Random Questions

I had breakfast this morning with a friend, and we were discussing this one:

Which would you prefer: a DVD-based small group Bible study featuring a teacher you didn't personally know,
or a small group Bible study taught "live" by someone you did know?

Let me just say I love my church. I'm 100% on-board with most of what they're trying to do for the Kingdom. One thing I don't love so much is DVD-based small group Bible study material. Here's my reasons why:

• It's a lazy way to lead a small group Bible study. What I mean is it doesn't challenge a leader to properly prepare for leading the Bible discussion. All they have to do is plug in a DVD and it does it all for them.
• A key element of small groups is relationships. It's difficult to relate to a teacher on a DVD, especially if you don't know them.
• Not all DVD players are the same. Not all TV's are the same either. I personally get frustrated if there are glitches in a DVD video.
• What if the leader put all their faith in the DVD, didn't prepare for the meeting whatsoever, plugged in the DVD, and it wouldn't work? Serious waste of people's time. See point #1.
• It assumes people would rather engage with a TV than a live person in a small group setting. Seriously? When was the last time you struck up a deep conversation with your TV set?

What are your thoughts?

Random Questions

Here's a random question for you...no agenda...just wanna hear your thoughts.

Who was more influential to you as a Christian, a
pastor or lay person? Why?

Discuss.

Are You Training?

Couldn't help but to share this....truly good stuff!
(For clarification's sake, the term "chauvanistic" used in the clip in Japaneses culture refers to the Emperor's right-hand man, not a bossy, pig-headed husband.)

You can view the video clip here. I tried to embed it but couldn't.

Do you find it said that someone has to train another to say "I love you?" Do you say it enough yourself?

If You Aren't Discipling....

...then you are being discipled. The question is, who or what is discipling you?

Webster's defines a disciple as this. The part that bugs me is "..accepts and assists...". What in my life am I "accepting" or "assisting" that's contrary to God's will? What or who am I allowing to do this?

There are a lot of forces out there trying hard to be your discipler. Examples might include:

• Television executives/producers (if it's funny, it can't be sinful now can it?)
• Hollywood (you gotta be thin to win!)
• Homosexual agenda (6000 years of man & wife is just a fluke?)
• The American Dream (credit cards are great, right?)
• Pornography (Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition is all about selling swimsuits, right?)
• Barney (don't get me started)

If you were to take an honest look at your life, what are you allowing to disciple you, perhaps in a manner contrary to God's best?

1x1x33=THE WORLD

Raise your hand if you like math. Sickos. Me? I'm not a particular math lover. However, since it's an integral part of my job, I've had to become cozy with it. In fact, I even had to minor in it while majoring in Chemistry. I know. I just outed myself as a geek.

Jesus on the other hand, loved math. He was particularly good at multiplication. For example:

5 loaves x 2 fish = 5000 men well-fed (not to mention the women & kids) + 12 extra basketfulls.

Jesus was a multiplier. He expects His disciples to be multipliers too. It was part of His charge before ascending into the Heavens (wouldn't that have been cool to see by the way?): "Go...make disciples of all the nations...". Making disciples was His way of multiplying Himself, and we are called to do it also.

So, let me give you something to ponder. Let's say I take one guy and invest one year in him. I spend one year teaching him to study Scripture, how to pray, how to evangelize, and how to teach others the way I was teaching him. At the end of the year I tell him "Congrats! You've graduated, now go do what I've shown and taught you to do." At the end of year one, how many disciples are there? 2. He and I.

So we both go find one person that next year and do it all over again. At the end of year two we now have....4 disciples. Exciting, huh? So, now all 4 of us go at it the next year and at that year's New Year's party there will be....8 of us. See where I'm going? Each year the disciples double. If we kept this going for say...15 years we would have...wait for it...32,768 disciples! That's the size of a small city. Well, it we kept at it for 23 years we would have...8.4 million disciples or the equivalent to the population of New York City. In 23 short years! So what if we did it for 33 years? We would have 8.6 billion disciples, or roughly the population of the ENTIRE PLANET EARTH! 33 short years. We could essentially evangelize the world. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but what was that phrase JC used? Oh yeah! Make disciples of all the nations.

What do you think? Can we do it?

You Are What You Read

This week I'd like to share with all of you some books I've read that have helped shape me as a man, a husband, a friend, a Christian and a tentmaker. I hope, if anything, you'll be inspired to read some or all of these books (if you haven't already) and they will inspire you like they have me.

Book #1: Disciples Are Made Not Born by Walter Henrichsen

This is a must read for any believer who is serious about investing in eternity. In fact, it is a primer of the basics of discipleship. Here's some of the key points I've learned from this amazing book:

• Jesus had a world vision. He expected His disciples to have a world vision too. Christians, if they call themselves as such, must have a world vision. Anything less is un-Christ like.
• Your personal ministry should be productive. Therefore, choose wisely those whom you wish to mentor. They should be able to bear fruit.
• A disciple must count the cost of following Christ. He demands everything. However, the rewards are unmeasurable!
• Every disciple must have a clear understanding of: 1) Who God is; and, 2) who, as a person, he/she is.
• Evangelism is an everyday part of a disciple's life.
• Jesus is calling for disciples today, just as He did 2000 years ago. However, He has no use for
  "Sunday Christians."
• A disciple becomes what you are, not what you say. It's critical you focus on being the kind of person you want your disciple to become. "People learn to follow the Lord by following the Lord's people." (pg. 89)

There are many, many more truths I've learned from this book. I could spend a whole week on this book alone. If you haven't read this, I'd encourage you to do so.

Are there any books you've read on discipleship that have inspired you? What's the hardest part of being a disciple in your mind?