Category: Disciple (Page 6 of 18)

Grace Upon Grace

February 1, 2022 / Derrick Hurst / 0 Comments

Bear One Another's Burdens - Verse Meaning Explained

I get to see all sorts of things in my line of work. Many people joke around about me only working an hour on a Sunday and the rest of the week goof off with video games or who knows what. To be totally honest, there are things that come across my desk as a pastor that I really wish I didn’t have to manage. But there are other parts of my day that make me just pause and realize how amazing some of the people who surround me truly are.

The situations that blindside us and pretty much throw us into a tailspin are the things no one wants to deal with. We run from them. We fight to get out of them. We try to make our way through them. But really we just want these unknown and unsolicited crappy days to just go away. Whether they are relationship meltdowns, financial crises, disturbing health news or family drama, we will have to come to grips with some level of all of these things throughout our lives. How we make it through some of these truly life changing moments often is determined by who we let into our circle.

One of the most blessed parts of my job is to be someone who is trusted to be part of someone’s circle. I get the honor of being the person who’s there when good times happen. I get to hear the good news of a baby born or a guy “popping the question.” I get to see the smiles and endless grins on the faces of those who are filled with the joy of living.

But I’m also honored to be invited into some of the darkest and scariest moments of people’s lives. I am called on when a loved one is ill, hospitalized or tragically dies. I’m there when a child needs medical attention. I’m invited into the circle when families are in turmoil and trust within friendships becomes broken. I get to be present when tears flow and hearts are broken and fear overwhelms.

I write these things not to pat myself on the back but to remind you that you are vastly important to me. No matter what level of connection I’ve had in your life, believe me when I say that walking with you through good or bad times is an absolute honor. It’s something I do not take lightly.

As I write this some of you are filled with joy while others are barely able to breathe under the pressures of life. No matter which end of that spectrum you may be on, know that I or someone like me is just a call away. We do have limitations and boundaries but in general we are here.

It is in these moments, entering someone’s story especially a story of crisis that I witness some of the most amazing displays of grace that one could ever imagine. It is in the moments when life is unraveling at a pace that is dizzying, that we get to witness someone’s true character. It’s not when life is easy that the real person shines forward. It’s when they are stressed beyond belief, broken seemingly beyond repair, weak beyond imagination that someone reveals who they truly are at their core.

I have recently come to realize that the strongest people in the world are not necessarily in a uniform, at the gym or wearing a cape. They are simple, ordinary people who put their feet on the floor in the morning when they’d rather stay in bed. They move forward when it would be way easier to fall backward. They stand when the world says to sit down. They remain silent when every ounce of their anger says to speak. They’re the people who demonstrate grace in ways that I didn’t know were humanly possible.

To the many people who’ve been a part of why circle and invited me to be a part of your story over the past several decades, thank you for showing me what grace looks like in so many ways. Thank you for being the evidence of grace upon grace in even the least graceful of circumstances. Thank you for the trust you’ve shown. Thank you for showing me what the love of Jesus looks like today.

I’m Sorry But The Church Is Not The Point

January 19, 2022 / Derrick Hurst / 0 Comments

Ok so if you’re a certain type of person, you probably don’t like that statement. The point here isn’t to upset anyone nor is it a knock on the church either. The point is that I think over time we, as pastors and churches, might have lost our way a little bit. I by no means am perfect, nor do I get this right all the time but this is a pretty critical thing to get right.

Church Centered

There are many of us in churches around that have become kind of church-centric. The church becomes the reason the church exists. It’s like saying the church is the most important thing going on in the church. That’s just not the case.

I had the chance to participate in a conference recently that for all intense and purposes said the end result of all the church does is to get people into the church. Yikes! That’s the most selfish, egotistical, and downright heretical thing I’ve ever heard! The church does not exist to fill its seats or pad its bank account. Too many churches have become so consumed with doing it their way or preserving what they have that they’ve lost sight of why they exist in the first place.

A church-centric kind of church really cares more about boards, budgets and butts than anything else. A church centered on itself makes it hard for people to get involved. You can’t do anything without some sort of membership status. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are some places where a level of ownership found in membership is important but to limit all activity and service in the church to a members only status isn’t healthy.

A church-centered kind of environment gives the impression that it’s all about the church. The church and worship become the end goal of all the church exists to do. Often when a person joins a church-centered kind of atmosphere there’s really nothing left to offer. Worship is it. It’s the sum total of what the church has and what it expects from those who make up the congregation. Worship is vital, critical and necessary! But it’s not all the church is here for by any means. So if it’s not solely about worship or the church from an institutional side of things, what is it?

Kingdom Centered

It doesn’t take much to veer off the tracks from the church God established in the book of Acts to one that’s really all about self preservation. The way back is to hone one’s sight back on what’s most important and that’s Christ and his message of Grace and Truth and Mercy. It’s about becoming kingdom focused again.

A kingdom centered church is one whose focus isn’t on numerical growth but on depth of growth. Look I get it, numbers matter. We have to count what we can count. But can we take measurables and find a better way to use them? I’m part of a system that asks for year end reporting, which in and of itself isn’t a bad thing. Again you have to measure what you can measure. But the measurements we record only show part of the story. They only show basic connection not depth of engagement.

At the church I am called to serve, we measure a series of numbers as part of a discipleship pathway. There’s an expectation that comes with being a part of this church. It’s bigger than here. It’s bigger than worship or Sunday School or a website or time of day. It’s about engaging in a life that demonstrates obedience to a different way of life. To that end we measure a progression of data. When one number goes up, the other numbers should increase at a similar rate. If there is a lag in numbers, we have to ask some hard questions.

The information we look at is simple and relatively easy to track with a few general questions. How many people are in worship on a regular basis? This number represents the group of people who are simply present in the worship life of the congregation from a mostly observation based position. They’re not leading, teaching, or serving.

The second question we ask is of these people in worship how many are in some form of Bible study or growth opportunity beyond worship? This number shows us those who participate which takes more commitment than watching for an hour on a Sunday and puts one in a place to be challenged a little more personally to a different kind of life.

The third area on which we focus is the area of service. So how many people are moving from observation in worship to participation in Bible classes or groups to some form of involvement in a specific area of ministry or service in the church. These can be anything from clean up crews for events, to those mowing the lawn or cleaning up outdoors, to greeting people when the arrive on Sundays. The sky is the limit here. It’s about helping people see the value they have in the church as a whole.

Finally, we focus on invitation. How many of those present and involved are bringing others along for the journey? This shows ownership. Ownership not of the church. Not of this local expression of what church looks like either. It’s ownership of a different way of life. It’s ownership of a kingdom centered mentality.

You see, Jesus said in some of his last recorded words in the book of Matthew going make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.

Did you see it? Right there at the end. As pastors we focus so much on the beginning of this that we tend to gloss right over the end. Make disciples yeah we talk about that a lot. Baptize them? Yep got that one covered as well for the most part. Teaching? Sure we teach a lot of information that is readily accessible in a variety of mediums. But what about teaching obedience? That’s a whole different ball game.

A kingdom centered church is one that teaches obedience. Not just head knowledge. Not just know your bible and what it says. But know what it says. Know its context. And let that shape how you do life. That’s the key. Right there. A kingdom centered church is one that seeks the transformation of its members to more intentionally live out the calling of God day by day.

So go to church! Attend worship! Yes those are very important and a key part of who we are as followers of Jesus. But go one step more. Take your worship out of the building and into your neighborhood. Remember worship isn’t the end game it’s a resource God has given us to move us closer to His image in us.

Stop Being So Shallow!

January 7, 2022 / Derrick Hurst / 0 Comments

Why Most Men Prefer the Shallow End of the Spiritual Pool | HuffPost Life

I have to say there are a lot of shallow people in this world. And even more so that’s really what’s being pedaled through our media. From printed news stories to tv news broadcasts to the infamous social media streams, there’s an abundance of surface level junk floating around. And in a superficial world, depth can be very attractive.

The set up

It’s no secret if you’ve been around this blog for any length of time, or if you know me at all, you will know that I’m a pastor of a semi-rural/suburban church in central Ohio. So much of my thinking revolves around my experience in that world. However the principles I’m about to share while mostly from my immediate context can be applied to a number of different fields from small businesses to politics to friendships and much more.

Cool versus Authentic

Ok so this is a pet peeve of mine. People trying to be super cool or hip or culturally relevant and totally missing the point of what’s happening around them. There was a craze in the church about a decade ago, that still is very much prevalent today, where churches tried to be mini versions of their culture. For many of them you couldn’t tell where the culture ended and the church began. This is a problem!

Churches did this because they wanted to be relevant to culture. They wanted the world to like them. They fell prey to the 3 Bs of life: boards, budgets and butts. Boards represent our power structure. Budgets represent our financial stability. And butts represents our fame or connectedness, aka church membership. When any of these are driving forces for you, then you will quickly realize that you’ve fallen for cool over authentic.

People are not walking away from God. They’re walking away from the church and fake expressions of the gospel.

It’s not just churches either. You can see it in businesses trying to become all things to all people and then quickly becoming nothing. It would be like McDonald’s trying to market as a 5 star sit-down restaurant for you to go for your 50th wedding anniversary. If they did this, they’d lose some clientele. Admittedly they might pick up some others but I hope you get the point. Focus on your purpose.

The church’s purpose is to bring the good news of Jesus to the world. When the how becomes more important than the what, we’ve missed the point. When we become more interested in laser shows and perfected Instagram stories than we are with the gospel, we have a problem!

No Pain Here

Another issue we deal with when it comes to being authentic is the illusion of perfection. The old workout adage of no pain, no gain is well known by many. But I think in the church we try to paint this sick image that we’ve got it all together and that nothing is ever wrong.

Get a group of pastors in a room and ask them how ministry is going and inevitably the conversation will turn to performance instead of authentic pain. We measure our effectiveness by how many people we have or how much money we make or what kind of building we’re in. We leave no room for real hurt and recovery and pain and stress and weakness.

If the church wants to be relevant in the world, stop pretending to be perfect. If the band is off, claim it! If the pastor blows the message, admit it. If the lights don’t put on the show you’re looking for, then who really cares! What’s the main point anyway?

When we embrace our struggles and surround ourselves with people are gifted where we are not, we stand a much better chance of reaching people that are not exactly like us. It’s ok to have a bad day. It’s ok to not be ok. Don’t paint yourself with a pretty made up face when you’re broken. Sometimes we can’t heal until we face the pain we’re going through.

Are you against everything?

Ok so this one might be a little personal for some of you, and that’s ok. Do people have any idea what you stand FOR? Or do they only know what you’re against? I have had many conversations with people who are not what we would call churched people. We’ve talked about sports, beer, marriage, community, politics, health. You name it, we’ve probably talked about it. But more times than I’d like to admit, whenever the topic of church or religion comes up I get a similar answer.

Is the church for anything? Or is it just completely against everything in this world?

I think this is a dangerous image to portray! The church should most certainly take a stand on what it believes. Without question there are some things we most assuredly need to stand against. However, if the main voice coming out of the church today in our 21st Century culture is what we’re against we’re giving the wrong message.

Over and over again Jesus told us who he was for. He didn’t agree with the lifestyles of everyone he defended or came alongside but he still showed that he was there for them. The woman caught in adultery is a fine example of this. There’s a story in the bible of a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. Cultural norms said she was to be stoned. But Jesus steps in the middle. Now understand fully that Jesus had every legal and moral right to throw that first stone. He could have annihilated her with thou shalt and thou shalt not commands. Instead, he stepped between her and her accusers and loved her.

Where is the church today when it comes to the oppressed and the marginalized? Where is the church for those who’ve been displaced from their homes or lost loved ones in tragedies? Where is the church with those who are considered like this adulterous woman?

You see the church is called by God to be encouragers and equippers who are compelled with a mission far greater than ourselves to accomplish something that is far beyond ourselves. When the church stays steadfast in its confession of who God is while regaining this beyond self mindset, we’ll become truly relevant again. Essentially, we don’t need to change our message. We need to change our attitude.

Pains and Joys of the Holidays

December 24, 2021 / Derrick Hurst / 0 Comments

The past couple of years have been challenging in many ways. For me personally they’ve been marked by some significant losses. My grandparents both ended their multi year battle with Alzheimer’s disease within a year of each other. Some friends have moved on to new endeavors. Other friends have remained but grown distant at best. Reactions to how we operate in life have caused division within the extended family. I’ve had to bring hard news to some churches that are struggling and even to a couple that weren’t really struggling. I even had the honor and sadness of sending my son off to serve in the US Army. This year has been a pretty challenging year if that’s all I look at, but there’s more. There’s always more.

While each of these parts of life this year have been challenging in and of themselves, together they have been like a weight that was hard to carry at times. From sadness, to denial, to even a few brushes with some depressing thoughts this has been hard to navigate and at times felt impossible to get through.

I know first hand that celebrating during the holidays when loved ones aren’t there is hard. Believe me we haven’t celebrated Christmas the way we used to for years with my grandparents condition slipping with every passing day. But this year will be so different because neither will be there. Not even that silly dazed look my grandpa used to give when he didn’t know what was going on but still wanted to be part of the group.

But if all we see is what we’ve lost then we’re really losing more every day.

Take time this season to reflect on the pain. Embrace it. Pain is real. Loss is legit. But don’t stay there. You have to look beyond the loss to what you have right in front of you. Losing people you care about hurts, but sometimes it allows you to better care for the ones who are still with you.

Maybe the best way to cope with the pains of the holidays is to love through the hurt. Let the people you’re near know the pain you’re feeling. Let them bring a little smile to your face and happiness to your heart.

But if you’re a Jesus follower, I need to remind you that this season isn’t about family or friends. It’s not about the emotions we like to fill ourselves with during the holidays. Christmas is about the birth of Christ. When we keep our focus in the right place even the deepest hurt, those gaping emotional wounds, the losses, the fears, the feelings of betrayal and loneliness – all of it is real but manageable.

Friends I want nothing less than for you to have a very Merry Christmas. I want you to hold the ones you love, the ones who really care about you are still there. The ones who’ve been taken away by illness and death are where they need to be for this season. The joy of Christmas for you and me is found in the Prince of Peace who calms our fears. The Everlasting Father who embraces us with loving arms when others leave us to fend for ourselves. The Wonderful Counselor who brings reminders of joy and hope and love to our Christmas pains. The joy of Christmas is found in our Mighty God who has power over all things. He can and will be present in your pain and lead you to a place where real joy can be found.

Merry Christmas to one and all as you watch your sadness turn to joy in the morning.

Terrifying Statistics

December 23, 2021 / Derrick Hurst / 0 Comments

Be kind to your pastors. I know that many of you are just that, extremely kind and generous to your pastors. And to those I have the privilege of doing ministry with you are beyond kind and generous, so I thank you! But the reality is like every profession, Pastors are struggling and according to the studies it seems their struggle is impacting them more than we realized.

Through the last 20+ months many studies have been done on the great resignation and transitions in life and work. But there have also been targeted studies dealing with specific occupations, including pastors. The most recent study shows that pastors are hurting…bad!

The shocking statistic shows that nationwide over 38% of pastors are or have been contemplating leaving their position. And to make that even more real the research broke that out to pastors from mainline denominations where the number skyrocketed to 51% of pastors contemplating leaving! That’s scary!

Now before we get all suck it up buttercup, which is my normal reaction to things like this, we have to understand the landscape a bit. As pastors, we were not trained on how to lead and do ministry in a divisive context. We were not given the tools and resources on how to handle real relationships in congregations that we thought were strong implode overnight. We are not financial gurus. We are not perfect husbands and fathers. We are not superbly gifted in leadership or administration. For some reason many pastors act as if this whole church thing is a competition or something. We are taught, albeit implicitly, that growing churches with good finances and clear discipleship growth is a sign of healthy leadership and good biblical teaching. If we’re not seeing these things then are we really doing our jobs right?

I have to tell you these are dangerous places to sit!

If you’ve made it this far and you’re not a pastor, this one is for you. What can you do? Encourage your pastor. I don’t mean give them gifts, but real encouragement. Not just a good sermon pastor comment on the way out the door. Share a story of how the bible came to life in your week. Tell of the struggles you’re facing as you seek to apply the biblical teaching to your job as a teacher or trash collector or physician. Ask them questions about things you don’t understand in your daily devotional life. Show up! Seriously, a great source of encouragement for your pastor is to just be present. Be present in worship. Be present in bible class. Be present in service to those around you in your congregation and community. Be present in sharing your faith story with those around you.

Look pastors it’s going to be hard. And if I’m being honest, and not some negative Nancy, it’s going to get worse. I know that doesn’t sound very encouraging. But stick with me. The one thing you can do to break through this time of challenge and desire to quit is to realize what you’re actually here to do.

Your God-given mission is not to grow the church. Your call is not to build a bigger building or call another staff member. Your goal isn’t to get your members back in church or to make all the right decisions. Your call has nothing to do with balancing a budget. These are all good things and things to work toward, but they are not the main thing.

We are called to do two things: preach and administer God’s good gifts (sacraments). Really and truly that’s what we’re here to do. We are here to give away to our churches and communities everyday the wonderful message of how grace conquered sin, death and hell. We are called to make sure the gifts of baptism and communion are present as often as possible and that those who come participate in these gifts know what they are and why they are of value.

If I can give you any encouragement brothers it is this. You’re not in this alone so stop acting like it. Whether you’re in a mainline denomination or a nondenominational setting, there are thousands of us called by God to bring the joy of Christ to the world around us. Reach out to another pastor. Confide in your leadership. Share your struggles and your successes. It’s ok to celebrate the wins no matter how small! It’s ok to mourn the losses no matter the size. Reach out to someone if you’re struggling. Pray with your people. Know that we’re in this together, so reach out and we’ll share the burdens of ministry together.

Stay the course my friends. Reach out if you need some encouragement and coaching. I’m always here.

Identity & Action

October 27, 2021 / Derrick Hurst / 0 Comments

There are two things that are at odds in most of our lives. Who we are and what we do. Sometimes we let what we do define who we are. But then what happens when we fail? The goal of this post is to help you see past what you do to the reality of who you are.

When we look at our lives it’s easy to get a tad discouraged. There is always someone who is better than us. There is always someone who is faster than us or more efficient than we are at a given task. It doesn’t take much effort to find the shortcomings in our lives, and if our identity is determined by our action then we are in trouble!

However, if we step back from our actions for a moment and realize that our identity is found outside of our accomplishments and failures we will have a better grasp on what is most important. So in short…

Who you are is not determined by what you do but what you do determines who you are. Share on X

When we get our identity and our actions out of order, we quickly lose focus of that which is most important. In the church world, we like to use the word covenant to describe who we are in relation to God. He made a covenant with us that doesn’t rely on what we do but on who he is and what he does for us. It’s all about our identity. It means that who we are is determined apart from what we do. It’s this reality that gives us the title Child of God. It’s this reality that invites us into a deeper relationship with him. God’s covenant with us draws us into a place where his love and care transform who we are regardless of our past.

So if the identity part is determined by God then the action piece of our lives should be determined by our understanding of identity. We call that kingdom. It means that God has invited us into a relationship with him and given us a place in his kingdom. When we have a place in a ruling kingdom, it means we have authority and power and responsibility. This is no different in our relationship with God. He not only calls us children, but also freely gives us all of the resources that are at his disposal. So if he loves us before we do anything then why do we have to do anything?

You see we live out our identity through actions because his love for us doesn’t want us to stay in an ok state. He wants more for us than to survive. He wants us to thrive! This is why he calls us victorious. He gave us the victory over the less than stellar moments in our lives. When our identity is grounded in God’s love for us, then our actions will look like that new identity.

I know, we all mess up. We all fail. We all do things we will one day regret. Those moments are not defining moments. Let the grace of Christ define you. And let this new identity determine how you live.

Speaking Without Thinking

September 14, 2021 / Derrick Hurst / 0 Comments

Once upon a time in a galaxy not too far from here, I would speak before I thought. My words would flow at times faster than the water over Niagara Falls. Some of those words were pretty intelligent, if I do say so myself. But others, well let’s just say not so much! And if I’m being honest, there were likely way more not so smart things than there were even half intelligent things!

But it’s not just saying dumb things that will get us in trouble. Sometimes we say hurtful things. We say unkind things. We even say untruthful things. All of these types of words can do vast harm to people we care about and ultimately can destroy a relationship.

You see words have power. Your words, once they come out of your mouth or through the inter webs on your computer or cell phone, can’t be retrieved. Once they are out there, well there’s no getting them back! You can’t apologize your way around them or talk your way past them. You just have to, in many cases, start brand new rebuilding the trust you once had. But it takes time and effort.

You see not only do words have power but the relationship from which they’re spoken carries weight as well. So what you say, how you say it and who you are to the person with whom you’re speaking all factor in to the damage done by your words (or your silence when words are most needed).

Before you hit send on that text message or facebook post. Before you reply to something someone says to you. Before you go off and spew your feelings all over someone else, hit the pause button. Ask yourself a couple of questions:

Is what I’m saying the whole truth?

Where did I get my information?

Is ruining this relationship worth getting my point across?

What do I have to gain by saying this? What could I lose?

The old adage of sticks and stones can hurt my bones but words will never hurt me couldn’t be more wrong. The damage done by our words, or lack of words, is far greater than anything inflicted by a slap on the face or punch in the gut.

The bible says in one place that our words and our tongue are like a fire burning inside us that if not handled properly can do vast damage. Words can lift up and they can tear down. Speak kindly with one another. Be silent when speaking isn’t necessary. Speak when the time is right. But when you speak, make sure what you speak is truthful, complete and said with love and respect. Be bold and courageous in your speaking when necessary. Be calm and gentle when the circumstances dictate.

Below is a message I recently gave on the power of our words. If you have a few minutes, I’d be honored for you to listen and give your thoughts.

The Best Defense Is Intentional Offense

September 8, 2021 / Derrick Hurst / 0 Comments

At the outset I’m going to admit that I will probably, inevitably offend or upset some of you. I’m sorry if you take offense by these thoughts but this is my belief based on my understanding of the Bible. But please understand that I am admitting there are two sides of this issue and I believe we cannot stop by merely addressing one side of it.

A recent ruling by the courts in Texas and then deemed Constitutional by the US Supreme Court put a block on the unnecessary killing of children still waiting to be born. This for some was a huge defeat but for others was a significant win. But if we stop here, I believe it’s actually a loss. It’s a loss because we’re making the whole scenario rest on the shoulders of the women. Only one woman has conceived a child by herself and she’s no longer walking this earth.

My personal perspective is that I operate from a pro-life point of view. That means that I value life from conception to the date God decides we leave this earth. This encompasses all life from womb to tomb and says that we are living beings in need of the utmost care and respect. I believe being pro-life means taking care of my neighbors and looking out for those in time of need. I believe it entails helping those who are down trodden and lifting up the fallen. It’s not just a matter of life and death but a matter of enhancing life as best we can.

The ruling to which I referred deals with one very small aspect of this matter. It drastically limits what someone can do to a viable life growing inside them. And I know this ruling puts a lot of pressure on women. I can respect the concern some women have over this which is why I’m going to let the ruling speak for itself and use the rest of my time here to address the men who led to this moment.

How dare we! Men we have neglected to be the life protecting people we are called to be. To be very blunt and direct, if you’re not going to take care of the woman and the child you better darn well keep that thing zipped up. I’m tired of hearing about women being the object of some self proclaimed man’s episode of fornication. I’m sickened by the men who think they can do what they want to a woman and then leave her when things get rough.

If we’re really going to address this matter of being a life cherishing society, we’ll teach these oversized boys in our culture to be men. We’ll teach them how to get up in the morning and hit the gym. We’ll teach them how to dress up and get a job. We’ll teach them to take up a trade and work for a living. We’ll teach them to provide for the woman before they knock her up. We’ll teach them to lift up not push down on those around them.

There are far too many boys dressed up like men playing a game of pretend. Get a job with your broke rear end son! Take some responsibility for crying out loud. If you’re mad, take it out on a punching bag not a woman.

When you realize the gift God gave you in the women around you, you’ll stop thinking you can just use them as a toy for your pleasure. This isn’t a game. It never has been. A woman or a child should not have to pay the price for your weakness.

There you have it. I’m pro-life. I for the life of the unborn child just as much as I am for the life of the woman who is carrying her. I’m for the man who needs to step up and be held accountable for his actions. You can’t put all of this on one person. We don’t have to agree on all the specifics but I sure hope we can agree that we all can do a better job of looking out for and loving those around us. We all can do a better job of holding one another accountable to a more intentional way of living. We all can do a better job of being the people with our actions that we claim to be with our words.

The best way to protect life is to teach the absolute value of it – all of it.

No Cost Christianity?

September 2, 2021 / Derrick Hurst / 0 Comments

There's no such thing as no cost discipleship.

Is there such a thing as no cost Christianity? I’m starting to think that much of what we call Christianity in our culture today is something significantly less than Christianity. As I sit to write this post, I’m in a coffee shop in central Ohio. I’m listening to music through the shop’s sound system but that’s just for ambiance. The real thing is the conversations around me. I’m curious, intrigued, and slightly appalled at the same time.

The guys sitting beside me are talking openly about Jesus which is pretty cool stuff, but there is some complaining going on. They’re talking about their church and the uncomfortable nature of how the pandemic was handled. Now I’m not getting into details here but I want us to think for a minute about the things that cause us to complain.

We complain about the temperature in the building or the volume of the music. We draw lines in the sand over preaching style and what people wear to worship services. We’ve become massively divided around issues of capacity, distancing and mask usage. And I fear this is only going to get worse. And while I have an opinion about all of these matters, none of it really matters. These are not “cost of Christianity” kind of issues.

The bible says that we’re supposed to take up our cross and follow Jesus. That doesn’t suffer some slight inconvenience on a Sunday to be in worship for an hour. It’s not putting up with a subpar praise team or out of tune choir. Taking up our cross is more. Much more.

Another conversation I’m listening to at the moment is about the situation in Afghanistan. There are American helicopters lifting Christians above Kabul with a noose around their necks and hanging them just for being Christians. The forces that have overtaken the city are going door to door confiscating phones and if you’re caught with a Bible app or even pages of a Bible in your home, you’re shot on sight.

There is an underground church in these parts of the world that are being told to deny Jesus and turn from their faith or die. They’re told that they are next to be tortured to death. In our American context, these ideas are foreign, but this is a real cost.

When we talk abut the cost of following Jesus, I think we’ve grown so comfortable with our views that when we hear something we don’t like or see someone we don’t care for or aren’t being given what we want or are asked to do something we no longer want to do – we just move to get a change of scenery or throw up our hands and say there’s nothing we can do or blame someone else.

Where’s the cost of discipleship? Where’s the not my will be yours be done? Where’s the focus on what really matters and the willingness to be uncomfortable for the sake of being right where Jesus wants us to be?

I do not wish what’s happening in Afghanistan on anyone…ever! But we need to stop thinking that getting up on Sunday to go to worship is a sacrifice. Comfortable Christians in 2021 in America need a wake up call that our brothers and sisters around the world are being tortured just for believing. They’re literally dying to go to church while we’re making excuses for why we just don’t have time to go. They’re cherishing their bibles even though it will cost them their lives, while we let ours gather dust on the end table in our living room.

Friends we need to get real for a minute. We need to realize that we have it easy. Maybe today we will step out just a little and take a small risk for the kingdom. What would happen if we loved Jesus the way we claim to love him? How would our lives be different if we actually loved our neighbors as ourselves? We just might stand out in a crowd. We just might know a little more what a cost of following Jesus really is.

What Is Discipleship?

August 26, 2021 / Derrick Hurst / 0 Comments

There’s a buzz word in some churches these days, but what is it and why is it important? The word is disciple or discipleship. This is something Jesus talks about a lot! And the bible is filled with pictures of what healthy disciples are and why we do this disciple thing. I’m a firm believer that if Jesus commands it, we should be about it. And I believe it’s pretty clear that Jesus commands those who follow him to be about this business of making disciples. See for yourself.

Going therefore, make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And behold, I will be with you until the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20

So if Jesus commands it and we agree that what Jesus commands, we should be actually doing, do we have any idea what target we’re shooting at? We’re supposed to be making disciples but what even is a disciple?

The technical yet simple definition is a learner or follower of someone. The idea behind Biblical discipleship was that you would do everything your teacher (Rabbi) did. There was even and old saying that went something like may you be covered in the dust of your rabbi. That means that you are doing everything in such lock-step with your teacher that even their dust kicks up on you because you’re so closely linked to them.

The definition of discipleship that I’ve used for years now is the process of being transformed into the image of Christ for the sake of others. There’s nothing perfect about that definition so take it or leave it. But for me here’s how it breaks down:

Discipleship is a process. That means you won’t do discipleship in a book or a study or a class. It happens in the context of relationships over time. But the fact that it’s a process means that it’s also replicable and comes in cycles. The idea of a process also indicates that you’re not done, not now, not tomorrow not ever on this side of eternity. There’s always more distance to go in this journey toward being transformed into the image of Christ.

Transformed. I’m reminded of the Transformer movies when I think of this word. The yellow Camaro drives down the road then all of a sudden springs off the pavement and becomes a robot. I love the cinematography in those movies but what’s really cool is that even when the Transformers are in car form the robot is still there. I mean it doesn’t materialize into a robot from something else. It’s a robot turning into a car. I think a similar thing happens with us in the discipleship process. We were created in the image of God. That means inside us, albeit broken by sin, we are created in the image of God. Discipleship is the process of seeing the perfected image of God in Jesus and letting the Spirit work in and through us.

Into the image of Christ. We’re not going to become cars or robots or something silly like that. But we will become what we spend our time dwelling on. If we surround ourselves with brokenness, pain, anxiety, worry, fear and the like, then we’ll be filled with these very things. But disciples don’t surround themselves with these things. We will face them, but because of the image of Christ being revealed in us by the Holy Spirit they won’t define us. As we’re being transformed, parts of us are removed and the stuff of Jesus comes to the front. Over and over this process is enacted.

For the sake of others. Discipleship never has the self as its ultimate end. The goal of discipleship is that the world might know Jesus as Savior. As we are transformed into the image of Christ we take upon ourselves the mission of Christ. If our discipleship is focused on getting people to look like us, we’re doing it wrong. We are not the master in this thing. We are disciples leading others to Jesus. If we’re leading people to anyone other than Jesus, we’re doing it wrong and for the wrong reason. Salvation for those created in the image of God (all mankind) should be our focus.

Jesus said he came to seek and to save the lost. That means those who don’t yet know him as Savior are people he sought while here. These should be the very people we seek to love on in the name of Jesus.

Discipleship is massively important but understanding what it’s all about will keep us pointed in the right direction.

Category: Disciple (Page 6 of 18)

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