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Worthy Workmen In my work at a Christian mission organization, I see the process that people go through when raising support for the purpose of going to the mission field. For some, it seems to come easily. For others, it’s an uphill battle. The interesting thing is, those who struggle are no less called than those who don’t. They may just not be gifted when it comes to raising money. Who Are You Following? Having grown up in the church and then moved around the country and world, I’ve attended various types of churches. The above passage in 1 Corinthians, brought to mind a church I attended that strongly emphasized doctrine. In my view, emphasizing doctrine, and emphasizing the Bible, are two different things. When at the Point of Death, Trust God Trials in our life likely have many purposes. But perhaps one of the main purposes of trials is to show us that we can't possibly handle things on our own; we need God's help. What Really Matters It is so easy to get caught up in externals, but that isn’t what we need to focus on. It’s more important to concentrate on what God commands us to do, than it is to worry about outward appearances. Some people might think that it is burdensome to keep God’s commandments, but it is actually quite freeing to get to the place where you focus on pleasing God rather than worrying about the opinions of man. Ways to Help an Apathetic Disciple In spite of our best efforts, there will be times when apathy attacks the people we disciple. Their consistent quiet times may falter. They may fail to complete their Bible studies, make excuses for not attending, or show up but refuse to participate. Their zeal for witnessing may fade. After a time, they may even avoid you—refusing to return your phone calls and expressing irritation when you reach out to them. The Greatest is Love What makes love so amazing? For starters, it is what motivated the Father to send His only Son to die for us. The Broken Toe “You’re going to have to use one of those scooters,” my husband said as we pulled into the grocery store parking lot. “I am not!” I declared. In spite of my bold declaration, by the time I managed to painfully hobble from the car to the store entrance, I had to admit that my husband was right – I was going to have to use the scooter. Test Your Transparency Take this short quiz to determine the level of transparency you demonstrate with the person you are discipling (let's call her Carol). You glance out the window and see Carol pulling into your driveway. You were not expecting her. Your house is a mess. You: Teaching Biblical Meditation Glassy stares, monotonous chants, and the fragrance of burning incense—these are images that often come to mind when we hear the word meditation. Such negative associations have discouraged many from pursuing something the Bible exhorts us to do. If you'd like to teach the person you're discipling how to meditate on Scripture, here are a few things to keep in mind. Sin Is Serious! Sin is not someting to be taken lightly in the church. The good news is, there is grace andforgiveness in Jesus Christ! Run the Race Nothing else we do in life matters as much as running the race the Lord has set before us because nothing else lasts for eternity. Prompted by the Word (Proverbs 1:10) Scripture is an excellent source of journal prompts. This article contains prompts from Proverbs 1:10, "My son, if sinners entice you, co not consent" that will help you evaluate the impact your relationships have on your spiritual life. Proclaim a Fast I have a confession to make: I love to eat! Because of that, fasting, the voluntary abstinence from food, is a discipline I used to avoid. I’ve found I’m not alone in my aversion to fasting. In fact, it is perhaps the most neglected of all the disciplines. Some believers neglect fasting because they consider it to be optional. I know I’ve been guilty of this. I’ve often gone for months without giving any thought to fasting. But when we read the words of Jesus in Matt. 6:16, it’s obvious. . . Praying for Your Pastor From Head to Toe "I want to pray for my pastor, but I don't know how." Does this sound familiar? It was my dilemma, too, until I learned to pray from head to toe. Here's how it works. Prayer Walking I wanted to drop a few pounds. I also wanted to pray for my neighbors. So I decided to combine exercise and prayer. I chose walking because it leaves my mind free to focus on the Lord. If you'd like to try prayer walking, keep these ideas in mind. Prayer for the Pray-ers As an intercessory prayer team, your group is naturally focused on the needs of others. Although there is great fulfillment in that, burnout is a high probability unless time for personal nurture takes place. Pray Without Sleeping I can sense the broken, disappointed heart of Jesus when I read the words, "Could you men not keep watch with me one hour?" (Mt. 26:40). His disciples, the ones closest to Him, fell asleep when they should have been communing with the Father. This article gives suggestions for staying alert during prayer. Many Adversaries Isn’t it exciting to think of a great AND effective door opening for you? Think about it! Are there things you dream of accomplishing, but it seems the door is closed? Maybe it seems as if there is no way for your dream to be accomplished and yet you dream it just the same. This verse gives us hope that not only will a great door open, but that it will be effective as well. Knowledge Puffs Up Unfortunately, a possible danger of doing Bible study is that we can become proud by the knowledge we accumulate. Because of that, it is important to check our motives in the study we do. Judge Yourself Who likes to be judged? I know that I sure don’t! But judgment happens to everyone, one way or another. The good news is, we have options regarding who will judge us, and how we will be judged. In fact, we have the option of judging ourselves! Intercession: A Lonely Calling I pray for you every time I walk past your photo," Charlotte told me, beaming and pointing to the "five by seven" on the shelf in her living room. Wow, that's weird, I thought. As a 13-year-old, I didn't understand why some woman I barely knew would display my photo in her living room; and I especially didn't understand why she prayed for me each time she caught a glimpse of it! How to Teach Scripture Memorization Is the person you're discipling having difficulty memorizing Scripture? If so, try the following: How to Start a Small Group Prayer Ministry A while back, I was filled with an intense desire to start a small-group prayer ministry in my church. But when I approached my pastor, I could tell he was less than thrilled. I was puzzled by his response. Shouldn't a pastor be excited about people praying? Then I realized that his lack of enthusiasm might have stemmed from negative experiences with "prayer" (also known as gossip) groups in the past. In order to dispel his fears, I devised a set of guidelines. . . His Timing is Perfect As the German pastor shared his vision for a time of reconciliation between Germans and Jews in the Olympic Stadium in West Berlin, I could barely contain myself. What he planned to do was unprecedented, and my sense was that God was clearly in it. When he gave the Macedonian call to “Come over and help us,” it was all I could do to keep from being catapulted from my seat! I wanted to say, “Yes! I’ll come!” After the service I made a beeline toward this pastor. Help for Hard Times Small groups are the perfect settings for people to share their struggles and receive encouragement. I've been helped through more than one hard time by my care-group leader, Bob Beaver. Here are his insights on helping people through tough times. Growing in Wisdom To make sure you're not only increasing in knowledge but also gaining wisdom, turn to the book of Proverbs. Through one or more of the following activities, a growing Christian can find a treasure "more precious than rubies" (Prov. 8:11). Fasting the Healthy Way “Get in the car” my normally easy-going husband ordered, on the 18th day of what was intended to be a 40-day fast. My stubborn nature led to my refusal to eat unless a doctor told me I had to. My husband ordered me into the car so he could take me to the emergency room. He knew any doctor that examined me would order me to eat, and he was right. Faithful Stewards Stewardship is most often thought of in terms of finances. Financial stewardship is important, but 1 Corinthians 4:1,2 talks about a different kind of stewardship. Don't Despise the Old If you have your choice, which will you plop down and read – the Old Testament or the New Testament? If you are like most Christians, your answer would, hands down be, “New Testament!” The truth is, many Christians today do not read the Old Testament much, if any. They may read books in the New Testament over and over again, but skip over everything in the Old Testament other than Psalms and Proverbs. Unfortunately, when people skip over the Old Testament, they miss much of what God has for them Do it Wrong! (A Creative Teaching Method) "I'm sorry I'm late," my college teacher said as she ran into the room, flustered and out of breath, her arms loaded down with a projector, visual aids, and note cards. As she wrestled with the projector, she realized the cord wasn't long enough and dashed off in search of an extension cord. She returned with the cord only to find that the projector still didn't work. Giving up on that, she grabbed her note cards and began her lecture, but the cards were out of order and therefore useless. Do As They Do There is often a great barrier between Christians and unbelievers. To some degree that is to be expected, because we view things from a different perspective, and live by biblical principles often scorned by the world. Most often, however, this barrier is in place because Christians have so far removed themselves from unbelievers that they have absolutely no connection with them. Dirty Laundry “You have to stand up for your rights!” “That’s what the world, and often even people in the church say, but is it really true, from God’s perspective? Have you ever considered how standing up for your rights – particularly against another Christian, with unbelievers present -- impacts your witness? The entire sixth chapter of 1 Corinthians deals with the issue of a believer taking another believer to court. The bottom line is, it just shouldn’t be done. Dealing with Demanding Disciples Are you discipling a demanding person—someone who leaves you feeling perpetually frustrated? Haggai 1:6 provides an accurate description of a demanding disciple: unproductive, ungrateful, hard to please, never satisfied, and self-indulgent. No matter how much you pour into a demanding disciple, chances are it will never be enough. Bad Company What kind of company do you keep? Perhaps like me you are in a Christian environment much of the time. If so, that’s wonderful! But even if that is the case, it’s important to be mindful of the type of influence others – including believers – have on you. A Way of Escape Have you ever been caught off guard by temptation? I have! The worst thing about being hit with temptation seemingly out of nowhere is that when you’re not prepared for it, it is easy to give in to it. We’re the most vulnerable when our guard is down. It is not uncommon for people to fall, who never thought they would.

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