly build into your life.
Why? How else can you know what it means to be like Jesus?
The NT is key to growing in your understanding of the life of Jesus. As you see how He lived, talked and related to people, it should greatly influence how you live. Your goal is to have the same attitude and intentions that He has toward God the Father and other people.
How do you do it?
First, there is no wrong way to begin. If you don’t have a bible reading habit now, start one. Start simple, keep it short, but begin to build the habit of consistently reading God’s Word. A common complaint is that the Bible is hard to understand, and that is true if you haven’t grown up in the church or spent much time in the Bible. The Bible is a book that takes some time to really grasp. It covers thousands of years and every part of life through history, poetry, letters and straight teaching. But if you apply some effort you will get it and it is worth it!
Start by getting a reading plan or making one yourself. Stick to the NT until you have read it through twice. If you need a simple plan, start with Mark, then read Acts and continue through the NT. Start easy and read a chapter a day or a few verses a day with the goal of building up to a chapter. Have a pen and notebook handy and write down the key ideas of the chapter. Put it in your own words and think about what you need to do in response.
If you don’t understand something, write down your questions, but maintain the habit of reading every day. It will reward you in time as you begin to see the big picture.
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Time for a quick review:
What is as DISCIPLESHIP PATHWAY? Simply put, an intentional plan to help followers of Jesus grow toward Christ-likeness. That word intentional is key.
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.
The discipleship pathway is an intentional plan to equip others to be on the mission of Jesus.
Don’t forget the goals of the pathway. Clear goals are important. What are the goals of a discipleship pathway?
a. self-feeding Christians
b. everyday missionaries – everyone on the mission of Jesus
c. disciple-makers
d. pastors
e. new churches
f. all members of the church, shepherded well
We are focusing on the SECOND step in the Pathway;
ENGAGE, CONNECT, EQUIP, RELEASE
As someone grows in their understanding of who Jesus is and begins to follow Him, they need to develop a solid connection to Him that allows them to abide in Him. It’s important to really know Him.
John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
John 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.
How do we come to know and love Jesus? In His Word and in His people, the church.
We need a strong connection to Jesus. We need a strong connection to His church.
The Second Step of the Discipleship Pathway focuses on helping us make those strong connections to Jesus and His church. This is the TOGETHER in our definition of the church.
The CONNECT step includes Foundations of the Christian Life that help us grow in our relationship with Jesus and His church.
a. prayer – building the habit of talking to God
- praying for His church, His people
- learning to pray for His mission
b. Bible
A. reading the Bible
B. studying the Bible
C. memorizing the Bible
D. meditating on the Bible
E. Learning to live out His commands
c. community – the church is really important to Jesus. It has to be important to us!
A. fellowship
B. service – serving one anther and the community, together
C. mutual edification
D. the one and others of the New Testament
E. Joining the church on the mission of Jesus, more on this later
d. disciple-making foundations – part of knowing and obeying His commands
A. be intentional
B. be relational
C. expect reproduction
e. simple journaling – thinking deeply about His Word and how you should respond to Him
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In all of these the goal is knowing and loving Jesus more and developing a deeper connection with Him and His church as we carry out his mission in the world.
We begin to connect to His mission from the moment we accept Jesus as Savior. A new believer is an example of the reconciliation that God is working in the world. God has a clear purpose for our lives and the fact is that His mission is central to His purpose for each of us.
How do you learn about His mission? In His Word and as we grow in our relationship with His church. We carry out His mission with His church, as His church!
Personal Evaluation and Spiritual Development
This is seeing God at work, preparing me for ministry.
Everyone has a part in the mission of Jesus. We often talk about it is using the words – ministry and mission. Some view ministry as our service to each other inside the church, and mission our service to those outside the church. I’m not sure I see the division quite like that but clearly we have a responsibility and opportunity to engage with people who are part of our local church and those who are not a part of it. Pauls says we engage with those outside the church as ambassadors for Christ, carrying His message of reconciliation to the world.
How do you find out about your part in ministry and how do you know your gifting?
A personal evaluation can cover many avenues and provide a starting place although it can’t answer all your questions. Ultimately you will learn how you best serve as you serve. Jump in and volunteer to help and ask for guidance from mature believer in your church.
To begin, here are some areas to prayerfully consider as you think though how God has made you and what role you have in his church and mission.
a. the DISC profile. Who am I, relationally?
- how do I behave in various situations around different kinds of people. You can learn, grow and adjust and get better are relating to everyone.
b. spiritual gifts inventory. Who am I, in service?
- ask your pastor if there is a spiritual gifts inventory that he uses
- remember that this can’t tell you what your gifts are but it can’t give you some direction as you think and pray through it.
- many of your gifts will be discovered and build upon as you serve and begin to get involved in Christ’s mission
c. hobby, interest, skill set. Who am I, in my current and future ability?
- you already know a lot about many different things. From cooking to carpentry, people bring some skills to the table when they come to Christ.
- I recommend making a list of everything you know and can do, along with things you already have a desire to learn, and prayerfully give each one to God.
d. training.
A. Past, what I have now.
- education and practical skills
B. Future, what I want or need.
- as doors open for ministry and service, you may see the need for more training.
e. experience. - God uses all you are to make you a fitting tool for helping others
A. Work
B. Ministry
C. Life
f. Pursue spiritual growth
- be intentional
- seek out people who are actively growing to talk with
- assume God wants to use you!
What all this means is that we need to be intentional about our relationships and seeking out people who will challenge us to live like Jesus.
It also means pursuing opportunities to learn about God’s Word.
It also means looking for opportunities to join His church on His mission.
Next time we want to consider the role that the church has in helping people connect to Jesus and to each other. As always, it takes being intentional and putting our theology into actions!
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DOCTRINE
July - God – Omnipresent, Holy, Righteous and Just
August – Jesus
September – Holy Spirit
God is Righteous and Just
Deut. 32:3-4 For I proclaim the name of the Lord:
Ascribe greatness to our God.
4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect;
For all His ways are justice,
A God of truth and without injustice;
Righteous and upright is He.
Romans 3:21-26 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
God always does what is right. He Himself is the standard for what is right.
God is always all that He ought to be as God. He is always consistent with His own character.
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How connected are you with the church? How can you help others connect to Jesus and His family? In both cases, the love of God is a driving force that compels us toward Him and others as we join Him on His mission.
It can be difficult but there is nothing in life that is as worth the effort as pursuing Jesus and following Him.
Thanks for joining me again today! Stop and say a prayer for your church family today! 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.
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ENGAGE - The Church in the Community

24_07_20 -Ep.321 - Run With Horses Podcast - Engage – The Church in the Community
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
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Last week I introduced the word ENGAGE as representing the first step a discipleship pathway for the church. Today I want to anchor it more fully in our working definition of the church. Why must we ENGAGE with our community if we truly are the 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 don't say it enough but I am really thankful you are with me on this journey of pursuing Jesus and His mission. I have been told, repeatedly, that I need to do a better job of getting the word out about this show. I do believe what we are talking about is valuable, at least to some people, but I need your help to find them. If you have enjoyed the show, leave a review wherever you find the podcast and more importantly, tell someone else to have a listen.
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HABITS – Prayer
Part of the life of a disciple is developing the habits that help you follow Jesus well. Prayer is a key part of that life and an essential habit to develop.
1 Thess. 5:16-18 – 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
• Make a commitment: Commit to praying and understand its importance
• Schedule time: Schedule prayer into your daily routine as well as be prepared to pray wherever and whenever
• Find a place: Choose a regular place to pray and minimize distractions, but practice praying in the chaos too!
• Ask for help: Ask God to help you pray and transform your heart
• Pray with others: Pray together, pray with and for each other
• Pray while exercising: Divide your workout into prayer periods
• Read the Bible: Use Bible passages and verses as a foundation for your prayers, Paul’s prayers are awesome!
• Other tips: Keep a prayer diary, find a regular prayer partner, and give thanks for the privilege of prayer
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Time for a quick review:
What is as DISCIPLESHIP PATHWAY? Simply put, an intentional plan to help followers of Jesus grow toward Christ-likeness. That word intentional is key.
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.
The discipleship pathway is an intentional plan to equip others to be on the mission of Jesus.
Don’t forget the goals of the pathway. Clear goals are important. What are the goals of a discipleship pathway?
a. self-feeding Christians
b. everyday missionaries – everyone on the mission of Jesus
c. disciple-makers
d. pastors
e. new churches
f. all members of the church, shepherded well
We are focusing on the first step in the Pathway;
ENGAGE, then CONNECT, EQUIP, RELEASE
ENGAGE - Actions by the Church, outside the four walls primarily.
* Community Engagement
Be part of what is happening in the neighborhood, community.
Pastor here on the town council.
Local clubs – art, sports, civic. There are a lot of people who want to make your community a better place, help them do that.
* Relationship Building
Look for opportunities to go beyond the community event or club. Invite people into your life. Supper, hobbies, coffee, etc.
* Evangelism
Live your faith in front of your friends. Let them know you pray for them. Ask them what you can pray for!
Share answers to prayer in your own life.
Share a meaningful verse you have been memorizing or meditating on recently.
Let them know your faith is genuine by your conversation and life choices.
After a short break we will be back to consider why it is so important that we get out and interact with our community.
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Why is this so critical?
The world no longer looks to the church for answers about anything.
We need mature believers to take a Christian worldview into the marketplace and engage in the crucial conversations that people are having.
Who do people look to when they have questions? Their network of relationships, their friends. How do you get to be one of them?
#
Reference: https://www.str.org/w/what-do-non-christians-think-of-christians-and-christianity-
QUOTE,” The aim of the interview is not for students to actually do apologetics. I just want them to become more comfortable talking with non-Christians and to establish a habit of asking questions and listening attentively. I also want them to see firsthand how and where the ideas that we discuss in the classroom are at work in the lives of people they know.
Here are the required questions:
How would you describe your personal spiritual beliefs?
Do you believe God exists? If so, why, and what do you believe God is like? If not, why?
What has your exposure to Christianity been?
As best as you can, describe what you think Christianity teaches.
Who do you believe Jesus was and why?
What do you think about the Bible?
What is your honest perception of Christians?
What are your top reasons for not believing the Christian faith is true?
Do you have any objections to Christianity? If so, what?
Is there anything that could persuade you that Christianity is true? If so, what? If not, why?”
#
These questions can start conversations with your friends and neighbors that they need to have with a mature follower of Jesus. The question is, are we consistently producing mature followers of Jesus?
Where and how does the church train, encourage, motivate, support, and equip the individual to go out and be actively engaged in the community.
Equipping by the Church- support and training for engagement
1. Gospel Foundations
2. First Steps in Gospel Ministry
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DOCTRINE
July – God – Omnipresent, Holy, Righteous and Just
August – Jesus
September – Holy Spirit
Today we want to pause and consider that God is Holy.
Merriam-Webster - : exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.
A biblical definition: The Hebrew word for “holy” literally means “separate” or “set apart.” Holiness is talking about His absolute purity. God is unstained by sin and evil. He is perfect in every way, and perfectly good all the time.
Completely separate from sin.
1 Samuel 2:2 - “No one is holy like the Lord,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
1 John 1:5 - This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
Isaiah 59:2 - But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.
1 Peter 2:13-16 – 13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
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Thanks for joining me again today! Stop and say a prayer for your church family today! 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.
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Engage, The First Step in a Discipleship Pathway

24_07_06 -Ep.320  - Run With Horses Podcast  - Engage – Part One of the  Discipleship Pathway
Podcast:  rwh.podbean.comWebsite:  www.runwithhorses.netYoutube:   https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcastFacebook:    https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcastInstagram:    https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcastTwitter:   https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast
Last week we began talking about a discipleship pathway for the church. Today we begin to break it down and consider the first step. What does it mean to Engage with your community?
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!
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HABITS - ThanksgivingThe Discipleship pathway is intended to help a church be intentional about helping people take steps toward Christ-likeness. However, individually each one of us has the same responsibility and opportunity to pursue that growth ourself. One thing that you can do personally to support a life of pursuing Jesus is work to develp new habits that make it easier to move forward.Today I want to focus on Thanksgiving.Thanksgiving is a habit that we all can and should develop and ingrain in our lives.1 Thess. 5:16-18, 
How? Make it easy and give yourself reminders. Memorize this verse or others like it.One step at a time. This is a good place to start.
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A quick review:What is as discipleship pathway? Simply put, an intentional plan to help followers of Jesus grow toward Christ-likeness. That word intentional is key.
MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCHA 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.
The discipleship pathway is an intentional plan to equip others to be on the mission of Jesus.
Don’t forget the goals of the pathway. Clear goals are important. What are the goals of a discipleship pathway? a. self-feeding Christians b. everyday missionaries c. disciple-makers d. pastors e. new churches f. all members of the church, shepherded well
First step in the Pathway.
ENGAGE, then CONNECT, EQUIP, RELEASE
ENGAGE -  Everything is covered with the clear expectation of Intentional Engagement by all members of the church.
Actions by the Church, outside the four walls primarily.* Community Engagement Where and how are we involved in the community? How does the church family encourage and support community activities and projects?
* Relationship Building We seem to have lost the ability to build realtionships! What does it take to make a new friend? Time and conversation. Galatians 5:22-23, 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control.
* Evangelism – Gospel Conversations -  built on relationships. Not a rote prepackaged gospel conversation, although there is a time and place for those, but bringing your friends into your relationship with Jesus and sharing hwo the Gospel has impacted your life.
* Pre-Baptism – following up with those God is working in. - Gospel review – How well do they understand what Jesus did on the cross? - Christian Life Basics – How do you build a relationship with Jesus?  > Prayer  > Bible Reading  > Church Family - Church Family – get to know relationally, invite your unbelieving friends into your church family network of friends  > Importance of–   > Purpose of – introduce the mission of Jesus
** Baptism/ Membership – connected with the church family officially.
Equipping by the Church- support and training for engagement1.  Gospel Foundations. -  grounded in God’s Word and His work in our life a. salvation and faith – review and talk about your own life change comfortably b. Jesus' finished work on the cross and the implications of that work, what Jesus did in and through you. c. our new identity and all that means for life, who we are has changed and impacts everything!
 2. First Steps in Gospel Ministry a. my testimony – your story connected with God’s story b. Three Circles gospel presentation c. The Bridge gospel presentation
 
*********DOCTRINEJuly – GodAugust – JesusSeptember – Holy Spirit
God is OmnipresentJeremiah 23:23-24, Psalm 139:7-10, 
 
Thanks for joining me again today! Stop and say a prayer for your church family today! 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.
 

What is a Discipleship Pathway?

24_07_06 -Ep.319  - Run With Horses Podcast  - Beginning A Discipleship Pathway
 
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
 
I have spent some time looking at the a definition of the church recently, today we begin thinking about what it means to live this out as a 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!
 
A quick review:
 
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.
 
Why do we need this kind of essential definition of the church? 
Clear vision – who we are and what we do
Unity
Clear purpose – what do we need to focus on, How do we accomplish our purpose
Goals and Strategic planning, Intentionality
Church planting – more and faster
Mission
 
So what does it look like to be a member of something like this? What is my role? How am I supposed to act and what should I do?
The church IS it’s members. Every member needs clarity of vision and purpose.
 
The church is a group of people who are intentionally and increasingly moving along a path toward becoming like Jesus.
So, are you a good church member? How about a good disciple of Jesus?
What can you do to help your church as you all grow in Christ-likeness and pursue Him and His mission together?
These are all questions we have asked in the past. Now, let’s begin to develop some answers.
A church needs a discipleship pathway. What do I mean by that?
Some define it as a disciple making strategy for the church. Navigators has called it “a sequenced plan to move disciples from one stage of growth to the next.” 
REF: https://navigatorschurchministries.org/2023/07/21/growing-disciples-the-discipleship-pathway/
What you should take away from any definition is that it is intentional, some thought has been put into it, and it has the goal of helping people grow toward Christ-likeness.
Clear goals are important. What are the goals of a discipleship pathway?
a. self-feeding Christians
b. everyday missionaries
c. disciple-makers
d. pastors
e. new churches
f. all members of the church, shepherded well

Life is A Journey

24_06_29 -Ep.318 - Run With Horses Podcast - Life is a Journey
 
Podcast: rwh.podbean.com
Website: www.runwithhorses.net
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Becoming a Responsible Adult

24_06_22 -Ep.317 - Run With Horses Podcast - Becoming a Responsible Adult
 
Podcast: rwh.podbean.com
Website: www.runwithhorses.net
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Becoming a Better Church Member

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
 
I have spent some time looking at the a definition of the church recently, today I want to consider what it means to be a good member of the 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!
 
A quick reminder:
 
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.
 
So what does it look like to be a member of something like this? What is my role? How am I supposed to act and what should I do?
The church IS it’s members so what we do makes the church what it is to some extent.
 
The Church Member is a Disciple of Jesus
*Arrange their life to be with Jesus
*Intentionally pursue the character of Jesus
*Increasingly love what Jesus loves
*Are committed to the mission of Jesus because of their devotion to Jesus
 
Knows the mission of the church
Prays for church and it’s leaders
Understands the value of their presence
Pursues peace and unity in the church family
Has healthy relationships with unbelievers
Teachable
Humble
Patient
An encourager
Is a theologian
Is a growing disciple maker
Builds up others
Think about ministry and how to do it better
Work hard
We over me. Lives for others.
Understands difference between preferences and Biblical principles.
 
 

Are Short Term Missions Trips Worth It?

24_06_08 -Ep.315 - Run With Horses Podcast - Are Short-Term Missions Trips Worth It?
 
Podcast: rwh.podbean.com
Website: www.runwithhorses.net
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast
 
I have just returned from a 3 week trip to Japan taking two groups, one from a Bible college and one from a church. I’m often asked if these trips are worth it, today, let’s explore that question!
 
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!
 
Mission trips are by definition focused on the mission of Jesus, but are they really? How do short term trips fit into the bigger picture of what it means to be the 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.
 
Goals of short term trips:
 
Some examples:
https://ministry127.com/missions/4-goals-for-a-short-term-missions-trip
 
https://leadership.lifeway.com/2019/06/26/three-objectives-for-a-short-term-missions-trip/
 
https://www.youthpastortheologian.com/blog/are-short-term-missions-trips-worth-it
 
1. Work Projects
2. Support missionary in relationship building
3. Encourage local churches and missionaries
4. Recruit new workers for the harvest
5. Inform and recruit prayer partnerships
6. Give both the church going and the churches receiving a better vision of the Universal church.
 
Why do short term missions trips sometimes have a bad reputation?
1. Vacation for rich Americans
2. Fulfilling for team, meaningless for nationals.
3. No clear purpose.
4. Team unprepared.
5. Waste of missionary time.
 
GRIT
 
 
Doing it Well:
https://missionguide.global/articles/missionexcellence
 
https://www.imb.org/2017/05/18/5-things-consider-church-plans-short-term-mission-trip/
 
1. Have clear goals that fit in with the missionary or national church pastor’s long-term vision and strategy.
2.Take time to train and prepare the team to be servants in all areas of life.
3. Use the opportunity to equip the team in new ways that will benefit the sending church when they return. New training opportunities.
4. Support disciple making in both the sending and receiving churches.
5. Plan ongoing evaluations and debrief, get the receiving church’s evaluation.
6. Pray!
7. Choose the right people for the team
 
Thanks for joining me again today! Stop and say a prayer for your church family today! 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.
 
 

Progressing on the Mission of Jesus

24_06_01 Run With Horses Podcast - Progressing on the Mission of JesusI hope to return to looking at our definition of church soon but as I am traveling and don't have access to my notes at the moment, I am going to take a parallel path that should lead into the next topic, and Today, that topic is the mission of Jesus.Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive a a follower of Jesus. It may be a long road but it shouldn't be a lonely road because we get to travel it together with the body of Christ, His beautiful church! Thanks for letting me be part of your journey.
 
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.The next official part of the definition of church that we will look at is the mission of Jesus. It may be jumping the gun a little but I want to spend some time today going over some simple steps that you can take to grow in your direct involvement in the mission of Jesus.I think 2 Corinthians 5: 17-20 and Matthew 28:18-20 give a good summary of the mission for now.First 2 Corinthians 5:17-20Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.Matthew 28:18-20And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.Throw in Ephesians 4: 11-16 and you have a good idea of the mission of Jesus and the work of the ministry that Jesus called us to.And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.But practically what are the things that you can do to directly grow in your involvement in the mission?0. Pray!For your spiritual growth, for your personal ministry, for gospel workers, for your church, for the lost in your sphere of influence.1. Remember your testimony.Go through again what Jesus did on your behalf on the Cross and the changes that He worked in your life. Not the point of today's show but a quick partial reminder: forgiveness of sin, reconciliation with God, adoption into God's family, eternal life, received the righteousness of Jesus, etc, etc. Be encouraged! This is what Jesus did for you!2. Remember the Gospel that secured those benefits for you.Jesus did it through His perfect life, sacrificial death on the Cross and resurrection on the third day.Review 1 Corinthians 15:1-8Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.3. Write out your personal testimony of salvation and spiritual growth with the gospel as a centerpiece. Your story is really all about Jesus. Tell His story.4. Memorize 2 simple gospel presentations as touchstones to come back to when you share the gospel. It's not a rote memory presentation but a place to return if you get lost and a road map to make sure you hit the key points.Need a recommendation? Three Circles - https://multiplyingdisciples.The Bridge - https://www.navigators.org/5. Practice journaling as a way to stay consistent in God's Word and help you remember the things God is teaching you. Seems like someone I know wrote a book about this.  : )And whatayaknow I just happen to have the Amazon link! https://a.co/d/4ixVVL66. Learn how to lead a basic evangelistic Bible study.ABWE has the Good Soil Project to help. https://www.goodsoil.com/blog/A Discovery Bible Study is also a great method of leading a simple Bible study that everyone should know and be able to use. There are lots of resources if you search online for them but it is basically reading God's WOrd together and asking some basic questions. There are recommended passages to use for going through the Big Message of the Bible. https://discipleship.org/blog/7. Get comfortable leading a small group of believers. Lots of formats, lots of things you could focus on but as long as Jesus is the center and we are focused on living lives as obedient disciples of Jesus there is value. Keep the eyes of the group focused on Jesus and the heart of the group aligned with His desire to see all lost come to repentance and all believers come to maturity. How can each one of use help the others be reproducing disciple of Jesus?These are each things you can pursue yourself and with a group. We should seek after God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. There is nothing more worthwhile than spending our lives pursuing Jesus and obedience to His calling to make disciples.Thanks for joining me today! What steps can you take this week to move a little closer to Jesus in your thoughts, attitudes and actions? Who can you take with you on the journey? Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a note on the RWH Facebook page, I'd love to hear from you! Whatever you do, don't stop, keep running!

Growing through Caregiving

24_05_25 -Ep.313 - Run With Horses Podcast - Growing Through Caregiving
 
Podcast: rwh.podbean.com
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Last Week I spoke with Chloe and Hope, this week we talk to Susan about the lessons she is learning as a caregiver.
 
 
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!
 
 
Thanks for joining me again today! Stop and say a prayer for your church family today! 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.