Sex & Sales: Why Sex Sells So Well (Part 1 of 2)

By Jess Bousa (the author of his forth coming book,
Cultural-Deficit Disorder: Unconforming to the Patterns of this World)

Sex sells everything from real estate to website domains. Movies, music and TV shows regularly inundate us with sexual images and innuendos. Changing the channel does not prevent, but only prolongs us from seeing another provocatively dressed woman selling cosmetics or man modeling clothes.

Why does sex sell so well?

Advertisers discovered the secret to sales: satisfy the most powerful human desire.

Lance Swearengin, in a Facebook survey I conducted, believes sex sells so well because “it appeals to the deepest natural desire that produces incredible pleasure. If a product can say that it can produce similar results or make that pleasure happen, who wouldn't want it?”

When advertisers use sex as a vehicle in promoting products, they strike a cord connected to most powerful human drive. Scientists have linked sexual pleasure with the most powerful neuro chemicals in the body.

Scientists have validated God’s word. The Bible records the creation of human beings. In the creation story, humans were designed by God to reproduce through sexual intercourse, producing sexual pleasure. God instituted marriage between a man and woman to be the best environment where sexual pleasure was experienced (Genesis 2:24). The most powerful human chemicals were to be regularly released in the unconditional commitment of marriage, not watching commercials or reading magazines.

Sexually directed commercials satisfy in ways God ultimately designed marriage to fulfill our sex drive. Instead of moving towards marriage as well as marriage as the best avenue for sexual satisfaction, advertisers have plastered sexually provocative images and ideas everywhere. These images and ideas strike a cord, causing a dumpster response.

The culture has accepted the dumpster, not the banquet. Dumpster sex satisfies temporally, but you can only eat from the dumpster for so long until it makes you nausea, Christopher West preaches.

Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy, has made billions of dollars by selling dumpster sex. Playboy has changed the world by selling a brand of sex outside of God’s best. On one hand, Hefner has done a service by not abandoning sex altogether. But, on the other hand, he has done a major disservice by reducing sex down to a dumpster experience—something outside of God’s best--a surgically enhanced body that's photo-shopped.

The majority of people imagine the career of porn stars as glamorous. However, as the saying goes, "Not everything that glitters is gold." Becca Brat, a porn star, reported, “I hung out with a lot of people in the Adult industry, everybody from contract girls to gonzo actresses. Everybody has the same problems. Everybody is on drugs. It's an empty lifestyle trying to fill up a void…I became horribly addicted to heroin and crack. I overdosed at least 3 times, had tricks pull knives on me, have been beaten half to death–the only reason I am still here is God.”

Becca Brat’s experience validates that the dumpster does not satisfy. The dumpster is the idea of sex that sells so well. It’s the crazy glue that sticks advertisements to our minds. And because idea’s have consequences. They call for a response. So when sexually provocative images and ideas are tangled up in an ad for beer or website domains like GoDaddy with the provocatively dressed woman the idea’s transmitted stick. The provocative women evoke the idea of sex. The idea of sex sticks the idea being pitched to our consciousness. The problem is the idea of sex sticking the most to our consciousness is an idea of sex outside of marriage—God’s best.

Ultimate sexual satisfaction results from relationship, not advertisements. If we dissect the idea of sex that sells, we find a sex with no commitment. If there is no commitment, there is no safety and security in the relationship. If there is no safety and security, then individuals will not expose their nakedness both internally and externally. If there nakedness is not exposed then intimacy will not be developed. Without commitment, security, safety, and intimacy, sex is a selfish act. Do not buy an illusion of sex or allow the dumpster to satisfy you. God’s best is marriage.

Marketing website domains with half naked GoDaddy girls might arouse the masses, but it will not raise the relational bar in America. Do not except counterfeits. God has a prepared a banquet for humans. You will not discover it by fantasizing over the lifestyle from the actors in Desperate Housewives or reading Playboy magazines. Enjoying the banquet in a dumpster culture takes discernment of the many images and ideas all around us. What you allow to satisfy you will determine what you eat from: the dumpster or the banquet.

Stay Tuned for Part 2 of Sex & Sales:
Pornographers discovered the secret to sales: fulfill an unrealistic fantasy.

Expose the Matrix w/ Jess Bousa's Forthcoming Book: Cultural-Deficit Disorder

After the Miss America Pageant crowns the winner, what happens to the definition of beauty in today’s culture? TV shows are cultural artifacts, which give an answer to a question. The question the Miss America Pageant answers each year is, what is beauty? The winner is the answer with her whitened teeth, breast implants, nose job and more. Her image distorts the already distorted definition of beauty.

How has cultural artifacts influence the way you view yourself, others and God?

Jess Bousa’s forthcoming book, Cultural-Deficit Disorder: Unconforming to the Patterns of this World, shows you how to expose the cultural matrix influencing why you do and think what you do and think. If you do not exert pressure on the cultural forces (i.e. movies, music, TV, technology, etc.) at work around you, then you will conform to them. Responsibly questioning what’s often ignorantly accepted and unconforming to the destructive patterns in culture unlocks the matrix and liberates you from patterns not conductive to spiritual growth.

Download a talk I gave at Valley Forge Christian College’s (Phoenixville, PA) Youth Culture on “Cultural Exegesis: Decoding the Cultural Matrix” @

https://docs.google.com/a/gardencitychurch.net/fileview?id=0B4_rGJowYl1TZTdlMTBjNTEtZGU0My00YTE4LTliOGYtY2ZjN2RhYTI3MWIx&hl=en

Follow the Jess Bousa Facebook Fan page for the latest on the book (i.e. release date, pre-order deals, speaking engagements, etc.) @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jess-Bousa/168542879898

Follow the “Expose the Matrix” blog series @ www.exposethematrix.com

The blog topics include, but not limited too:

· Do I have Cultural-Deficit Disorder (CDD)?

· Why does sex sell so well?

· Is Reality TV really real?

· Should I get plastic surgery?

Download FREE resources or PURCHASE “The Discipleship Dare: Living Dangerously for God" @ http://thediscipleshipdare.com/

The Dust Has Not Settled @ Calvary in Dover, Delaware (The Discipleship Dare)!

The dust has not settled at Calvary AG Church in Dover, Delaware. It has been 8 weeks since they launched 40 days of Discipleship w/ Jess Bousa (author of "The Discipleship Dare) who dared the congregation to make discipleship a priority (1/3/2010).

The Discipleship Dare (http://thediscipleshipdare.com/) is still alive and well @ Calvary. They are still starting groups using the book as a tool. They are still leading classes based on the book. It's amazing to see what God has been doing there. Below is a report from the field by Angela Coon, the senior pastor's wife, who bleeds discipleship!

First read the press release about Calvary's numeric and spiritual growth w/ The Discipleship Dare titled: "Popping the Discipleship Lid Off Your Church @ https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B4_rGJowYl1TMGYzYmExOGQtYmI5Yy00YjMyLWIzNmYtYzdiMGEwZmQyMzUy&hl=en

Angela Coon said, "The dust hasn't settled yet. We're still doing our [The Discipleship Dare] class until the end of March because of the two weeks lost to snow and one to a rescheduled Business meeting. We had a great class today -- God really moved. It began with a marvelous testimony of God's provision -- we couldn't help but take time to Praise the Lord. Then the presence of the Lord just manifested himself in a mighty way and one guy went to the piano and started playing "Here in His Presence" and we started singing it. Then as it quieted down to a hush people were led to pray. There was weeping and interceding. It was so neat.

We were on "The Commissioning of a Disciple." We had 20 minutes left so we discussed "Worship" and "The Presence of God." It’s like we experienced a couple of the chapters, really neat. We had great services today too. WOW! What a presence of the Lord in the services and Pastors sermon really hit it home. It was the second part of a two-week sermon on the Vision of the church. Once again discipleship was front and center. It’s exciting to see what is happening.

People are still buying [The Discipleship Dare] books and starting groups of their own or doing it one on one. One guy told me today that he was mad at the book. (Seriously). He said, “it just shows how far off we Christians are in how we're really supposed to be” -- myself included. It's seems to really be challenging them to rethink the comfortable place they have been in.

I hope the dust is never settled. I hope we never settle for anything less than living life as a disciple and making disciples as a lifestyle. God is moving and He is faithful. He has promised that He will do it, so I'm watching and expecting and seeing results. Praise God."

The Discipleship Dare @ Grace (Bel Air, MD) Day #11 - Comfort

(Join the pastors of Grace as we post "Facebook Notes" (& blogs) for our 40 days of discipleship. Please interact with these notes (& blogs). They are based on the book: The Discipleship Dare: Living Dangerously for God - http://thediscipleshipdare.com/ - we are reading together as a church.)

Hope changes everything. I recently spoke hope into a hopeless situation. This opened this person to the light. Not to say she is out of the darkness, but she sees something better. This something is drawing her to the light.

Offering someone hope is the first step when comforting pain. It's the realization that things can be better that changes everything. Have you spoke hope into a hopeless situation lately? Who around has given up on life?

Do not live another day without identifying and investing into that person's life. You can be the difference between living the next 20 years hopelessly lost. Help people see the light. Speak hope into their lives. It's the first step of comforting pain.

The Discipleship Dare @ Grace (Bel Air, MD) Day #10 - Kingdom of Heaven

(Join the pastors of Grace as we post "Facebook Notes" (& blogs) for our 40 days of discipleship. Please interact with these notes (& blogs). They are based on the book: The Discipleship Dare: Living Dangerously for God - http://thediscipleshipdare.com/ - we are reading together as a church.)

There is another value system God's people adopt when they become children of God. They are values that go against the grain often in culture. They are often diabolically opposed to the things today's popular culture values.

(1) The Kingdom values generosity where as the world values greed.

(2) The Kingdom values love whereas the world values lust.

(2) The Kingdom values selflessness whereas the world values selfishness.

(4) Ect.

Living out kingdom values often feels like you are swimming up stream. Everything else is saying go this way when God says go the opposite way. It's those moments when you are swimming up stream that your life has the greatest impact. Sometimes the impact might not be taken as positively. But its not our job to determine how people will interrupt our actions. It's our job to live out the kingdom values wherever we are.

Don't miss an opportunity to represent Kingdom values. You never know when someone is looking for God in the way you act.

The Discipleship Dare @ Grace (Bel Air, MD) Day #9 - Poor in Spirit

(Join the pastors of Grace as we post "Facebook Notes" (& blogs) for our 40 days of discipleship. Please interact with these notes (& blogs). They are based on the book: The Discipleship Dare: Living Dangerously for God - http://thediscipleshipdare.com/ - we are reading together as a church.)

I can identify with the Israelite's who were destroyed by the Babylonians. They lost everything. In exile, they did not have their Temple or the sacrificial system to rely on. They lost all of their spiritual currency. They were spiritually bankrupt. They could only rely on God Himself.

What a place to be, a place where we have to completely rely on God. Sometimes there will be seasons in life where our talents, skills and past performance will not be sufficient. We need to rely only on God Himself for our daily needs. I need God today more than I ever needed him before.

As Liz and I are beginning the journey to start a new church from scratch, I can't rely on the last things God did for us in our previous place of ministry. We need God more today than before. We can't depend on our old spiritual accomplishments, but on God himself. Only when we are broke spiritually will we experience the richness of God.

I would rather be spiritually bankrupt than momentarily rich any day of the week. I want to depend on God more than trust in wordily riches less. Yesterdays anointing will not suffice. I need today's anointing more than I needed yesterdays. How about you?

The Discipleship Dare @ Grace in Bel Air, MD - Day #8 - Blessed

(Join the pastors of Grace as we post "Facebook Notes" (& blogs) for our 40 days of discipleship. Please interact with these notes (& blogs). They are based on the book: The Discipleship Dare: Living Dangerously for God - http://thediscipleshipdare.com/ - we are reading together as a church.)

I remember someone telling me friends are like elevators. They will either bring you up or down. This tells me that you become like the people around you. It is so true.

I don't think I am the only person that has been told that if I would jump off a bridge if everyone else was. There is something about conforming to the actions of people around us. When we model other people's behaviors, we adopt the attitudes associated with the actions.

Jesus challenges his followers to hang around people who live out the sermon on the mount. He knows people who conform to these teachings will become people of godly character. Are you a person of godly character? Or are you a person of wordily character? Does your life measure up to Jesus' teachings in the sermon on the mount?

The most blessed people on the planet do not seek more cash but better character. The blessing is living in a community that's focused on developing godly character. Are you rubbing shoulders with people of godly character? Who is shaping your character?

The people who have the most influence over my life are people of godly character. I spend time with them. I watch them. I focus on their attitudes and actions. I learn from them. I live like them.

The Discipleship Dare @ Grace in Bel Air, MD - Day #7 - Fit for Service

(Join the pastors of Grace as we post "Facebook Notes" (& blogs) for our 40 days of discipleship. Please interact with these notes (& blogs). They are based on the book: The Discipleship Dare: Living Dangerously for God - http://thediscipleshipdare.com/ - we are reading together as a church.)

I often tend to make the less important urgent things more urgent than the most important things. Following Jesus requires to seek the purposes and plans of God first. People are often most important to God. People, especially those far away from Him, are a top priority.

Recently, I have placed people first. Instead of being busy with things that I am passionate about like writing books, etc. I spent a significant amount of time investing into relationships. It actually paid off. Three people I know of recently made decisions to put their hands to the plow to follow Jesus.

It was not anything I did or anything else except that we were focused on the most important things--pointing people to God. When you place your hand to the plow to follow Jesus other people are counting on you to do your part. It's like a Marine whose counting on his buddy to carry his own weight. Are you doing your part? Are you carrying your own weight?

Don't ever think someone else is doing what you should be doing for God. It is our responsibility to do our part. Invest in the relationships around you. Always point to God, and if you have to use words!

The Discipleship Dare @ Grace in Bel Air, MD - Day #6 - Feed My Sheep

(Join the pastors of Grace as we post "Facebook Notes" (& blogs) for our 40 days of discipleship. Please interact with these notes (& blogs). They are based on the book: The Discipleship Dare: Living Dangerously for God - http://thediscipleshipdare.com/ - we are reading together as a church.)

I was not the right person for the job before I committed myself to the mission of God. Pledging my allegiance to God's worldwide mission was the first necessary step in turning my life around. My story can be summarized in 4 words: From Homeless to Harvard. Drugs brought me to my bottom where I was withing a caring soul on the planet around me and drugs also positioned me in such a way to surrender my life to God's plans and purposes on this planet.

After my passions for life were redirected and realigned with the things that break the heart of God, I pursued training on how to be a pastor. Started with a bachelors from Valley Forge Christian College in Pastoral Ministry and ended with two master degrees from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in MA. A portion of my Biblical Language degree I completed at Harvard University's Divinity School in Cambridge, MA.

For a year I walked through Harvard Yard. And every day it was surreal. I could not believe God saw potential in me to care for people. I was amazed at the risk God was taking with me. I did not deserve it yet that's the miracle of God's calling. It's grace--undeserved favor for life. I might have been the right person on paper, but from God's perspective I was the right person to care for people.

There is nothing on the planet that I would rather be doing than caring for people. It is my God given duty, my hearts passion and the reason I wake up every day. My goal is to care for a as many people as I possibly can in significant ways before I die. What's your goal? What makes you tick? Don't live another day without caring for people. It's the one thing you cannot buy at Best Buy!

The Discipleship Dare @ Grace in Bel Air, MD - Day #5 - Hate

(Join the pastors of Grace as we post "Facebook Notes" (& blogs) for our 40 days of discipleship. Please interact with these notes (& blogs). They are based on the book: The Discipleship Dare: Living Dangerously for God - http://thediscipleshipdare.com/ - we are reading together as a church.)

I recently talked to a solider before he was deployed. He said the most important thing in combat are: food, your own life and your buddy. These three things are the priorities of a solider. The mission will not be accomplished if these three things are not met. When a solider pledges his or her life to the mission of the military, he or she commits to accomplishing it yet he or she needs to provide food and protect himself and his or her friends.

What are the things you have to do each day to fulfill the mission of God? Have you ever thought of that? If the mission of God is to change the world by leading people to become fully devoted followers of Christ that use their vocation to promote human flourishing in all arenas and aspects of life as well as a tool to point people to the risen Savior both directly and indirectly, then what are the things that you do to accomplish the mission through your life.

The things I do:

1. Spend meaningful time w/ God (practicing the spiritual disciplines) & family

2. Spend meaningful time with people (both far away from God & close to God)

3. Encourage and equip others to bring restoration to the community through service, etc.

4. Reflectively engaging the culture (Media & Technology) around me through a Biblical lens not ignorantly ignoring, neglecting and/or accepting it

5. Starting a new church that will become a culturally shaping institution

Those are some of the things I do regularly to accomplish the mission of God on the earth. The goal of God's mission is to change the world. How are you changing the world where you live & work?

The Discipleship Dare @ Grace in Bel Air, MD - Day #4 - Sell Your Possessions

(Join the pastors of Grace as we post "Facebook Notes" (& blogs) for our 40 days of discipleship. Please interact with these notes (& blogs). They are based on the book: The Discipleship Dare: Living Dangerously for God - http://thediscipleshipdare.com/ - we are reading together as a church.)

I am sore today. Yesterday I helped a family from the church fill their moving truck. They lived in one particular house for almost 11 years. They accumulated many possessions. Some purposefully and others accidentally. I am not sure how we did it, but we filled a tractor trailer size container!

Jesus never condemned owning possessions or storing up wealth. He condoned looking to God for the sanctification in life material possessions and money brings. There should not be a dollar amount more valuable than God or a possession more sacred than God. If you can't sell it, than don't keep it. (I am not talking about objects that are memories, etc.).

I had to sell my most prized possession to pursue God's calling on my life. It was a 1990 Volkswagen Corrado. It was a two door sports car. It was supercharged, with rims, a stereo and much, much, much more. That car owned me I did not own it. I sold it to pay for a portion of my gradate school degree (seminary).

I do not buy anything, I will not sell to do something for God. How about you?

The Discipleship Dare @ Grace in Bel Air, Md - Day #3 - Take Up Your Cross

(Join the pastors of Grace as we post "Facebook Notes" (& blogs) for our 40 days of discipleship. Please interact with these notes (& blogs). They are based on the book: The Discipleship Dare: Living Dangerously for God - http://thediscipleshipdare.com/ - we are reading together as a church.)

Living openly as a follower of Christ in a world that's not friendly to religion is no easy task. If it were easy then everyone would do it, right? Regardless if it's easy or hard, it's the responsibility of anyone who wears the tags of a follower of Jesus. It's hard for people to follow you into battle if you look like you are going to sleep.

What do people see when they see your lifestyle? Are you committed to the cause of Christ? Are you working to restore the world through your vocation? Are you moving people closer to the God who created the world and who is concerned with bringing restoration to it? Are you involved not only in church but community service? Are you living your life like a billboard for everyone to see?

Billboards are visible for everyone to see yet not everyone has to accept what they say. Companies do not have to have everyone respond with a purchase to make money advertising with billboards. Only a select few are influenced by its presence and participate in purchasing its products or services. People of faith communities will not attract everyone to them, but at least everyone gets a glimpse of what a follower of Christ looks like. Live your life as a follower of Christ, someone whose interested in the needs of others before theirs, like a billboard for everyone to see regardless if only a few show interest.

Are you like a billboard?

The Discipleship Dare @ Grace in Bel Air, MD - Day #2 - Deny Yourself

(Join the pastors of Grace as we post "Facebook Notes" for our 40 days of discipleship. Please interact with these notes. They are based on the book: The Discipleship Dare: Living Dangerously for God - http://thediscipleshipdare.com/ - we are reading together as a church.)

The calling of a disciple can be summarized in one word most people do not have in their vocabulary: sacrifice. It requires self sacrifice, not selfishness. It's impossible to sign up for discipelship yet not sacrifice something, sometime, somewhere.

Changing the way I lived as a drug addict took great sacrifice. I had to deny myself the craving of a drug addiction that kills people. I learned that until the power to change and deny myself was greater than the power of the addiction, I would remain the same. It took the power of changing and denying myself increasing through my submission to God's plans and purposes on this earth for me to break free from my addictions. One of the greatest sacrifices I made in my journey as a disciple of Jesus Christ was in the first step.

The life of a disciple is marked by sacrifice. Sacrifice hurts. It goes against the grain. It's not based on feelings, but on facts. It often does not look, smell or feel right. It feels like you are swimming up stream most of the time.

There is nothing more powerful in a disciples tool box then to show the culture around you a life marked by godly sacrifice. Sacrifice your dreams and ambitions for God's plans and purposes. It's the only way to bring restoration to the world. If we do not sacrifice what's popular for what's godly, and whats fashionable in culture, for whats godly, then we will not stop cultural decay.

Are you living the life marked by sacrifice? Do the people around you notice you respond to the culture differently? Or do you just blend in? Do do prevent cultural decay? Is Jesus' reputation strengthened by your presence in culture?

The Discipleship Dare @ Grace AG in Bel Air, MD - Day #1

(Join the pastors of Grace Assembly of God in Bel Air, Maryland as we post "Facebook Notes" (& blogs) of our 40 days of discipleship. Please interact with these notes (& blogs). They are based on the book: The Discipleship Dare: Living Dangerously for God - http://thediscipleshipdare.com/ - by Jess Bousa that we are reading together as a church.)

The Discipleship Dare Day #1 - Follow Me (Pastor Jess Bousa)

Following without recruiting or daring other followers is not what Jesus meant by following. To follow Jesus is to fish for others. If anyone understood the process of gathering, it was fishermen. There business was to gather many fish together. If they did not gather fish, then they would not be considered fishermen. I am not sure what you call a so called fisher man that does not catch or gather fish to himself. If Jesus were to define one of this followers, they would be someone that was in training as apprentice as well as someone who trained other apprentices.

Am I following Jesus how he imagined I would when he called the first disciples? Do I really understand how much I am unqualified for the job as well as how much grace God has bestowed upon me to follow him?

My life goal is to always be a follower of Jesus that's in training as well as training others to be follow. if I am ever not engaged in that process, I am not sure what you can call me. I know its not a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. What should you be called?

The Discipleship Dare Day #40 - Generosity is a Way of Life!

God is giving. He created the world by giving of Himself and recreated it by giving Jesus. The gift of Jesus not only made peace between man and God, but man and culture. We are to give not because Jesus died for us but to bring peace on all areas of life. Forgiveness from our brokeness is hte first step in living a life of generosity. Giving is a way of life. Every step of the way we must refocus and see how can we give not keep to make this situation better. Giving is the secret to the success of the world. The more giving people are the better the world will become. I want to living my life to give what I cannot keep so that I can receive what I cannot earn (Jim Elliot). Do you want to partner with me to view generosity as a way of life not something that you do around Thanksgiving and Christmas? I want to invest my time, talents, treasures, temple and testimony into the culture. I want to use what God has given me to make the world a better place. I am ready, are you? Find someone thing to give to this week and do so in a spirit of generosity!

The 40 days of discipleship has come to an end! I appreciate all of you for following me and others. Check out more info @ http://thediscipleshipdare.com/ and email me at info@thediscipleshipdare.com if you have any questions.

Dare someone else to do the 40 days of discipleship. Walk with them every step of the way. We are a link to the next generation. Make the hand-off now not later.

The Discipleship Dare Day #39 - Towel Mission

Jesus is my hero. He served not when it was in style or fashionable. He served his team right. It's never wrong to serve. Jesus was on a towel mission that started a movement that changed the world. He served his religious circles. He served in political circles. He mastered the art of serving.

How about you? How much of your life is dedicated to serving yourself? Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve. That was his mission. It was fully realized to his disciples when he got down on his two feet and washed their dirty feet.

Serving people is what wakes me up in the morning and keeps me up at night. If Jesus changed the world by serving his colleagues and his contemporaries, how much more should we be lazed focused on serving?

I have made a commitment to myself, my family, my church and to most importantly to God that I will use my passions and skills to serve wherever I am. I am on a towel mission. I want to wash as many dirty feet as I can. Even if they are the feet of my betrayer. I am dedicated.

"Lord, send me people with dirty feet. People with bad motives and wrong intentions."

The Discipleship Dare Day #38 - First Things First

Loving God and people are the main things. They are the cosmic "to do."

God convicted me one day in prayer when I felt a distinct impression from Him. He said, "You have not accomplished anything until you have loved me."

It's my life long journey to love God and people as much as I can. For me personally like many, it boils down to a time issue. I am over booked in a lot of ways. But I should never be too busy to love God and people. If I fail in those two things, I have failed. I hate losing. I am very competitive. This is one game I am not going to lose in. How about you? Are you too busy for God? Do not live another day without making God a priority in your daily schedule. He is the first thing and last thing.

Loving God and people are the main thing. So keep the main thing the main thing in life and you will never lose! Batter up!

The Discipleship Dare Day #37 - Generously Forgive

Forgiveness is journey not a destination. When you think, you have the forgiveness thing down, it comes back to haunt you. I think its because every situation is unique. Every relationship has a hint of something different from the others. So each time you are hurt by someone or hurt someone else, there is something different that no other relationship shares. This makes it hard to forgive even if you have forgiven a ton of people before or have been forgiven by others before.

I have to confess. This is the one thing that I do not hit a home run every time I get up to bat. I strike out often, but will not stop getting up to bat. I am determined to live our Jesus' standard: to forgive generously. The reason I forgive is because I have been forgiven. Jesus set the bar and its up to his followers to keep it high. Would you think with me of anyone who needs to be forgiven or we must ask for forgiveness and do something about it this week? I am, how about you?

The Discipleship Dare Day #36 - Second Generation

The way we live in front of others will determine how they live in front of others.

There is no greater life to live, nothing more satisfying to experience and nothing more worth dying for than working to restore the world. It's the abundant life Jesus spoke of in John 10:10.

How will the next generation life as a result of the way you live out your faith. Would anyone die for the life you live? Would anyone sell everything they have to support the work of God on earth?

I hope that my legacy as a follower of Christ out lives me. I live beyond my generation. I live for the next generation. It motivates to raise the bar in all areas of life.

Check out The Discipleship Dare website @ http://www.thediscipleshipdare.com/

The Discipleship Dare Day #35 - Dream to Destiny

Words speak life or death into any situation. I pledge to use words of life in every and any situation even when the other parties are use words of death. Life-giving words inspire people to turn their dreams into their destiny. I can remember it like yesterday. I was with my mentor as an undergraduate student. He was a professor and church planter at the time. At the time, I was an inspiring church planter yet was extremely wet behind the ears.

As my mentor and myself were exiting our session together, we ran into one of the big shots in the denomination we are affiliated with. He did not introduce me as a student but as a church planter. It was the first time anyone even introduced me as a church planter. I was motivated like never before to chase my dream to become a church planter. His words catapulted me into church planting, one of the most riskiest ventures in the church world.

There has been people every step of the way that have believed in me for the impossible. Every person needs people that breathe life into their callings in life. Do not live another day without hunting down someone that believes in what you dream to do. It takes dream releasers to turn your dream into your destiny.

Press Release - Pop the Discipleship Lid Off Your Church

Press Release by Kalos Books

The lid popped off Calvary Assembly of God in Dover, Delaware. With just over 1,300 people in attendance on January 3, 2010, the following Sunday it sky rocketed to 1,621 people! “We had a record high attendance,” Angela Coon, the wife of the senior pastor, celebrates. This was the largest non-holiday attendance in over 30 years for Roland Coon and his staff. In a week’s time, Calvary raised the bar of discipleship not only in their church but also in their community.

Calvary’s growth was not in a vacuum but the culmination of much prayer and preparation. The capstone was “Kalos Books” author, Jess Bousa. His recently released book, The Discipleship Dare: Living Dangerously for God, was the jumper cables that started a discipleship movement at Calvary. After four weeks of church wide promotions in various settings, Jess stepped onto Calvary’s platform with a single purpose: to dare the congregation to raise the bar of discipleship by making following Jesus not only a community but daily priority for the next 40 days.

After the dust settled, over half of The Discipleship Dare’s first printing was in the hands of Calvary’s people. Roughly 25% of people dared friends and family to take the 40-day discipleship challenge. The book stands alone, but works best when it’s injected into a church’s discipleship process. Calvary not only showcased it on Sunday morning, but the Youth Group led by Ryan Coon is preaching a 6-week sermon series. They launched two Sunday School classes, weekly small groups, and a variety of other venues. Anyone can weekly discuss the book with pastors over a cup of coffee at the local café not to mention every one of Pastor Coon’s counselee’s have to read it.

The Discipleship Dare is more than a devotional. It takes the reader on a 40-day journey unlike anything else on the market. Like the marriage devotional, The Love Dare, from the best selling movie “Fireproof,” each day builds on the previous day. Every day is action packed with a relevant quote, passage of scripture, illustrated explanation, daily dare to prayerfully consider and S.O.A.P study (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) to complete. It takes no more than 15 minutes a day.

The Discipleship Dare is more than a book. It’s a movement. Hundreds have already accepted the 40-day discipleship challenge. Many churches are challenging their congregations to make discipleship a priority. When a churches priorities shift to discipleship, they become contagious, infecting not only their congregation but their community with the virus that causes the common church to grow—disciples daring outsiders of the Christian faith to discipleship.

The Discipleship Dare was published by Kalos Books—a New Jersey based partnership-publishing company that partners with new authors in the publishing process and in the promotions of their books. For more information and free resources visit The Discipleship Dare book site @ http://thediscipleshipdare.com/. Email Jess Bousa at info@thediscipleshipdare.c

om to schedule him to speak or for bulk pricing.

Kalos Books, LLC
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info@kalosbooks.com

The Discipleship Dare Day #34- Gentleness Wins the Day

I think being gentle is one of the hardest things for me to succeed in. It's my character flaw. I tend to be forceful and anything else that's the opposite of being gentle. I have come to realize that ungentle words never win the day in conversations. They bring more hurt than anything else. I am real conscious of my flaw and work on it as much as possible. One day I will win this battle but until then I need the grace of God to go before me and make gentle anything I said with an ungentle tongue or in an ungentle manner. Gentle will always war the day even if you think you won the battle.

Check out The Discipleship Dare website @ http://www.thediscipleshipdare.com/

The Discipleship Dare Day #33 - Cancer or Care?

Our words can either be cancerous or show care. I want to end my life by showing as much care for people as I can. God has really changed the way I use words. I use to have a horrible mouth, but God not only saved my soul but my tongue. I pledged to God that I would do my best to speak blessing not curse over as many people as possible before I leave this earth. How about you? Do the people around you feel blessed by your words or cursed?

My prayer is that God would use my voice box to change the world for as many people He sees fit.

The Discipleship Dare Day #32 - Only Honor

Honoring God's name is a culture where it's used vainly excessively witnesses to your character. Do you have what it takes to lead people to use the name of God in a way that brings honor to it? The best way I have learned is to not use it loosely. I discovered when I do not take God's name seriously, the people around me tend to do the same. I am committed to bring the most honor to God's name not only from the pulpit but also from picnic table. Anywhere I am and anything I say is to bring God honor. How about you? Are you honoring God with your tongue or dishonoring him? We are able to help his reputation or hurt it by the way we use his name in our conversation as well as in the way His name motivates us to do His will. I am all in, are you?

The Discipleship Dare Day #31 - Share the Last 10%

Accountability is sharing the necessary information before its necessary. It’s easy to share the unnecessary information. The unnecessary information is the first 90% like the weather, sports, dogs, and kids. The necessary information is the last 10%.

Few things have changed my life like sharing the last 10% with my peers. It keeps me honest. Who is keeping you honest? Don't live another day without sharing the last 10% with people you trust.

The Discipleship Dare Day #30 - Words Matter

How many words do you speak a day? Add that up and that's how many opportunities you have to build someone up or tear someone down. It's amazing how powerful the tongue. It's the ruder of life.

I have been given a great responsibility to steward words. It's not something to take lightly. I want to be remembered as someone that spoke more words of encouragement than discouragement, more words of love than hate, more words of life than death.

I don't get it right all the time. It's obvious. Just ask my wife. But I do try to raise the bar by speaking as many words of life as I can. It's one of my life goals to speak as much as I can to help as many I as can be encouraged.

I hate going to bed without encouraging someone with words to live beyond themselves. How about you?

Remember, always speak life not death and the world will be a better place.

Check out The Discipelship Dare website @ http://www.thediscipleshipdare.com/










Check out The Discipleship Dare website @ http://thediscipleshipdare.com/

The Discipleship Dare Day #29 - Full Time Living

The fishing metaphor hits me right between the eyes every time I think about it. When Jesus dared these fishermen to follow him, he was not looking for part time help, but full time devotion. It's all or nothing with Jesus.

I am all in. Are you?

I know I don't get it right all the time. Who does? But I am completely embedded into Jesus' discipleship making process. It has changed my life and continues to shape me as I invest myself into the work of the ministry--into the lives of people, the community and the world.

Most of the greatest joy I experience in life is pointing people to God with my attitude, my actions, my character, my words and my work. How about you?

The Discipleship Dare Day #28 - It's Up to God!

I am not sure exactly how wavering unbelievers turn into committed followers of Christ. All I know is that God is the main ingredient in the process. We are like the unnecessary additive. He's the one that leads unrepentant sinners to relationships with followers of Christ. He is the one that changes untrained pagans to fully devoted followers of Christ. It amazes me when I think through the process and its stresses me when I try to force it. But it blesses me when I allow God to work his magic.

The process itself has taught me how much more of God I need. It's his presence that He promises that makes all the difference as I walk with others into a relationship with God. I need his presence to show me what to say, when to say and how to say it as much as the person on the other end needs his presence to receive what I am saying, and live it out. It's up to God and God alone to turn a sinner into a saint. I am hope my life helps others fit the pieces of the puzzle together in such a way when they see it all together. It's God they see, not me.

The Discipleship Dare Day #27 - Next Generation

Teaching is not easy. If it was, everyone would do it. But if teachers of the faith don't rise to the occasion in order to pass on the precepts of Christianity to the next generation, we are only one generation away from extinction.

That thought scares me. I am committed to teaching the next generation the faith regardless how messy some one's life might be. It's the messy lives that clean up the best and end up shining the brightest.

My life was the messiest any one's can be and someone invested in me when most counted me a lost cause. For that I am friendly to the messiest situations. I want to teach people that most have counted out the teachings of Jesus.

Today I met with someone that fits the bill. His life is a mess, but I am hopeful that he will clean up and become one of the brightest lights in his sphere of influence. I will never forget the hope in his parents eyes when I volunteered to help clean up this mess.

Who have you showed hope to?

"Lord help your people see the potential in people that have messed up and need someone to instruct them based on your precepts how to climb the mountain or dig themselves out of a hole. God use me if no one else will do it."

The Discipleship Dare Day #26 - Love Until It Hurts

What a great picture of love--the relationship between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. This relationship is a model for relationship with people. At the center of God's relationship with each other is life-giving love. Each person in the Godhead feeds off the other. They make each other better as a result of their relationship to one another.

Am I making the people around me better? Am I making a sacrifice that costs me something for the people I am in community with? How about you?

A sacrifice is not a sacrifice unless it costs you something. I want to live a life of making great sacrifice for the people around me to help them be better. I want to help singers sing, parents parent, employees work, counselors counsel and on. I want to meet people where they are at in life and help them do their best. I am paying for opportunities to make the world around me better. How about you?

The world will not change for the better unless we make sacrifices for the right reasons. What can you sacrifice for someone to help make their life better, help make them succeed and prosper? Figure that out and do it a 100 times and watch the world change around you. I am going to try.

The Discipleship Dare Day #25 - Reckless Abandonment

Baptism was dangerous in the first century. It marked the abandonment from everything that was ungodly and sinful. All baggage must be checked at the door when one professes Christ. It's obedience now not later.

When we publicly profess we are a Christian, God's reputation is on the line. His reputation is only as strong as your walk with God. If you have not checked your bags at the door and continue to live in sin and in ungodly ways, others will not see the power of God. There's no reason for the world to follow Christ, if they cannot see Christ in you.

Christ did not hold onto anything that would hinder Him from completing God's mission on earth, so why are you?

To live a baptized life is to recklessness abandon anything that would compromise Gods mission--sinful behaviors, ungodly lifestyle choices, and anything else contrary to God's standards.

The Discipleship Dare Day #24 - One

There's really only one thing for us to do. It's to make disciples. That's it. But I know for me personally I am not doing it to the best of my ability. I do it, but I am also busy doing other things.

I want to make the best disciples in the world. That's a huge goal. But when eternity is at stake I think its a realistic goal.

I don't know of any other process that helps people live the best life possible while on earth. We are the link that connects people to this life. If we don't do it, who will? I think I need to re-prioritize my schedule and make more and better disciples. How about you?

I want to do the ONE thing Jesus commanded--to make disciples--better than I do anything else in life.

Lord, help me stay laser focused on your mission in the middle of the hustle and bustle of life. Lead me into relationships and situations where discipleship is the answer. Help me to capitalize on the opportunity. To you be all the glory."

The Discipleship Dare Day #23 - Executive Rights

The greatest power is made available to followers of Christ that reproduce the life of Jesus in others. There is no power more permanent, consistent and able to change the world than the power God imparted to Jesus. Because Jesus has executive rights, he lent this power to the disciple making community.

I am not sure I get this. I understand it, but I don't maximize and leverage it in the relationships I am investing my life in most of the time. I like to hope I am more but the reality is I am not as much as I should be.

This power allows us to have faith not fear when we invite others into disciple making relationships. This includes inviting our friends and family to church. Church is an important part of a discipling relationship. It's not the only part.

"Lord, I pray for grace to overshadow me as I leverage your executive rights and invite someone into a disciple making relationship. If that's inviting them to church, keeping them accountable or whatever else. I pray for you to guide me into a relationship."

The Discipleship Dare Day #22 - Give It Your Best

Worship is giving God your best in all times not only on Sunday morning. Worship is more than a song but a lifestyle That's actually a scary thought. God is not just watching us on Sunday sing, but all week play music with out lives.

I want to be the best lifestyle worshiper of God I can be. Because the Lord knows I can't sing! Every action, every thought, every spoken word, everything read, everything watched and everything else plays a song to God.

I have to confess some days I sound better than others. Some days I probably song like a broken record as I fumble through life making mistakes, but then their are days when I am firing on all cylinders. Those are the days I make sweet music.

Lord, may I have more days where I make sweet music than days I sound like a broken record. My desire is to worship you every fiber of my being everyone nano second of my life. I want to give you my best not my junk."

Guest Blogger: Jess Bousa "The Discipleship Dare"

I appeared as a guest blogger on my friend, Jerry Ireland's blog. He is a missionary to Africa. Check out what he said:

My friend Jess Bousa (he and I, were in Teen Challenge together, and were room mates at Valley Forge Christian College) has written a book called the Discipleship Dare. Like Jess, I am convinced that discipleship––genuine discipleship, is perhaps the greatest need in the Church today. Many thousands of college students, in American and around the world leave the Christian faith every year, not because the arguments against Christianity are better than those for it, but because Christianity has never really become their faith. We hope to one day use this book as a resource in Zambia for youth discipleship. Check out the link for the The Discipleship Dare below, and consider if this might be helpful to you, your church, or someone you know. God bless you as you follow Christ.

Jerry

By Jess Bousa (Guest Blogger), author of The Discipleship Dare: Living Dangerously for God

The American Church is in the middle of a discipleship crisis. In Dallas Willard’s book, The Great Omission, he concludes that the Church is full of undiscipled disciples. Instead of making disciples, we have made converts and instead of baptizing them into the Trinitarian community, we have baptized them into church membership. When the discipleship process is reduced down to converts and church membership, it often takes the real challenge out of following Jesus through our everyday lives. Without the challenge to be pushed to the Biblical standard of discipleship, the world will be full of unChristian Christians, which is the general consensus of outsiders to the Christian faith the Barna Group discovered in their extensive research project reported in the book,UnChristian.

Marines are challenged to thrive not only survive at all times no matter the costs. Every year approximately 38,000 Marines receive their basic training, which is far more challenging than any other branch of the military. Most Marines testify that going through the twelve weeks of boot camp to gain entrance into the Marines is the most challenging thing they ever had to do in their lives. There is no such thing as an unMarine Marine. If the Marines were filled with such a person, they would not be known as being the most elite armed forces in the Military. Their reputation is the result of their training process. Without a training process that challenges every area of life, they would not perform the tasks necessary.

The process determines the product. What if the process of training disciples in the local church has been sidetracked as a result of mass producing discipleship for the crowds? What if discipleship starts and ends with the personal development of a few? Without a tool that builds a bridge from the preaching and teaching in the local church to the real life of a disciple through the week, “real disciples” will continue to be sidelined.

To combat the discipleship crisis in the American Church, I created an experience called: The Discipleship Dare. It is a journey that lasts for 40 days. It can be used alone or in the context of a group. I designed it to jumpstart the lifestyle of a new disciple or revive the lifestyle of a veteran disciple. It can be used as a companion guide for a sermons series, small groups or Sunday School classes. What if the biggest risk in life is not taking any risks for discipleship? I dare you to experience the 40 day Discipleship Dare challenge and dare others to do the same!

For Free Resources & To Purchase, The Discipleship Dare,

www.thediscipleshipdare.com

The Discipleship Dare Day #21 - Manure of the Earth

Did you know that you are like the manure of the earth? It's true. In the ancient world, the agricultural purpose of salt was to make the manure piles better. They were able to flourish as a result of salt. Manure without salt would smell up something fierce. It's the salt that causes it to decompose. Salt is able to make bad things good. Salt is used to turn something ineffective effective. Am I effecting change in the world I live? Are people better because you are with them? As followers of Christ, our assignment is to infiltrate the culture with change and penetrate it with goodness. Are you an agent of change? Are you an example of human goodness? When people think about change agents and genuine goodness, does your face pop up?

The Discipleship Dare Day #20 - Invisible Trophy Shelf

Every follower of Christ has an invisible trophy shelf. It's a reality of living out the plans and purposes of God on earth. Some people have shelves that are full and others that are empty. These shelves will be visible when we arrive in Heaven.

I have a hard time earning trophies for my invisible shelf in Heaven and an easier time filling up my visible shelf on earth. Working for tangible awards is addictive whereas working for crowns of righteousness that are not on the shelf in my apartment are less habit forming.

I tend to work hard to impress people. God's not pleased by the amount of people that I impress but by the impression I leave on people for the Gospel. It's times to flip the switch and work to please God and fill my invisible trophy case in Heaven.

Don't live another day without filling your invisible trophy case in Heaven.

The Discipleship Dare Day #19 - Increase Visibility

I don't think I was ever persecuted for my faith. I failed this test. I have lots of questions but no doubts as a result of that reality. Am I living my faith publicly enough for people to persecute me once in a while? Do people know that I am even a Christian? Do they know you are a follower of Christ? Either our lives will lead them to Christ and they will follow, or they will deny and/or persecute us. When was the last time anyone was effected by our lives for the gospel? My goal this year is to increase my visibility as a follower of Christ. Whats your goal?

The Discipleship Dare Day #18 - Everyone's Watching

It's hard to comprehend sometimes, but everyone is watching. The way we walk, the way we talk and the way we do just about everything is under the microscope for the world to see. What do people see when they see you? Do they see a real, live, child of God? Or do they see an artificially manufactured counterfeit child of God? If people look at your life, are you selling the real thing--authentic faith in God? I hope when people watch me live life, it's reflecting God's original plan for creation.

The Discipleship Dare Day #17 - Fight For Peace

Relationships can get messy. Have you messed up a relationship or been in a relationship someone else messed up? It's easy often to just sweep issues under the rug and then jump ship. I am extremely challenged by God's expectation to fight for peace at all costs. I am not sure how to maintain relational harmony with everyone I rub shoulders with in life, but I know its the right thing to do.

I find it hard to clean up a messy relationship when the other party does not want to make peace. It takes some relationships longer than others to get back on track. It's the test of time that wins the day. Is there a relationship that only you can make right? Don't live another day without fighting for peace in all directions: God, self, others, and world.

The Discipleship Dare Day #16 - By the Rules

Integrity of heart is one of my life goals. If I fail at something, I prefer to fail in my career as a writer or speaker first then in my integrity as a follower of Christ and faithful husband.

I believe that God has designed His people to be "Integrity Evangelists" for his way of life. The problem is that His people have failed to live up to high moral standards. This has led to the distribution of a brand of Christianity that does not line up with Jesus' life. His way of life is the abuntant life. No one has really lived until they experience God's way of life. But how come many people are not interested in a lifestyle he died for?

One of the reasons is a lack of integrity in culture by people that call themselves Christians. Integrity is the bi-product of following God's rule for life. I prefer to live by the rules then to play the fence. When living by the rules, the gray areas are minimum. Life by the rules will prevent failures. I am commited to finishing the race without failure. I am committed to living the life of integrity, regardless how counter-cultural it might be.

The stakes are too high to lose the integrity battle. Would you partner with me as I wage war on a culture that lacks integrity? Make it your life goal as it is mine.

The Discipleship Dare Day #15 - Entering into Pain

Is my life consumed with helping others or is it consumed with helping myself? That is the dilemma I face each day. It's easier for it to be consumed with myself, then to enter into the pain of others. Entering into the pain of others takes time. It can get messy. And its hard to see success right away.

I have learned a great lesson by studying the life of Jesus. He was not consumed with himself, but with relieving the pain of others. He was famous for showing mercy. What am I famous for? What are you famous for? Few things amount to the greatness of living like Jesus in this particular area. Jesus changed the world on act of mercy at a time.

If I were to die today, I hope I would be remembered for going the extra mile for people. What do you want to be remembered for? Whatever it is don't live another day without doing it.

The Discipleship Dare Day #14 - Only God

When we are satisfied by God first and foremost, then to find satisfaction in others things is in kosher. Pursuing satisfaction in other things before God and his righteousness is dangerous. Satisfaction is others things creates an allusion. It never is the real thing.

Only God satisfies the hunger for more. The human heart is designed to hunger and thirst for more, but its what we hunger and thirst for that defines who we are. I am hungry for more of God today. I am a little more hungrier for God today than I was yesterday, but not as hungry as I will be tomorrow.

"Lord, satisfy the hunger for more in my soul today like never before. Let it set me on fire so that others would come from miles around to see me burn for you."

The Discipleship Dare Day #13 - Set Things Right

I am most mature when I seek the righteousness of God in any circumstance. This means the opposite is true as well. I am the most immature when I seek those things that oppose righteousness. Are you mature or immature?

I tend to find satisfaction in other things like self. I can be self absorbed at times. The call of a disciple is to be selfless and to seek God. He is the only self to be absorbed by. When we seek God, we seek his righteousness.

Few people are committed to setting things right in sync with God's plans and purposes on this earth. Are you? Are you living to set things right in your family, neighborhood, and community? I have learned that the only person that can come before you setting things right in your world is you. God is on our side, cheering us on. He designed us to set things right in our worlds. Would you consider today setting things right? I have.

The Discipleship Dare Day #12 - Keep Your Cool

Of all of the characteristics of a followers of Christ, I have to admit I struggle with this one of the most--meekness. I am not naturally gentle. It takes a lot of work for me to demonstrate gentleness when I feel like exerting power. It is hard for me to give up my right to be right. I am not sure how Jesus kept his mouth shut all of those times he was getting the full court press from the religious leaders of those days. But he kept his cool.

Keeping your cool often wins the argument. I prefer to lose a disagreement but not lose my cool than to win the argument but lose my cool. I do not want to force anything that God has not ordained for me to possess. I want him to pay out my inheritance not me take it by force. If I have to take it, then it most likely will not have the blessing and favor of God.

The inheritance I tend to force is God's future plans for my life and family. I know what he wants me to do yet the timing is always not clear. My prayer is that I exercise control with others and wait on the Lord's timing as I pursue his plans for my life.

Have you given up the right to be right? Are you waiting for God to give you your inheritance or are you taking it by force?

Keep your cool.

The Discipleship Dare Day #11 - Fall Forward

To have hope in painful and difficult situations is a trademark of Jesus' followers. It sets the Christian apart from the Atheist. It is one of those things Jesus' followers can demonstrate in the world that points to the existence of God without saying a word. It takes something larger than yourself to have hope when something larger than yourself brings us to our knees.

Am I showing genuine hope to the world from a dependence on something larger than myself--God? Or am I showing an artificial hope to the world from a dependence on myself?

My life goal is to be a person that falls forward, not falls away from difficult situations. There is also a hurting person at the end of a difficult situation. What if every Christ follower was there to be hopeful when others were morning loss? I am in, are you?

The Discipleship Dare Day #10 - Kingdom Now

I have to confess. I have not lived out the values of the Kingdom of God as they should. The reason I say that is because not as many people are interested in God's Kingdom around me as they are interested in the kingdom of this world. Not sure why that is, but I know that the Kingdom of God is in opposition in a lot of ways with the kingdom of this world.

It takes a person of godly character to usher in God's Kingdom. Is the way I am living ushering in the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of this world? A person of worldly character advances the worldly kingdom which is diabolically opposed to God's Kingdom, but a person of godly character pushes back the darkness and advances God's kingdom prerogatives in this world.

Are the people at my workplace influenced by the values of the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of this world? I am not going to waste another day living out the values of the worldly kingdom. The Kingdom of God is now. It is not only later. It is a present reality. I want to spend all my days promoting God's Kingdom values wherever I am, would you join me?

The Discipleship Dare Day #9 - Bigger Is Not Better

There are many times when I live like Israel before the exile. I depend on things I accomplish not on God alone. I act like I am "rich in spirit" when God prefers me to be "poor in spirit." I have come to realize, there is nothing inherently in me that impresses God or attracts God to me, but my brokenness. It is a life of brokenness that I want more than anything else. I want to live spiritually bankrupt like Israel after the exile. They were not able to depend on anything to please God but God Himself. They did not have a temple or the sacrificial system to fall back on.

What is your temple? What is your sacrificial system? What do you rely on other than God? Is it your spiritual disciplines? Is it the ministry you lead? There is nothing inherently wrong with spiritual disciplines or leading a ministry. Problems arise when those things become the end. They are a means to an end. The end we seek is God, the God of the spiritual disciplines, the God of the ministry. Bigger is not better in God's economy. The more spiritual accomplishments will not make you more important to God. Better is better in God's economy. He is looking for quality, not quantity. To be "poor in spirit" is to live the blessed life, a life broken before God and others. It takes humility to live the blessed life. Humility is the door. Come on in.

The Discipleship Dare Day #8 - Character Evangelism

A "Bucket List" is the things "to do" before you kick the bucket--die. On my list are not only things to do, but things to be. I want to be a person of godly character before I kick the bucket: a person that takes the high road, a person that lives above board, a person that lives above reproach in all areas of my life. If I die without accomplishing that in some way, shape or form, I have failed. It is my life pursuit to be like Jesus-- a person of impeccable character.

Character might not take you to the top, but it will sure keep you there. It is one of those things far and few between in today's culture. It is often not fashionable or in style in today's culture, but necessary in God's economy. It is my life work to stand before God one day as a person that lived my days on the earth with godly character.

Character is a community issues. It is formed in community and reinforced by the community you associate with. Your community is like an elevator. It will either bring you up or down. Embrace the Christian community as a means to an end. The end is to influence the ungodly community with godly character. Some of the most powerful evangelism is done by modeling godly character. Be a character evangelist not only a verbal evangelist.

"Lord, I pray for the grace to embody the character traits of Jesus and the courage to live them out in today's culture."

The Discipleship Dare Day #7 – Everything Teaches

Am I fit for service? Do I look back and take my hand off the plow? These are questions I have to give an account not only to God for, but to my peers. The way I serve God is teaching others how to serve God. Modeling is one of the most powerful teaching tools.

The reality is that everything teaches not only our words, but our ways. If Jesus did not put his foot down and rebuke anyone who takes their hands off the plow and looks back, then Christianity would not be taken serious. Jesus took Christianity so serious that he died for it, how about you?

Am I living the life of a follower of Christ that people take serious? Do they act like me? Or do they disregard the Gospel because of the way I live out my faith? Do other believers waver in their faith as a result of my wavering? If you want to be taken serious, then do not waver in your faith. Do not take your hand off the plow or look backward. There is no excuse. Just because everyone else is doing it does not cut it.

We never know when someone is going to model the behavior they observes us participate in.

The Discipleship Dare Day #6 – Care First

It's not rocket science. Following God is not about earning credentials but caring for people. It's my greatest joy to care for people. If caring for people were first on to do list each day, the world would not be as hurt and broken.

I find it easier to care for myself then others. Society is often care free. Everyone relies on the system or insurance companies or whatever to care for their needs, not people. If I can do one thing before I die, its to raise the caring bar in the world.

Even though caring for people can get messy or costly, it's the responsibility of every follower of Christ. My prayer is that I can care for as many people as possible before I die.

"Lord, help me make a dent in someones eternity on earth as I care for them. Lead me not only into easy situations but hard ones. And give me the grace to be like you."

The Discipleship Dare Day #5 – Love is a Discipline

This is one of the hardest sayings of Jesus for me. It’s not natural to love God first. It’s easy for me to pledge my allegiance to everything and anything else other than God.

Putting God first is a discipline. It takes practice, practice, and more practice. I fail at times and other times I succeed. But failure is a friend. Someone said, “The fastest way to success is to fail forward fast.” Isn’t that true? I often learn the most life changing lessons from failure.

I love God more today because of the mistakes I made loving others and other things. Loving God first is part of my daily schedule. It’s not my last thing to do in a day, but the first. One time I was praying and I felt God said, “You have not done anything until you have loved me in any given day.” Make it a practice to love God first and let the chips fall where they do. It’s my life aim to love God. One theologian said it well, “Love God and do as you please.”

Knockout Entrepreneur by George Foreman (Book Review)

George Foreman delivers a knockout punch with his book, Knockout Entrepreneur. From boxing to business, he share’s the lessons he learned the hard way and the Foreman way. He has rose above the masses not only as a powerhouse boxer but also as a successful entrepreneur by living his life in the framework of The Good Book (or the Bible).

Foreman uses his boxing analogies to spice up the book. One of the most memorable is found in the chapter titled, Listen to Your Corner. A lot of people think boxing is a solo act, not a team sport. “The most important individuals on a boxer’s team,” George Foreman states, “ are the cornermen.” Every great boxer has three people in his corner: his trainer, his technician and his cutman. A boxer is only as good as a cornermen in the same way an entrepreneur is only as strong as his team. The lingering question that has caused me to reevaluate what I do and how I do it is: who is in your corner? Do I have competent people in my corner? Is it filled with people of integrity? And most importantly, do they have the courage to tell you the truth?

I would highly recommend reading George Foreman’s book, Knock Entrepreneur. The book does not only focus on the fundamentals of entrepreneurship but takes the beginner to the next level. If you want to deliver a knock out punch in life and business, read and live the principles Foreman often took a beaten to learn yet came up on top!

- Jess Bousa, the author of The Discipleship Dare @ http://www.thediscipleshipdare.com/

The Discipleship Dare Day #4 - Less is More

Jesus lived with next to nothing to his name yet gave the world something of eternal value. What he gave the world will never rust or rot. It's literally fireproof! He lived a life modeling the principle: less is more. Am I like Jesus in this area of my life? Are you like Jesus in this area of your life? It's easy for me to live with more and give less instead of living with less so that I can give more. How about you?

There is joy from living with "less" that's impossible to achieve when living with "lots." The dare to sell your possessions has challenged me to the core. I know Jesus did not mean literally unless you literally own possessions that hinder your progress as a follower of Christ.

Jesus is calling us to live like a salesman who would sell the shirt off his back if it meant getting the sale. Obviously I am not taking about making money but making meaning in this life. Imagine if we had the mentality like the salesman I mentioned above with the things we owned. Imagine if we held our possessions with respect yet not with a tight first? How tight are you holding your possessions? You can check how tight your grip by posing those things that are hindering you from God on craigslist for sale? Try it. Let me know what happens.

The Discipleship Dare Day #3 - Sacrificial Evangelism

Sacrificing for the benefit of someone else is hard work. I tend to make sacrifices for myself more than for others. I am getting better, but I am a long way from perfect. Jesus' life speaks volumes to me on how to live for the benefit of others, not myself. How about you?

I have to confess sacrifice hurts sometimes. It hurts my wallet, it hurts my schedule, it hurts my time with my wife, its touches everything in some way, share and form, but isn't that the point. For a sacrifice to mean something, it must cost you something. I am learning to sacrifice for the right reasons in the right ways.

I am committed to letting my sacrifice witness to the communities I am part of. The more I learn to sacrifice, the greater my testimony as a follower of Christ becomes. Some of the best evangelism (sharing your faith) is connected with sacrifice. The greater the sacrifice the louder the story of Jesus sounds to the culture.

"Lord, scream as loud as you can through my life."

Check out the "The Discipleship Dare" @ http://www.thediscipleshipdare.com/

The Discipleship Dare Day #2 - Selflessness Wins the Day!

I am reminded daily of my selfishness. I want it my way not anyone else's. It's harder for me to see my selflessness. I am not sure why that is. God is daily calling me to deny myself me, not to deny others me. He wants me to crucify myself so that I can share myself with others. That's not as easy as it sounds. It's not selfishness that wins the day, but selflessness.

Jesus conquered death as an expression of his selfless love for the world. There was not a bit of selflessness in him when he was hanging on that cross. The world is our cross and we must hand their with selflessness. It's the best way to win the day with our friends, family and even foes!!!

The Discipleship Dare Day #1 - Be Ordinary Not a Superhero

God did not choose "Super Heroes" to change the world, but fishermen. He could have choose a Batman or Superman type, but He choose the union carpenters of the ancient world to lead an international movement that still influences the world today.

I am an ordinary fisherman like Jesus' first disciples. There is nothing special about me apart from God's calling on my life to dare others to follow him with reckless abandonment. That's it.

Like the first disciples, I did not make the cut. I lived a life of the second string. I was the plan B. I was addicted to drugs, alcohol, stealing, among others things yet God hand selected me to be on his team for life. The Bible teaches that God chooses the foolishness to dumbfound the wise. He chooses the weak to challenge the strong. This I am thankful for.

I am committed to living an ordinary life like the first disciples. What I have discovered is God does his best work through ordinary people, not super heroes. God does extraordinary things through ordinary people. That's my saving grace Is it yours?

Jess Bousa, author of The Discipleship Dare