Rick James 14 Minute Read

While it seems clear that the church in Thessalonica is healthy and growing, there seems to be evidence that some in the church had sought to undermine Paul’s authority by casting doubt about the sincerity of his love and commitment to the church he founded.

This portion of Scripture presents Paul’s defense of the sincerity of his love, and at the same time provides one of the best outlines found in scripture of the heart, motivation and activities involved in discipleship.

A Willingness to Sacrifice

You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. (1 Thess. 2:1-3)

Paul begins by telling the Thessalonians that his initial visit to Thessalonica was no accident. Apparently, one of the rumors circulating was that Paul had never really intended to visit the city.

Paul’s first defense of his commitment to them is to remind them of the sacrifice and risk he endured in telling them the gospel. As one traces the story in Acts 16, probably no more than a week prior to his visit, Paul had been severely beaten in Philippi. He was probably still physically recovering when he arrived. Still aching from a severe beating for his faith, Paul risks his life or the possibility of another beating in order to proclaim the gospel in Thessalonica.

Paul’s reasoning here seems to be “Would I have done this by accident, and would I have risked so much, if I really didn’t love you?” Personal sacrifice, then, is a hallmark of sincerity and is implicit in discipleship. While Christ’s sacrifice for our sin is all that is required for eternal life, it often requires sacrifice to bring the gospel message to others and ground them in the foundational truths of the faith.

As the chapter progresses, we can begin to better construct what some of these allegations were against Paul. Apparently he was being accused of being nothing more than a religious charlatan who had won over the hearts of the Thessalonians in an attempt to financially profit from them.

The first century was obviously much more religious then the 21st century is, in that most people believed in some type of god or gods. As a result, religious charlatans were not uncommon: pseudo-wisemen and sages would often come into town espousing some new philosophy or teaching.

Many of them were looking for followers off of whom they would live – greed was a primary motivation. With this background, the accusations or rumors about Paul’s motivations don’t seem to be quite so outrageous, but it was important for Paul to clarify nonetheless.

A Willingness to Tell the Truth

You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed – God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. (1 Thess. 2:4-6)

Paul asks the Christians to remember how he had never used flattery, but rather told people the truth, even if it was hard to hear. Paul’s point is that you can know someone really loves you if they are willing to tell you hard things: telling you truth for your good rather than flattery, which is selfishly motivated.

The second lesson we learn here about discipleship, is that it requires courage to speak truth into the life of a younger or less mature Christian. Everyone has “blind spots,” areas of sin, or under-development in character. One of the roles of a discipler is to lovingly make someone aware of these areas. It requires courage because often such truth is met with resistance or even retaliation.

It is important that it be couched with encouragement as well as obvious love and concern. The discipler must see that God has entrusted this believer to their care and given them the responsibility to be honest about needed areas of growth in maturity and holiness. As Paul mentions in this passage, perhaps the greatest barrier is our own desire to be liked. Paul says that a discipler must be more concerned with pleasing God than men.

Nurturing and Vulnerability

…but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. (1 Thess 2:7-8)

Here, Paul makes two more points to back up his claim that he loves them sincerely. He brings to their remembrance how he nurtured them and sacrificially cared for them like a mother cares for her children. The metaphor of a mother brings to mind the picture of nurturing, which is accomplished in discipleship though grounding a Christian in the basic teachings of the Faith.

Discipleship must have a teaching component where a Christian is fed the essential teachings of what Christ has accomplished for them, and how they are to grow in their relationship with Him. Cru offers a basic follow-up curriculum for this very purpose. This curriculum is not comprehensive but is a great place to start with material that has already been prepared.

Next, Paul says that he was “delighted to share not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” He is underscoring the sincerity of his love by reminding them of how he opened up his own life to them, and was vulnerable as he lived among them. Vulnerability is a hallmark of sincerity – giving others an invitation to enter your life, even as you have entered their lives.

One of the best ways to invite others to open up their spiritual lives with you, so that you may help them grow, is for you to open up your life, both struggles and victories, with them. In many, ways using your own life as a model you can show a young Christian what it looks like to walk with Christ. The more honest and transparent you are, the more helpful the model will be for others to follow.

Therefore, it’s important to share with a young Christian what God is currently teaching you, what you are learning in the Scriptures, and how you are dealing with your own temptations, trials, and faith challenges.

Everything Motivated By Love

Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. (1 Thess. 2:9-12)

In this section, Paul adds three more closing points to his argument. First, he tells them that he worked to support himself, choosing not to take money or handouts from them. In short, he reminds them that his relationship with them never had a component of personal gain. Everything he did for their growth was motivated by his love for them.

Next, he calls to mind the manner of life he lived among them. He lived a “holy, righteous, and blameless” life before them so there would not be room for anyone to doubt his integrity. Clearly we can learn from the failures and short-comings of others, yet the most powerful model for change is always a positive one.

Discipleship, in a good way, raises the importance of keeping our own lives free from sin. It also provides motivation to model bold faith in evangelism and ministry to be a positive example for younger Christians. Last, it prods us to be growing in our own relationship with Christ, to provide spiritual food and insight that we can then share with others.

Adults are often prompted, by having their own children, to pursue greater maturity and character. The same dynamic is at work in becoming a discipler to younger Christians.

Finally, he builds on the mothering metaphor by adding that he also acted as a loving spiritual father toward them, urging and encouraging them to live holy lives. The picture painted by “urging, encouraging, and comforting” is that of a coach: someone who seeks to push and motivate another to greater levels of competence.

The motivational tools applied by a coach are urging and encouraging to strive for excellence, and comforting when the path is difficult or discouraging. It is instructive in a discipleship relationship to see oneself as a coach, who gives great thought and effort to help another excel in their walk with Christ.

Becoming a good coach takes time and practice; learning to discern when someone needs to be urged and challenged, and when they simply need to be comforted. Good disciplers, like good coaches, learn to discern when each is appropriate.

Getting Started

One of the great barriers to forming discipleship relationships is not knowing how to begin one. It’s seems rather awkward to think of approaching a young Christian and asking, “Can I disciple you?”

Often the best place to begin is by simply initiating a meeting. Ask the individual if they would like to get together some time for lunch. During that first meeting ask questions about their walk with Christ and show your interest in them, perhaps asking how you might pray for them.

Be vulnerable and share what is going on in your Christian life. Before the first meeting ends, simply suggest that maybe it would be good to get together weekly “to catch-up, eat, and perhaps take a look at a passage of Scripture.”

When you get together the second time bring one of the Cru follow-up studies. Spend some time just talking and at some point bring out the follow-up study suggesting, “I wasn’t sure where we might begin but I grabbed one of these studies thinking it might be a good place to start.” Then take some time and go through it.

Like a first date you can not eliminate all awkwardness. This is one of the ways that you are sacrificing to help another Christian grow, like Paul who “dared” to share with the Thessalonians. That awkwardness of the first meeting is what keeps millions of young Christians from ever being discipled.

The uneasiness fades after the first meetings and what ensues is a powerful relationship that can be a catalyst to both of your spiritual lives. This can only happen however, if you are willing to take those first steps to initiate.

Rick James has been on staff with Cru for over 25 years and serves as the publisher of CruPress.

https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/help-others-grow/discipleship/for-the-love-of-a-disciple.html

The post FOR THE LOVE OF  DISCIPLE appeared first on Multiplikasi.

Lee Ann Herring

So you think he’s the one. You’re talking about marriage, thinking about marriage, and already feel like you’re committed to each other for life.

So it seems natural that your physical relationship progresses. You trust each other more so you’re exploring your sexual relationship more.

But have you actually decided how far you’re willing to go before marriage?

When you love someone drawing boundaries is hard. But the lines you draw at the start will leave lasting marks on your relationship.

Until you are married, it’s important to be clear about the forms of physical or sexual intimacy you want to keep just for you and the person you marry.

Healthy sexuality is about more than “don’t look, don’t touch,” or “hang on until marriage then everything will be okay.”

The common mistake is to think of drawing your boundaries as “How far can I go?” A better rule of thumb is “how close to God do I want to be?”

A dating relationship that honors God draws both people closer to Him. If you feel like God is coming between you and your partner, that may be your values or conscience talking to you. You need to listen.

Why is God so concerned about our boundaries when dating?

God describes Himself as a father. A good father protects and provides for his children. He’s focused on preparing us for the relationships we will have.

So how does God prepare you for your future relationships? What might He need to protect you from?

1. God wants to protect your future sex life.

If God intends you to get married one day, or if you’re married already, He wants the person you’re with to love and respect you the way He does. How you choose to use your body makes a difference to that.

One of the most painful experiences I’ve endured was telling my husband about the other men who knew my body before we were married and hearing about his history with pornography.

It’s as though the people in those memories are all right there in bed with us.

When you experience conflict in a relationship, and you will, those memories can become a place you choose to hide from each other. You imagine the people in your past somehow accepted you in a way your spouse doesn’t. But the truth is they were never as committed to you as the person you marry.

My husband and I have carried the weight of comparing ourselves to other people we remember and it took intensive counseling for our sex life to be restored.

2. God wants your relationships to be built on trust.

If your dating relationship leads to marriage, you hope it will be free from fear and insecurity.

If you can both control your sexual desire while dating, you’ll be more confident about resisting temptations when you’re married. That might include flirting, viewing pornography or even being unfaithful.

Temptations don’t suddenly stop on your wedding day.

Your future sex life may be complicated enough without you having also trained your body to respond to other people or situations that are not healthy.

But it’s about more than the kind of wife you want to be. What kind of adult do you want to be?

Your sexuality is a huge part of who you are, so if you can handle this area well, you’re more likely to be intentional about other areas of your life.

3. Why settle for false intimacy, when God wants you to know the real thing?

In high school, I had a relationship with God. But then I got into a relationship with a guy. We started having sex, and for the rest of that relationship I slowly built a wall between God and me.

I didn’t want God to see that part of my life. So I thought I could somehow hide from Him.

Eventually I couldn’t sense God in my life anymore because I was shutting Him out of so much of it.

I sacrificed my intimacy with God, and damaged my ability to relate in a healthy way to other people, because I believed sexual intimacy would provide contentment. I was wrong.

I had to choose between sex with this guy or my relationship with God.

Your boundaries communicate how you value God.

Generally speaking, a wise place to draw “the line” is where signs of affection turn into arousal.

Signs of affection can be emotional or spiritual, not just physical.

Our unique personalities, sexual histories and relationships influence the boundaries we need to be healthy.

Your boyfriend’s line may be different from yours. Beware of bending your convictions to his desires.

A good rule of thumb is to go with whomever’s boundaries are more conservative so neither of you feels you’re dishonoring God.

Boundaries exist to demonstrate how much you care about God, yourself and others. They are there to express your values, not just restrict your sexuality.

Think about these questions then discuss them with your boyfriend:

1. At what point do your signs of affection turn into sexual arousal?

• When you’re in a private place?
• When you’re snuggling?
• When you’re making out?
• When you’re sharing your hopes and dreams?
• When you’re praying together?

Wherever that point is, you want to take two steps back, and draw your line there. Don’t test your limits.

2. What situations tempt you to cross your line?

I knew a couple who decided they couldn’t cook a meal together — too much heat in the kitchen, both literally and figuratively. For you, there may be other situations you know are high risk.

Learn to recognize your triggers. They tell you when you’re nearing or crossing one of your lines.

3. Which conversations should wait?

Sharing your deepest secrets or your hopes and dreams can lead to you wanting to express that closeness physically.

Beware of talking to your boyfriend about:

• Secrets you’ve only entrusted to a few. He needs to prove he’s trustworthy before you entrust yourself to him. (Learn more about when to share your sexual history)

• Marriage as a hypothetical. Beginning this type of conversation too soon in a relationship can create a misleading sense of commitment.

If you see dating as a step towards marrying someone, it’s good to clarify that early on in case he doesn’t see it that way. But discussing the details of what getting married would look like should wait until you both agree that’s where you’re headed.

If you’re not yet 18 and financially independent, you probably don’t need to be talking about marriage with your boyfriend yet, do you?

Where do you go from here?

• Make a list of things that trigger arousal for you.
• If you’re dating, ask him to do the same.
• Discuss your lists and agree on some boundaries for your relationship. Remember, this type of conversation could itself be arousing.

https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/life-and-relationships/women/desire/8-how-far-is-too-far-when-youre-dating.html

Jika saudara diberkati dengan Renungan di atas, silahkan klik pilihan di bawah ini :

Atau tuliskan komentar saudara melalui kolom berikut :

The post HOW FAR IS TOO FAR WHEN YOU’RE DATING ? appeared first on Multiplikasi.

Shelby Abbott July 1, 2016 7 Minute Read

AddThis Sharing Buttons

Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to EmailShare to Pinterest Share to More

A lot of people have the tendency to think a Christian dating relationship is dull or lacks adventure.

And while there may be plenty of examples to feed the stereotype, this doesn’t mean that your life needs to be this way.

If you’re under the impression that Jesus wants you to conform to some ridiculous mold that sucks the fun out of your dating life, it’s time to rethink who Jesus is and start to form a renewed mindset about what His desires are for your life.

He wants you to enjoy dating to the fullest, and He wants you to begin to lay the foundational groundwork now so you can build upon it as time moves forward in your dating relationship.

Shaping that foundation is critical, here are two helpful questions we should ask ourselves before a relationship spontaneously begins to grow.

Are you going in the same direction?

If the person you are dating seems to be going in a different direction than you in any regard, time can pass in the beginning where you are able to ignore it, but as the differences become more obvious or glaring, eventually the tension begins to dramatically increase. And the further apart you are when the breakup happens, the more painful it will be because you’ve been together longer.

“Are we going in the same direction?” is an extremely important question to ask. When you are dating someone, this is one of the first things you want to consider. You’ll avoid a lot of future pain if you’re honest enough to address the potential relationship-ending issues now rather than later.

Of course, this is especially important in the spiritual aspect of your relationship. I have known and talked with many people who have compromised and decided to settle for someone who just isn’t on the same level as they are in their walk with God, and time and time again, it has been a recipe for a relationship disaster. Sadly, Christians are consistently guilty of compromise in this area.

Regardless of the situation, when a Christian compromises, and settles for someone who doesn’t have a passion for Jesus, tough spiritual times lay ahead. If they are going in opposite spiritual directions, it can be very harmful/hurtful to both parties involved if it’s not addressed early on.

A Christian who desires a healthy, fruitful relationship with God has no business dating someone who doesn’t care about following Christ wholeheartedly.

Are there godly people around you?

The Christian life is always meant to be experienced in the context of community and fellowship with other believers, and a couple should never date in isolation.

When we begin to separate ourselves or break away from the pack, so to speak, a number of bad consequences start to creep into our lives. Our three enemies: the world, the sinful nature or “flesh,” and the Devil, can easily gain a foothold and influence our decision making in a negative way.

However, if we proactively involve other caring believers in our lives, they are often able to spot areas where we might be prone to compromise and succumb to temptation.

For dating couples, the urge to isolate frequently rises up and it can be tempting to cut other people out, but it’s never a good idea to pursue seclusion when you’re dating someone. Removing other important friends or family members from your romantic endeavors propagates all kinds of sinful stuff.

You need godly people in your life to give you balance and perspective. You need input from individuals who are wiser than you. If you want your relationship to experience health on every level, you cannot date in a vacuum, devoid of others.

I’m not saying that your dating relationship is, in fact, everyone else’s business to the point that too many people are giving you unsolicited advice on every tiny detail of your life. That would be extreme. I’m saying that you should involve the godly people you trust the most. The kind of folks who will ask you the tough questions about maintaining the spiritual health of your relationship.

Men should be asked if they are leading their girlfriend toward Jesus, and serving her sacrificially. Women should be asked if they are pointing their boyfriend toward Christ, and encouraging him to be in love with his Savior.

Without these kinds of questions, motivations start to slip, guards come down, and the hypnotizing lure of sin can quickly creep in and poison a godly dating relationship.

A couple in isolation is a couple in danger, so surround yourselves with godly men and women who care about you and care about Jesus.

If you do, you’ll be laying the right kind of building blocks that shape a foundation, bringing honor to the Lord.

Check out other resources on dating.

Adapted from Shelby’s book, I am a Tool to Help with your Dating Life.

(From: https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/life-and-relationships/dating/two-essential-questions-for-christian-dating-couples.html)

Jika saudara diberkati dengan Renungan di atas, silahkan klik pilihan di bawah ini 

Atau tuliskan komentar saudara melalui kolom berikut :

The post TWO ESSENTIAL QUESTION FOR CHRISTIAN DATING COUPLES appeared first on Multiplikasi.

by. Rachel Ferchak

Hearing your name called from the podium, your moment has come to walk across the stage.

Amid the cheers of family and friends, you move the tassel on your cap to the opposite side. It’s a unique moment in your life.

You spent your teenage years waiting for the milestone of going off to college. Now it hits you – college is over.

You’re left with an uneasy mix of excitement and fear about the transition ahead.

What do you need to know to embrace life after college?

1. You’re allowed to feel sad.
   People might say things to you like, “Time to move on. There’s no use looking back.”After I graduated, I was so consumed with getting to the next thing that I avoided reflecting on all that happened in college. But one day a few months later, I was a sobbing mess without a clue as to why. I realized that all the emotion was caused by not letting myself grieve or feel the affects of that era ending.But it is the end of a significant time in your life. You’ve finished years of hard work – learning to manage your time, classwork and social life. You’ve survived living away from your parents, consuming an all ramen and Chipotle diet. You’ve made new friends. You’ve begun discovering your passions and talents. You’ve made your faith your own. You’ve grown.You’re allowed to grieve the end of this season. In fact, it’s important to reflect on the experience of college and how it shaped you.
2. Starting somewhere new takes longer than you expect.
   When you arrived on campus as a freshman, your dorm was assigned, your classes scheduled, upperclassmen and parents helped you move in, a dining hall provided your meals. Your RA planned events for you to meet your hallmates, clubs vied for your attention at the organization fair. You had more responsibilities and freedom than ever before, but you were setup to do well.After college, the responsibility is all on you.When I first moved to Orlando, the shock of being on my own felt like I hit a brick wall. I sat in a new apartment in a new city, in tears, lamenting my new life to an old friend. Navigating a new grocery store, finding a post office, learning my way to work, all took energy. I was a thousand miles away from the nearest friend and just wanted to wake up feeling settled.“Rach, adjusting to a new place takes about a year,” my friend said empathetically.

   “A year?” I responded, feeling completely deflated.

   “Take it one day at a time,” she said. It’s a phrase I love to hate. But she was right.

   We expect instant results. We think we can adjust immediately, try something once and have it figured out. We expect to make friends as soon as we meet someone. But life doesn’t always work that way.

   After 15 months of being in Orlando, I just recently started feeling settled. And when I realized that, I remember thinking, I survived. I did it.

   God’s grace is sufficient for each day. Give yourself time.

3. Your friendships will change.
   In college, you lived alongside 20,000 others all experiencing the same stage of life. With so many majors and student organizations, you were bound to find a place where you fit. For 4 years, you lived, ate, studied and grew alongside good friends.But the first year or two after college will probably be lonely. Whether you move back in with your parents to pay off debt, stay in the same city and find a job, move across the country, or spend time overseas – friendships will look different.Even if you move to the same city as some college friends, these relationships inevitably change. That doesn’t mean they aren’t your friends anymore.I had to mourn my college friends not knowing all the details of my new life and not having them physically alongside me while I transitioned. We’ve found ways to have touch points, but it takes purposeful and intentional communication.

   But don’t be so fixated on your old friendships that you miss out on new ones. God didn’t design us to go through life alone, so trust that He will bring meaningful relationships your way wherever you now are.

   Be prepared for new relationships to take longer to feel deep. You’ll find that more and more people have a hard time being intentional or asking deeper questions in our culture. It can be draining at first, but give it time.

   One of my friends gives some great advice: “Don’t sit at home alone every night binge watching Netflix. Find people to binge watch with you. Get social and don’t hide in social media wishing you were with your college friends. That’s just going to prolong the process. Open yourself up and you’ll find yourself settling in.”

   Ask a coworker to get coffee. Introduce yourself to someone at church. Try out a Bible study. Join a gym.

4. Your relationship with Jesus is vital for transition.
   In college, you probably found a Christian ministry that helped you grow in your faith. I was involved in Cru as a student, and felt my faith maturing rapidly. God showed me areas of sin, and I watched as the Holy Spirit changed me. My love for Jesus deepened.After college, I felt the sting of not feeling I was growing in the same way. I’ve gone through spiritual lulls where God has seemed silent. I haven’t always been surrounded by a community of people pointing me back to the Gospel.But God is still moving you forward. It just looks different. He still works all things for your good, your growth, and His glory.Your responsibility is to focus on staying connected to Jesus through the distractions of transition. Remember the habits you learned in college – spending time in the Word, talking to others about what God is teaching you, regularly attending a church, investing in the spiritual growth of others. Those things will help you start strong in the next season of life.

   To continue moving forward through the transition:

   • Pray that God would lead you to the right church and the right community.
   • Finding a Gospel-centered church will help you build a strong biblical foundation. The process can feel draining and lonely, especially at the beginning. Don’t be surprised if it takes some time to feel connected.
   • Find a church that not only provides you with biblical teaching but also has opportunities for you to serve and get involved in ministry outreach and a small group.

One of my favorite passages of Scripture that helped me walk through this transition is Lamentations 3:22-24:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ’The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’”

As you enter this new stage of life, remember that God has not left you to fend for yourself. He is walking through each step with you. You have a hope and a future in Him.

Though many things have changed, God does not.

He is the stability we can cling to when everything else is uncertain.

This season will have its challenges, but God will give you the grace to get through each day.

If you’re a recent college grad, tell us in the comments about what makes you nervous, excited, or fearful about this new stage.

If you’ve been out of college for a while, what have you learned that you can share with recent grads?

From: https://www.cru.org/us/en/communities/campus/4-things-you-need-to-know-about-life-after-college.html

Jika saudara diberkati dengan Renungan di atas, silahkan klik pilihan di bawah ini :

Atau tuliskan komentar saudara melalui kolom berikut :

The post THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE AFTER COLLEGE appeared first on Multiplikasi.

by.Tim Henderson 

Who should I disciple? Who should I invest my life in? The reality is that you can’t disciple everyone. You’re a fulltime student. Realistically, as a full-time student, you can disciple two or three people. Jesus didn’t disciple everybody, and neither can we, so we need to choose wisely.

The most important decision you make at the beginning of each ministry year, will be which individuals you pour your life into. Let’s talk about why we must choose wisely, and then how to do it.

Why Must We Choose Wisely?

In Luke Chapter 6, observe how Jesus chose to disciple, and the fact that He didn’t disciple everybody. Luke 6:12 says, “And it was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.”

The text doesn’t say what Jesus prayed, but He spent the whole night in prayer to God. You’ve got to wonder if at least some of the time was spent communing with the Father about the men that He was going to build the kingdom upon.

Why? See verse 13 – “And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles.” There you see the names of the guys – Simon and Andrew, Philip and Bartholomew, and all the gang. He chose twelve disciples. Now watch verses 17-19:

“And He descended with them, and stood on a level place; and there was a great multitude of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured. And all the multitude were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.”

When He descended with the twelve, there was a great multitude of His disciples – others who wanted to be followers, others who wanted to be learners from Christ. Jesus had a whole lot of people He could have chosen from. But He chose twelve. Did He love all those other people? Did He care about their needs? Did He have compassion?

Of course He did. But He also knew, even as the very Son of God, that He could not do what we cannot do. He could not invest His life fully in hundreds of people, even though He was God in the flesh. He was also limited by being a man. He was God and man in one. He was limited in time and space and in how many people He could spend time with. So Jesus chose twelve.

Why? Five Reasons to Choose Wisely

1. You can only disciple a few – As a student, it’s just not possible to get deeply involved in ten, twelve, or fifteen people’s lives. You can’t do it. You can’t emotionally invest. You don’t have time to spend that much time with that many people. You may have a dozen come to your Bible Study and hang out. But you can’t give individual attention to that many people and also be a full-time student.
2. It’s what Jesus did – Jesus invested in a few. We learn from Him because He’s the Master.
3. Not everyone wants to be discipled by Cru – Here’s the reality: there are a lot of Christians on campus here. They don’t all want to be discipled. And God has not called Cru to disciple everybody. There are other good ministries on campus, and we can’t disciple everyone. We’ll work with the people who want to be a part of what we’re doing, and where God has called us to go.
4. Not everyone wants to move toward biblical discipleship – There are some believers on campus who don’t want to be discipled by anybody. There are those believers who are at a point in their lives where frankly, Jesus is not the Lord of their lives. Jesus is not their number one lover and deepest passion.There may be a commitment issue or priority issues. There are some Christians for whom a boyfriend or girlfriend is more like the lord of their life. There are some Christians for whom their GPA or their resume is of higher priority to them than being a biblical disciple.Some know that being a disciple means dying to self, reassessing priorities, surrendering an agenda to Jesus in order to take on a whole new agenda – His agenda. There are some believers who do not want to move toward biblical discipleship. They aren’t willing to pay the price. They aren’t willing to count the cost. That’s why we’ve got to choose wisely.
5. Long-term impact is key – If you’re going to invest your life in someone, if you’re going to impart things that God has put into your life, if you’re going to trust them with things God has taught you, don’t you want to know that they’re going to take what you teach them and be faithful with it someday? That they’re going to use what you give them, as opposed to burying it and letting it go to waste?This principle should inform all the discipleship decisions you make over the coming years. Now, we don’t have guarantees on anybody. No matter how promising someone may seem at the time, he may choose not to walk with God down the road; he may not have the long-term impact we hoped for. But by choosing biblical disciples wisely, our movement will reproduce leaders who in turn will have impact on others.

How? Four Ways to Choose Wisely

1. Carefully observe potential disciples. Ask questions about someone in whom you think you’d like to invest your life. There are several things to look for.
   1. Do they have a heart for God? – Do they demonstrate a hunger to grow? Are they reading the Word? Are they having quiet times and showing a desire to get to know God? Are they asking you questions about their own walk and growth and about the Lord? Are they dealing with sin in their lives that the Holy Spirit reveals to them? Do they take advantage of opportunities to grow?
   2. Are they F.A.T.? (Faithful, Available, Teachable)
      1. Faithful – Do they follow through on things? Do they attend Bible Study consistently? Do they want to be a part of the body?
      2. Available – Do they have time to meet? If you initiate getting together and they’re always too busy with other meetings, it’s going to be tough to disciple them.
      3. Teachable – You can know if someone is teachable by how they respond to things you try to impart to them. If you get a response like, “Oh, yeah, I’ve heard that before,” “I know that,” or “I was taught that before,” that person may not be teachable. One of the biggest disappointments about discipleship is when you try to work with someone who thinks they’ve got it all figured out.
   3. Are they socially and emotionally mature? – Everybody’s got problems. We’re all dealing with stuff, and you’re not looking for a perfect person who doesn’t have problems. Emotional maturity means the disciple acknowledges that he’s got problems, but is growing in his ability to trust Jesus with those problems and be involved in the body’s life so he can continue to function and grow.Sometimes you’re going to get a person whose emotional needs are so deep that they’re not quite freed up to be able to move into somebody else’s life. Some people may need professional help to help them work through the stuff of life. In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul tells Timothy, “And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”Notice the four generations of spiritual multiplication: Paul to Timothy to faithful men to teach others. Paul’s implication is that Timothy should be teaching people who have the ability to teach others. Ask yourself if this person can relate well enough to others so that people will want to follow them.
   4. Will they go where God has called us to go? As a campus movement we want to teach people to walk, communicate, and multiply their faith. If a person does not want to go there, then it’s probably not best for you to disciple him. We want to develop people, and if this person doesn’t want to go there, it’s not your place to twist his arm. There is no need to disciple someone who does not have a passion for where we’re going.
2. Cast a vision for God’s call to biblical discipleship. Sit down with the person you’ve observed and say, “This is where we’re going. We’re really committed to biblical discipleship. We want to help people to walk, communicate, and multiply their faith.”Cast a vision so you can invite this person to come with you toward biblical discipleship. You’re inviting them to come where you’re going. Consider the timeline of college – everything we want to build into a disciple’s life during these four years involves equipping them to be a biblical disciple for the next fifty years of their life.No matter what their vocational calling is, or if they’re in some type of ministry, we want them to walk, communicate, and multiply their faith for the rest of their lives. If they’re a landscaper, wouldn’t you love for them to know how to lead other landscapers to Christ?
3. Lay out the cost of discipleship. If this is a worthy vision you’re casting, you’ll have to explain what it takes to get there. You might say, “I would like to ask you to be committed to come to the Bible Study every week, not just when it fits your other schedule.”Challenge this person to be discipled by you. You’re going to make a commitment to his or her life, so ask them for a reciprocal commitment – coming to Bible Study, meeting individually for discipleship, and attending the weekly meeting so they will be a part of the larger body of believers.Lay it out that this is the vision, this is what it’s going to take to get there, and this is a mutual commitment you are making to his spiritual development. In Luke 14:25-35, Jesus encourages believers to count the cost before committing.
4. Ask that person to prayerfully decide if this is where he is going. Encourage him to ask these questions: Am I willing to count the cost? Am I willing to be committed?This way, you’re not selecting them out; you’re not determining if they’re worthy of being discipled. You’re casting the vision and saying to them, “Is this where you want to go?” They can decide, “Yes, that’s where I want to go,” or “No, I don’t really want to go there. I’d rather give my life to something else.”You may select who you’d like to work with based on your observations of that person, but they make the decision. It’s up to them to count the cost and respond, “Yes, I’m in.”

Finally, when you do start a Bible Study for the first time, realize that there will be new people who are young in their faith, and that they may not have those qualities we look for in a potential disciple – they may not be teachable; they may not come each week. Realize they may not be there yet.

You’re not challenging the whole group to discipleship. Start out with a large number of possible people – six to eight potential disciples. Over the course of time, you will be able to discern which of those really have a heart to become a biblical disciple and whether they have the qualities that make you want to invest in them. Then give them a specific challenge.

You may end up with just three faithful disciples, but if chosen wisely, they will multiply and impact eternity.

Article taken from The Compass.

Tim Henderson is the Campus Director at Penn State University and has authored or co-authored many of the Campus Ministry resources like Compass and The Community.

(https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/help-others-grow/discipleship/the-right-people-for-discipleship.html)

Jika saudara diberkati dengan Renungan di atas, silahkan klik pilihan di bawah ini :

Atau tuliskan komentar saudara melalui kolom berikut :

The post THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR DISCIPLESHIP appeared first on Multiplikasi.

by. Lori Joiner

Jesus often had large crowds following him, learning from him, being healed by him and seeing firsthand the many miracles he performed. In fact, there were times the crowds grew so large he would step into a boat, be pushed out on the water and speak to the crowds from there!

In Mark 3:13-19, Jesus spent more time with a select few people following him. He specifically chose 12 men out of the crowd to have a deeper commitment to him, and he to them.

“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”

Mark 3:13-19

What was Jesus looking for? What was the job description he had in mind when he chose these men who would be the primary front runners of the gospel and church age?

While we can’t actually see into Jesus’ thought process as to why he chose one man over another, we can have a short list of helpful character traits to look for in someone to potentially invest in and disciple ourselves. The list spells S.T.A.R.T.

Spirit-filled – Has put their faith in Christ and the best they can, are yielding control of their life to God.

Teachable – Willing to be taught new things, open to correction and wise counsel.

Available – Has time to meet regularly for discipleship and be a part of a church in some capacity.

Reliable – Follows through on items delegated to them, keeps their word, and upholds commitments.

Transferable – Willing to transfer what they are taught to another at some point in the future.

Prayerfully look for these traits in a person before you begin to disciple them. Be careful not to commit to discipling simply anyone who asks or the person who seems the neediest in your Bible study.

Stop, wait and observe them carefully. If one of the traits is missing, you will be frustrated in your discipleship endeavors. One exception to this is a new believer. If you lead a person to faith in Christ, it would be best to meet with them early to help them learn basics of their new relationship with Christ regardless of where they are at with the S.T.A.R.T. acronym.

What about the job description of a discipler, or the teacher, in the relationship? Well, look back at this list. Is this you? Review each category and decide if you fit this job description as well. A person who is Spirit-filled, Teachable, Available and Reliable, with the ability to Transfer what they learn is also the job description of a discipler.

(From: https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/help-others-grow/discipleship/what-to-look-for-in-a-potential-disciple.html)

Jika saudara diberkati dengan Renungan di atas, silahkan klik pilihan di bawah ini :

Atau tuliskan komentar saudara melalui kolom berikut :

The post WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A POTENTIAL DISCIPLE appeared first on Multiplikasi.