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
34 E Partridge Lane
Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08003
(540) 270-5302
www.kalosbooks.com
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?