Discipleship « Journeyman Journal

Expected to Teach

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Teaching is both by gifting and my passion. But I understand that it’s not everyone’s gifting (1 Corinthians 12:28).

However, we need to be careful not to use that as an excuse in our spiritual lives. We are supposed to be teaching others about spiritual things…

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others.
Hebrews 5:12, NLT

As I read this passage,a couple of thoughts come to mind:

There is an expectation of growth in our spiritual lives. We are supposed to learn and graduate from “spiritual milk” to “spiritual meat”. It’s natural…and it’s unnatural not to grow.
There is an expectation that we will take others on the journey with us…we are supposed to be teaching others the spiritual truths we learn as we grow. You don’t have to be some Biblical scholar, but you need to be sharing your experiences…how God has been teaching you and how you have grown.

I’ve been praying this week about who God wants me to pour my life into. Who should I be taking on the journey with me? Who can I teach…and learn from at the same time?

I got my answer…how about you?

21.01.2010 Discipleship, Spiritual Development, Spiritual Musings No Comments

A Steep Price and My Challenge

Monday, November 9th, 2009

This post is for me this morning. God has been challenging me hard for the past couple of weeks. He is slowly changing my attitudes and thoughts in a couple of areas of my spiritual life. It hasn’t been easy. He has been examining my motives and intentions…digging below the surface and showing me things I’d rather just leave alone.

But it has been a good journey too. I am becoming more like Him…but I have a loooooong way to go! I trust His heart. I trust His intentions. I know He has the best in mind for me. So I listen and learn…too slowly, but it is happening.

Just this weekend Go gave me this passage to wrestle with:

If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—
your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life.
Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.
And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple…
So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.
Luke 14:26-27, 33

Take a second and read that again…take it all in.

It’s a steep price to pay…being His disciple, following Him. Have I counted the cost? Am I willing to pay this price? Is this where my heart really is? Are His priorities my priorities? They easy answer is “yes”, but is that the honest answer?

That’s my challenge this week. He and I are working through the questions and the answers. It’s a process. It’s a journey.

09.11.2009 Discipleship, Spiritual Development, Spiritual Musings No Comments

Are You All In?

Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

I have had some technical difficulties this last week with my blog (couldn’t load the page where I actually create a post)…but I’m back…and then I’ll be gone until this weekend on the hunt.

I have actually had a topic on my heart for the past few days that I’m glad I finally get to share…I’m so impatient, but it has given time for God to continue to work on this area in my life. It comes out of John chapter 12:

Those who love their life in this world will lose it.
Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.
John 12:25, NLT

On the surface seems pretty innocent, but it’s anything but “innocent”. This is hard teaching here from Jesus. Think about the implications…if we love our life in this world (at all) then we will lose eternity. We have to “care nothing” for our life in this world—we are supposed to be “other worldly minded”. I don’t know about you, but that’s not always the way I walk and live. Quite often I am very “this world” oriented.

But what Jesus is really getting at here is whether we are a believer or a follower of Christ. Do we just believe His words and teachings OR do we actually follow them? Are we really developing a relationship with Christ or are we simply “practicing Christianity” (do we even know the difference)? Can I honestly say that I hate my life in this world and that my full hope is in the eternal life that’s coming?

Where is my heart? Where is my mind? What’s my focus?

Am I “All In” or am I holding a little back for the next round?

These are the hard questions God is working on in my life…

07.10.2008 Devotional, Spiritual Development, Spiritual Musings No Comments