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Spiritual Development September 2017

Principles for Living with Gospel Purpose

At the most recent Growth Initiative weekend we talked about how to live with gospel purpose.  This simply means that you are living your life with the intention of building relationships with others so that you are able to share with them the truth of the gospel and  invite them to repent and believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord.  For most Christians this may seem very intimidating because we tend to freak out when we think about sharing the gospel with others.  At this last weekend, we looked at some principles from the book Sharing Jesus without Freaking Out by Dr. Alvin Reid that help us think about evangelism correctly. 

 Here are a few of those principles that we examined:

1. God created you for his glory, to advance his gospel with the gifts, talents, and opportunities he gave to you.
2. In order to share Jesus confidently and consistently with others, first share him confidently and consistently with yourself.
3. Shifting from giving an evangelistic presentation to having an evangelistic conversation takes pressure off the witness and relates the gospel more clearly to an unbeliever.
4. God has sovereignly placed you in this world at this time with the abilities and gifts you have to bring glory to him and show the joy of the gospel with others.
5. Effective evangelistic conversations connect the unchanging gospel with the specific issues people face.
6. Expect people to be open to the gospel, and learn to share Jesus where they live.
7. Talk to the actual person in front of you about Jesus inside of you; let them see and hear the change Jesus makes in you.
8. Developing a lifestyle of sharing Jesus consistently flows out of a plan to share Jesus regularly.

As we think about reaching those in our homes, our churches, our workplaces, and our communities, these principles help us to see that sharing Jesus should be a natural part of our new lives in Christ.  We also shared about a tool called the 3 Circles Life Conversation Guide that helps you begin gospel conversations with other people.  For more information about this tool, you can download their app, visit their website at lifeonmissionbook.com, or check out the book Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations by Jimmy Scroggins and Steve Wright..

 At the conclusion of the last session of this weekend, we challenged people to think of one person that you know needs to hear the gospel and to pray for opportunities to share with that person in the upcoming weeks.  I would encourage everyone to do this same thing and be open to the opportunities that God will give you to share with anyone that comes your way. 

Spiritual Development August 2017

Recognize the Spirituality of Work

by Donald Whitney

         Bill often wonders whether he is a second-class Christian because of the less-than-Christian atmosphere where he works. His occupation is good and necessary for society, but it’s also one in which liars, cheats, and thieves seem to flourish. Vulgar and          blasphemous language typically fills the air of Bill’s workplace.

For other believers, the problem at work is not a godless environment; it’s the    gnawing lack of meaning to their labor. They trudge through tedious days on a job that often feels intolerably unimportant.

Can followers of Jesus work in these conditions and still maintain a close relationship with Him? Or is the Lord somewhat disappointed in them because of where they work or what they do?

God ordained work. Before sin entered the world, “the Lord God took the man [Adam] and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). All kinds of work—paid and unpaid—are necessary in the world for us “to subdue it”   according to God’s will (Genesis 1:28). People must grow food, care for children, make clothes, tend the sick, construct buildings and roads, transport goods, govern the cities, and so forth. Obviously, therefore, God intends for most people to devote themselves to what’s often called “secular” employment. Only a small percentage should be vocational pastors, church-planting missionaries, and the like (even though more are needed). Otherwise, who’d work the fields, deliver the mail, build ships and cars, develop water systems, and make medicines?

Because God has ordained it, all work has a spiritual dimension. The Bible repeatedly commends useful, honest labor (see Ephesians 4:28; 1 Thessalonians 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:10), which shows God’s intense      interest in it. When we actively recognize His presence in our workplace, we acknowledge His sovereignty over all of life. And that’s basic to true spirituality.

Even if your daily responsibilities may seem dull and unimportant, or cause you to associate with and  support worldly, God-hating people, remember that “the Lord takes pleasure in His people” (Psalm 149:4). And He takes pleasure in us not just at church, but at work, too. He’s as attentive to us in our work routines as He was to Joseph in his service as Potiphar’s slave, to Jesus in the carpentry shop, and to the apostle Paul when he was making tents.

Work is not a hindrance to spirituality; it is a part of it. Even slaves were instructed by Paul not to fear that their awful condition in any way diminished their spiritual standing with God (see 1 Corinthians 7:22). Our     spirituality depends upon who we are in Christ, not the circumstances of our workplace. God’s presence and   favor are not limited by coworkers or job descriptions.

Enlarge your vision of your spiritual life to include your daily work. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24). Present your work to God. You are working for Him.

(Excerpted from Simplify Your Spiritual Life by Donald Whitney)