Protecting Your Flock

Discipleship means working with your flock to position them to understand God and His grace - and how that is applied in their lives.

You have to evaluate where your people are in their maturity and understanding of God and His grace. Depending on levels of Biblical understanding, you have to actively filter and protect your flock from incoming doctrinal conversations.

In my opinion (for what it's worth), discipling your flock in basic Bible doctrines about God and His grace trumps being correct regarding issues like Bible versions, infant baptism, or end times. (Although, a person's position on any of those topics may impact his methods of evangelism or other important practical outworkings.) But, setting that aside, some doctrines need to be dealt with on a foundation of Biblical understanding and maturity.

This is a case of the weaker brother. Allowing finer points of doctrine to be introduced into your church can be a stumbling block for those who are still learning about the grace of God. Be discerning on what you issues you allow members to introduce into the body.

Before God, you have to decide what doctrines are on His agenda for the believers in your flock. He'll tell you. Don't worry! God will guide you in regards to which doctrines you allow to be grappled with in your flock.

Haiti Christian Relief

World Magazine has published a list of trusted Christian relief agencies who are assisting in Haiti:

http://www.worldmag.com/webextra/16287

I've found some of my favorite ministries through research into who is doing on-the-ground relief aid at natural disasters. Pick a ministry and dial in your digits for a little investment into God's kingdom.

"Ministry Is A Mercy" - antidote to Burn-out

"If you realize that you deserve nothing and that everything is a mercy, that is all you need to know." John MacArthur on burn-out in ministry. (STAND by DesiringGod.org)

To paraphrase John, the antidote for discouragement and burn-out because of people criticizing you, despising you, not appreciating you IS to realize that you should be in hell right now.

Paul says to count all things loss except Christ. That includes counting myself loss too. My flesh wants to be appreciated. My spirit wants Christ to be appreciated. Burn-out is a product of listening to the desires of the flesh. Be encouraged just to be in Christ. Be thankful that Christ lets you minister in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Extreme Discipleship Should Be Avoided

Extreme Descipleship: Two ends of the continuum: Non-Doctrinal/Worldly all the way to ultra-sanctified.

Look at your congregation. Do you have a group of people who are clumped over on the non-doctrinal and/or worldly side of the continuums? This may be because you are on the extreme regarding your lack of teaching on doctrine or sanctified living. Or, are all of the people who you disciple thinned out to only be those who are of the same mindset as you regarding doctrine and Christian living? Maybe, it is because you are ahead of the Holy Spirit in your expectations for growth in doctrine and/or sanctification.

Take this avenue: Be like Jesus. Faithfully lay a Biblical framework for doctrine that has a similar balance to the emphasis that Jesus had in his teachings. Allow people to grow at the pace that the Holy Spirit sets for each person. Let the fruits of the Spirit characterize the accountability you place on those you are mentoring.

Ministry Within the Body

There is power in personal ministry within the context of the body. Three effects come from strategically utilizing gifts within the context of the local church.

First, there is a dynamic energy that results from the specifically stated support of the church for the ministry of individuals. For example, if a church openly talks about and emotionally supports the work of a member at a local youth outreach center, that member feels supported and encouraged. The lone ranger Christian burns out. The supported Christian has more protection from the flare-out.

Second, if the leadership takes an interest in a member's desire to minister, that encourages others to join in. I can think of one lady who is really into Operation Christmas Child. Since the church leadership actively promote her project, many others in the church are involved. The member is supported and others' gifts are discipled.

Third, putting the weight of the church behind personal ministry helps to build humility. The lone ranger is at times asked to put personal agenda on the shelf and minister within the context of the church. This builds a healthy submission.

To-D0 List:
1. Make a list of projects that are already going and who is involved in each.
2. Take a look at your membership and make a 2-column chart listing members and their respective gifts.
3. Make an effort to build momentum within your church around the projects that already exist.
4. Don't be scared. If God doesn't want a project to happen, He'll shut it down.

Some have said that members need to prove themselves before being allowed to do ministry in the church. Actually, a better way is to use ministry as a context for discipling young believers. The proving ground is generally in a place of action. Don't miss out on discipling your kids, teens, young adults and young Christians. Use ministry as a school for discipling.

Christmas Shopping for Thai Orphans

This Orphanage Website is Sweet. I loved spending a few bucks on some Christmas presents for orphans. This ministry is legit - I drove up to Seattle to meet the missionary - Tim Dunham. We talked at Denny's for about two hours, and I got the low-down on what Jesus is doing through him in Thailand. Print off the Christmas Catalog PDF and pass it around your church.

Samson and the Pirate Monks - Book Review

Depressing - Yes. This book confronts the reader with the fact that he is most vulnerable, weak, lonesome, and pathetic when he thinks that he is the strongest. In our humanity, we think we are invincible when we are forging ahead - alone, silent, strong. In reality, that is when we are the most vulnerable.

If you aren't a sexual addict, I give you permission to skip the first fifty-seven pages. I found the first fifty-seven pages a bit "shock-and-awe" and disturbing to my inner core. In fact, I skipped most of the first third of the book because reading it put me in a foul mood. TMI - came to mind.

After establishing the brutal details of his depravity, Nate Larkin chronicles his slow climb out of the hole. For anyone who has experienced any type of sinful addiction, this part of the book hits home. Sin, sin, sin - repent, repent, repent. Try to do it yourself in secret - fail, fail, fail.

As the title suggests, Samson did it alone and failed, but David did it surrounded by friends and died a success. If I could put the message of this book into one bullet point, it would be: Stop isolating yourself and build many solid relationships into your everyday life.

I give Samson and the Pirate Monks credit for readability and content. I have reservations regarding the amount of vivid confession - it is definitely NOT for anyone susceptible to the suggestive. I appreciate the main message: Stop being the strong, silent loser who pretends to have it all together.

For those who struggle with any type of sinful behavior, I'll leave you with something my brother once told me: Build walls around yourself through obedience. Every time you obey God, you build one more brick into a wall between yourself and possible temptation.

For those addicted to sexual immorality or pornography, you benefit from something Neil Anderson wrote in A Way of Escape: Freedom from Sexual Strongholds. Organize your life so you avoid all situations of vulnerability. I.e. Don't allow yourself to drive to get milk at the little market where the porn is sold. Rather, force yourself to purchase your groceries at a large grocery store where you won't "accidentally" run into sexual temptation.

Neil and Nate both agree: Life needs to be lived in community and sin's best friend is isolation and self-reliance. Rely on God through honest fellowship within His church body.