Here's what I've learned and typed as we heard from Andy. He was such an inspiration, the way he talked about his ministry. It was such a great learning experience for me. My favorite part was the I+A=T. It works so well with what I've been dealing with lately.
Matthew 16:24-25 – being a disciple of Christ. Taking up the cross and following him. Jesus says to deny OURSELVES and FOLLOW HIM! He went around meeting God’s needs and following that call on his life and died for us on the cross. If we have given our lives to Christ already, then it is not our life anymore. It is God’s. He’s our ultimate creator who made and loves us in his image.
He says we can look the “same” on the outside, but you also need to look at what’s going on in the inside. We need to hear Christian principles but then take them into action. Discipleship is not just about how it looks on the outside (Kings: crowing King David) but it’s about what is motivating our hearts.
Secondly, he started talking to us about the voice of God. You can hear God in multiple ways. It’s not just audibly.
3rd part - I (information from the Bible) + A (Application) =T (truth/teaching/TRANSFORMATION)
Is there anyone that I have a broken relationship? Is there a hindrance or fence?
When you hear the truth, apply it to your life!!!
4th part is talking about being in a learned environment. How is your training? We need to find ways to be able to teach people in class but also through what goes on in your actual life. It’s not all about the lectures but it is how you apply what you learn in the classroom. You don’t want to just hear about the teaching part but the relational part.
The last part of their discipleship strategy is lots of structure, lots of love!!! How much to you really work on that? Do they have freedom, boundaries, etc? People do need a high level of structure to their life to give opportunity to see the value in a disciplined life. Some never learn to experience that. He says the language of the Bible is the language of family. This is how people should live. It’s like having those spiritual roles. If you don’t love them, how can you minister to them? That is such a great quote from him. This is really opening my eyes to more opportunity on my part and on the part of those around me.
Starting community to take initiative. It needs to start with someone doing that, to make that sort of community grow. J
Question Time:
In this his first question was about a recent discipleship success story. Went on a missions trip and one student, there was so much selfishness, he had to leave Thailand to go back to his church to figure out what was going on with the student. The student had so much self pity, he had truth but wasn’t applying it to his life. Jesus would give the law to the proud, but then when they get talked to directly then they didn’t want anything. We need to be humbling ourselves more often. We need to help those around us understand, it’s not about them but about taking up our cross for Jesus.
Well truth, is one size fits all. The application of it, the input, can be the same but where do we walk it out. Teaching as a team, Small groups make it really deep, 1-1 makes it really deep. Taking time to work and have fun together at the same time, serving the Lord through serving each other.
How do you measure a win in your ministry? It’s about their fruit. The people that are graduated from the program, are they living out that discipleship process? What are they doing with their lives? He said that we can’t just reach out to one gender or generation…it needs to be bearing fruit to all others (2 Timothy 2:2). I love how he says, though it can be hard, it to disciple them through the heart, not just the outside.
What kind of help do you need for the work you do? Multiply yourself, your team. Make disciples through what you have learned.
What are the 3 most difficult aspects of your ministry? When well meaning Christians or the body of Christ say that you don’t have to take up your cross everyday. The Christianity that is safe is not being a disciple. It’s not about taking over the world, but it is giving up your life for the word of God, for the gospel.
How do you balance family and ministry? Get your family involved in your ministry. Ministry is a lifestyle, not a vocation. Marry the right person, the one that works with your calling. It really needs to line up. One might be so on fire for the calling but the other may not feel the same way. The life we live a blessing from God. I think he’s doing a great job in the way he balances both. It’s so cool when a whole family is in ministry together.
How did you build your ministry team? What you do isn’t nearly as important in who you do it with. You could be in so many different ministries and different people. Who do you want on your team? It’s about relationships. You want to be with the people who will speak real truth, love, self-sacrificing. It’s not about strengths of gifting, but it’s about relationship and character.
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