The Discipleship Dare Day Thirty Nine - Server

I put myself through college as a server, otherwise know as a waitress. My job was to serve the people who came into the restaurant by being cordial, listening to and properly placing their order, preparing my part of the order, delivering the order and then making sure everything was fine. I actually enjoyed serving.

I knew why I was there, I knew my job and most of the time, I did it joyfully. Do we know why we are a disciple? Do we know what our job is?

Jesus knew why He was here – to serve. It wasn’t about becoming a King and being served. He was all about serving. It was His purpose – to seek and save the lost by serving.

Being a servant is a mindset, an attitude. It comes from the very core of who we are as disciples. If we’re following Jesus we can’t help but serve.

Jesus was a servant so he served, who are you?

Lord, give us a heart like yours, the heart of a servant.

The Discipleship Dare Day Thirty Eight - Called to Love

Being called to love is much different than loving others on our own conditions. A calling is a mission to accomplish, a passion to fulfill. A calling is a divine assignment.

God guarantees us success at this calling because He fully gave His love and power to fulfill it. Jesus was God’s Valentine to us – “I have loved you with an everlasting love; so send I you.” To the extent that we have received God’s love we will be able to give it to others.

As Jesus showed acceptance, mercy, grace and forgiveness to those he ministered to, He was expressing His divine love. He is our example of how to love. Love the unacceptable, the one who can give nothing in return, the one who has wronged you. “Love as I have loved you.”

“Love people on their terms, their time and their turf.” Jess admonishes us.
That’s not so easy. Who is the next person God calling us to love?

Lord, make us your valentine to those in our community.

The Discipleship Dare Day Thirty Seven - Forgive

Corrie Ten Boom could speak about forgiveness from her own deep pain of being in the Holocaust. She lost her freedom, dignity, and dear sister and Father within a few months of being in the concentration camps. Daily she watched and experienced its horrifying torment.

“Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and handcuffs of hatred. It breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.” (Corrie Ten Boom)

When Corrie was set free from the concentration camp she eventually saw one of her captors. She realized that though she was out of the pit of cruel treatment she was still in the pit of resentment and hatred. She seethed with anger.

The Lord reminded Corrie that “there is no pit so deep that my love isn’t deeper still.” God was extending forgiveness to Corrie . Forgiving the very person who was in charge of her torture, Corrie was set totally free from the pit of hatred and bitterness.

Forgiveness sets us free. When we forgive others it also sets them free. So forgiveness is key to accomplishing our mission of making disciples.

Lord, thank you that your love is deeper than any wrong committed against us. Help us to surrender to forgiving that we might be channels of your forgiveness.

The Discipleship Dare Day Thirty Six - Really Living

As a child I learned to tread water, float, dog paddle, and do the sidestroke for swimming. Swimming on either side definitely got me further than dog paddling but I really wanted to learn to do some other strokes so I could really enjoy swimming. I also wanted to be able to teach my children to swim.

It was humbling to ask for help as an adult to learn new strokes. But I humbled myself and signed up for a swimming instruction class at the YMCA. Before going I looked up different swimming strokes in the encyclopedia. I didn’t want to appear completely stupid.

The first thing they taught me was to put my face in the water; then to blow bubbles. That wasn’t so hard.. By the end of the twelve weeks of classes I was doing the breast, crawl, back and butterfly strokes.

I started doing lap swimming five days a week and became faster while competing with people in the other lanes. Now I loved swimming.

This knowledge and experience gave me the confidence to also swim in the ocean instead of just floating on the waves. I was really swimming instead of dog paddling. I wasn’t afraid of the ocean anymore.

Sometimes in life we are just floating and letting the circumstances of life take us where they will. We may be able to tread water to keep in place or dog paddle to get out of the way of a wave. But really swimming means I can maneuver in the water instead of the water having control of me.

Really living means I have plenty of resources from which to live my life. I’m not afraid of what may come my way. I’m confident in God and who he has made me to be. I choose to live purposefully and fully.in His love and will.

Are you tired of just treading water, floating or dog paddling – you have options. You can learn to really live. Jesus’ Zoe life in you will teach you to live the abundant life. Abundant living is contagious; let’s get started!

Lord, stir a hunger in our hearts for experiencing the life you have for us. Let us not settle for treading water but give us a desire to really live.

The Discipleship Dare Thirty Five - Word Power

We’ve all heard the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” We said it as kids but even then we knew it wasn’t true. Words can hurt the soul, kill motivation and undermine the will. Negative words have a nagging quality that clings to your mind and torments the soul.

Some of us are more negative, critical and analytical by nature. As such, we usually are more likely to point out the problems, complain or give the negatives. However, these are the same people who are gifted with the ability to think before they speak. So while you’re thinking, remember you hold the power of life or death in your words.

Do you remember the twelve spies? The ten saw giants, but the two saw possibilities. Joshua and Caleb remembered that God had said He would give the land into their hands. The words of the ten spies won out and the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years, dying to the promise.

The Ten spies actually spoke death into existence. Anyone can be negative. It takes faith to be positive.

Lord, help us to be messengers of your life giving Words. May your Words speak faith into our hearts so our mouth speaks life into the hearts of others.

The Discipleshp Dare Day Thirty Four - Gentle Words

On a scale of 1 – 10 where do you grade yourself for gentle words? One is very poor and ten is very good at speaking gentle words.

For some personalities speaking gentle words comes much easier. Peaceful Phlegmatics like to keep the peace at all costs. They don’t have strong opinions so they don’t easily get irritated. They are usually calm, cool and collected by nature.

But for their opposite, the Purposeful Choleric, gentle words do not come easily. This take charge, in control, goal oriented, get-the-job done personality has strong opinions. Their goals can be easily frustrated by others lack of performance or motivation. Gentle words are not their first choice of words.

The Perfect Melancholy being highly motivated to get it right can also become easily frustrated and cut to the heart quite quickly, especially with their family. However, because they usually think before they speak, they may not say anything but will be stewing underneath the surface..

The Playful, Social Sanguine, being a people pleaser and very sociable, may let harsh words slip out before thinking. But once they realize they’ve hurt someone they apologize quickly and let offenses go quickly.

But as disciples of Christ who desire to fulfill our mission, harsh words do not serve us or the mission well. This is an area we need to work on in order to earn the right to be heard through the testimony of our words or our life.

I think the five keys for communicating are worthy of our attention as we work to bring our words in line with the gentle Spirit who dwells within us.
 Seek to make others feel at ease
 Show respect for the personal dignity of others
 Avoid blunt speech or abrupt manner.
 Don’t be threatened by opposition.; gently instruct
 Do not belittle or degrade a brother or sister who has fallen.

Lord, we submit to the Holy Spirit who dwells within us as we communicate to others. Make us consciously aware of the ability to choose to be gentle.

The Discipleship Dare Day Thirty Two - Vain Words

I think most of us know when someone has cursed. But the misuse of God’s name is something different. Sometimes we think nothing about saying God’s name with a small g while “attaching emptiness to it” as Jess explained.

We hit our funny bone and say “oh god.” Was that a prayer or an expression of pain? Jeez is another shortcut for Jesus. I’m quite sure that’s not a one word prayer.

If we all examined our vocabulary over time I think we’d find some places where we use slang for God or Jesus that is actually misusing His name.

It may seem like a small thing – too small to do anything about. But think about how we feel when someone doesn’t remember our name, pronounces it incorrectly or uses a negative tone of voice. We feel disrespected.

Now think about the creator of the universe, the one Who holds all things together, sustains us, reigns in us, redeems us – this One deserves respect above any other name.

If God’s mission is for His name to be hallowed on earth by people’s allegiance and obedience to Him, then I need to rethink those small indiscretions.

God teach us to honor your name not only with our choices but with our words, the thoughtless expressions of our hearts. May the overflow of our hearts bring you glory with every word.

The Discipleship Dare Day Thirty - The Tongue

James tells us that the tongue is the most difficult part of the body to control. But if the heart feeds it information, maybe it’s the heart that needs some work. I’m sure it’s both.

Some people are better at controlling their tongues but their hearts still feel the anger or other negative emotion. Others of us seem to put our foot in our mouths on a regular basis being humbled immediately.

What comes out of the mouth is an expression of what is in the heart. But I have found that some of the most prideful, arrogant people may keep their mouths shut but the attitude comes out in their actions or lack thereof. Our actions also betray the content of the heart.

David prayed, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Oh my God.”

Lord, search our hearts to see if there is some wicked way in us. Cleanse us from all unrighteous thoughts and attitudes. Break through the denial that may be blinding us. Give us a heart to know you and follow hard after you that we may be effective as disciple makers.

The Discipleship dare Day Twenty Nine - Gone Fishing

When I was a child my Dad used to take us fishing. He did all the work of packing the fishing gear, digging for worms or buying the bait. He would bait my hook and throw the line out into the water as I sat holding the fishing rod, watching the bobber intently.

Being a child, I could quickly become bored with watching the bobber bobbing in the water minute after minute after minute. I soon was not just watching the bobber but the way the sun danced off the lake. It was like diamonds flickering at times. Then I would wonder, did my bobber go under? Jerking the line, I then reeled it back in to check for a fish. Usually there was no fish and sometimes my bait was gone because I had been distracted. So my Dad would bait the hook again and remind me to keep my eye on the bobber.

Most of the time my Dad was patient with us as we tried to throw our own line in the water and as our hook caught on the trees, losing hook and bait. At other times he had to remind us to be quiet because we would scare the fish off. They could hear us and my giggling was more than they could stand. There was more to fishing than meets the eye.

I can remember trying to will a fish to snatch my bait so I could catch him. I prayed for a fish to take my bait. Fishing could be downright boring. But when I finally reeled a fish in, that was exciting! I squealed with delight. My Dad would come and take it off the hook and put it in the pail to be cleaned later and fried into a delicious meal. That made all the waiting worthwhile.

I learned a lot about being a fisher of men while fishing. “Gone fishing” means you have to go where the fish are. You need bait; the right kind of bait – a life transformed by the Word and presence of God. You have to be intentional and patient. You can’t make a fish bite the bait; it’s their decision. Fishing takes time and you can’t just give up. God does most of the work just like my Dad did. Even when you don’t catch anything you come back and try again another day.

Fishing anyone?

The Discipleship Dare Day Twenty Eight - Presence

Today is my forty-eighth spiritual birthday! It was God’s presence that drew me to Himself. His presence convicted me of my sin. His presence convinced me of His lavish love for me. His presence overwhelmed me with His love breaking down all my defenses.

I had come to the service vowing not to respond and had made a pact with my sister. But something happened as the preacher shared the story of Christ dying for me. It was like I had never heard the story before. At the time I felt so unloved and unacceptable. But His presence wrapped His arms around me, warmed my cold, hardened heart and pulled me to Himself. I left my seat and walked toward the altar and I’ve never been the same.

God’s presence made all the difference. God has promised His presence will go before us and prepare the way. His presence will do the work; we just have to make ourselves available to others. God has commissioned us to take His presence to our community. What’s holding you back? There’s someone out there just like me who desperately needs His presence.

Lord, manifest Your presence through us to our community. Let us go boldly into the darkness carrying the fire of your presence.

The discipleship Dare Day Twenty Seven - Teaching

I’ll never forget the definition of Christian Education I learned in Bible College: “Guiding the pupil through experiences of truth into a life of service for the glory of God.” Lecturing is much easier than getting the pupil involved in the process of learning but then we’re teaching material, not pupils.

If you’re thinking, “I’m not a teacher,” think again. We teach those around us through our attitudes, choices and actions. I didn’t teach my children how to hold a spoon, they learned by watching me. I had used the spoon many times in feeding them. As independence developed they wanted to feed themselves so they took the spoon. That same process happened time and time again.

As they sneaked out of bed early in the morning and tip toed into the living room, they saw me either with the Bible in my hand reading or on my knees praying. I can still remember seeing them mimicking me while kneeling at the sofa, head in hands and swaying their bottoms back and forth. The swaying wasn’t necessary – just a Sanguine habit.

As disciples we are teachers of Biblical truth through our example. How we live speaks louder than what we say. We fulfill our mission as we guide others into experiences of truth through how we live our lives.

Lord, help us to live in such a way that others are being guiding into experiences of truth for your glory.

The Discipleship Dare Day Twenty Six - Community Baptism

Jess hit on something we don’t usually think about – God is a community of three. He values community because He is one – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Three yet one is more than we can possibly fathom but that’s the mystery of the Godhead.

God values relationships and we know it because He is a community. We also know it because he valued a relationship with us so much that Christ gave himself as a sinless sacrifice to reconcile us back into community relationship with Himself.

At salvation, I Corinthians 12:13 tells us that we were baptized into the body of Christ – into the universal community of believers. We are not in this alone. We are actually defined by being in this community. Romans 12:4-6 from The Message tells us “In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body.”

Think about the ramifications of being in community with God and other believers. Who we are and what we do affects others. The choices we make affect the whole community. If the community of the Godhead does not relate in self-centered, selfish love but self-giving, sacrificial love then that is the pattern for us.

We were more important to Christ than his comfort. He laid down his glory to come to earth to live as the son of man to pay our debt. He is our example of seeing and making others more important than ourselves – sacrificial community love.