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.

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 #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.