How to Study the Bible // Studying the Bible Prayerfully and Obediently

I really enjoyed this week's chapter.  I have to say, though, much like last week, this one spoke to me.  I pray that it also spoke to you in a personal way that incited some reflection in your own Bible study methods and how you approach God's Word.  Francis Chan brought up some pretty awesome points when it comes to the Word, how it is approached, the reasons in which it is approached, and whether or not our hearts have satisfactorily prepared our hearts to hear Him speak to us through His Word.

I'm certain I cannot speak for everyone reading this blog post, but I would say, for quite a few of us, we have opened up the Word with some level of resistance.  Not necessarily resistance in that we don't want to read the Word, but resistance in our preparation to read the Word.  Francis Chan spoke of two different aspects of studying the Bible in this chapter: Prayer and Obedience.  I would like to start off in reverse order, and talk about obedience.

First of all, what exactly is obedience?  Merriam-Webster¹ define obedience like this:

An act or instance of obeying.

Okay, that's a fine definition, but, like all Bible school students, I thought I should also consult my Bible dictionary²; here is its definition of obedience:

Believing and doing what God says; living like Him.

Nothing against Merriam-Webster, but I like my Bible dictionary's definition way better.  It makes it a bit more personal to us, wouldn't you agree?  So, if we take the Biblical definition of obedience at face value, then it would mean that we believe what God says and that we will do what He says.  How are we able to actually accomplish this?  Of course there are a myriad of ways to help us accomplish this, but the one thing that we must do is study God's Word.  I used to think that it was easier said than done.  #WrongAnswer

I know the first time I read through Genesis, I was, honestly, frustrated and deflated.  I would get overwhelmingly upset that I couldn't pronounce all the names and places in the first book of God's Word.  It would frustrate me so much that I would put down my Bible for days at a time.  No, it wasn't an "easy read" like Multiply is; it's a challenge.  If we look at the Bible as God intended, then we wouldn't be frustrated.  Instead, we would be grateful for His Word and would work harder to understand Him and what He is telling us through it.  In other words, we would study the Word devotionally.  In other words, we would study God's Word with profound dedication.³

Check out 1 Peter 1:13 real quick:

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

What do you think this verse it telling us? While this passage is referring to the imminent return of Jesus, I think it can also apply to our devotional-centric study of God's Word. If we go into the Word with joyful anticipation of the Holy Spirit to speak to us, through the Word, then our outlook will determine our outcome and our attitude will determine our action. The same is true if our outlook and attitude aren't focused on the Holy Spirit's presence and if we allow any barriers which would prevent us from having an attitude of anticipation of the Spirit's work in our life through His Word. Our outlook and attitude play a significant role in how we study the Bible; anything less than being completely open and ready for the Spirit to work in our lives through the Word will undoubtedly assure us a study that is not centered on Christ. Does that make sense? How can we combat this challenge?

The answer to that question is not complicated nor should it be.  The answer, quite simply, is prayer.  If you remember last week's post when I talked about my study of "The Bible in 90 Days" and how it didn't really speak to me as I hoped it would...what was my reasoning?  Prayer...remember now?  I didn't fully commit the study through prayer and because of that, I believe, my study wasn't as fruitful or enlightening as I had hoped it would be.  Then, you'll remember, I started talking about my study of the book of Acts.  The first thing I did, before I even opened my Bible, was pray.  I asked the Holy Spirit to be present and to reveal to me whatever it was that He wanted to.  I don't write this as a boastful person; instead, I write it as a humble servant of Christ who was going through a season of challenges and knew I needed to change the way I studied God's Word.  Rightly focusing on Christ through prayer before we even open His Word will have a lasting and profound impact on how we study and, in turn, will provide us a wonderful opportunity to get closer and closer to Him in the process.  We must remain faithful in Him and His Word as we continue to navigate through our lives.

Studying the Bible faithfully and studying the bible in faith are two different things, really.  The former is merely studying it consistently; the latter is actually allowing the Word to speak to you.  As Francis Chan put it (pg. 117) "If the Bible is indeed the very words of God, then those words carry the same authority and power as God Himself."  What does that statement remind you of?  How about John 1:1:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, you already believe the Bible as the inerrant (free from error or mistake)² Word of God. That said, it would then also lead one to conclude that you believe that John 1:1 is referring to the Bible as the actual, no kidding Word of God--spoke directly from God to human authors. To summarize what Francis Chan is talking about here is that the Word of God is as if God is speaking the words from the pages directly to you and me. I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty awesome!

The final section of this chapter was the "left hook" for me. We attend small groups, go to studies in homes, at church, work, or on our own on a daily or weekly basis, right? Right. Remember what I said last week about the importance of joining a small group? Okay, good! When we study the Word, how does it affect us? Are we encouraged? Peaceful? Educated? What? How do you feel after you study the Word? We all feel something and with each passing day, the feeling may or may not be different.

Francis Chan brings up one of the most important aspects of studying the Word in this final section of the chapter. Prayerful, obedient, and faithful study of God's Word is extremely important; however, what do we do with the information we receive from His Word? Do we dwell on it and use it to benefit us some way? Do we put a pin in it until next time we meet with our group? What do we do, church? Francis hit the nail square on the head here...we must be transformed. If we finish a study and don't feel any sense of transformation or a longing to allow the Word to transform us, then we need to take a step back and evaluate what we did (or didn't do). Did we pray? Did we seek the presence of the Holy Spirit? Did we maintain 100 percent of the focus on Christ? I love how Francis Chan explained transformation (pg. 120):

There is no reward for merely hearing the truth. Bible study is incomplete and illegitimate until it turns into obedience and transforms us.

Those words may seem kind of harsh, but if we can be honest with ourselves for a second, isn't he right? I mean, if we're just studying the Bible to gain knowledge and not to have it change and transform us, then it is, indeed, incomplete.

Be in prayer, church, for the Holy Spirit to speak to and transform you through His Word. Approach Bible study with reverence and with the same magnitude as if you were speaking face-to-face with God.

Dare to be transformed!

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Jeremy Meier

How to Study the Bible // Why Study the Bible?

Whoa...what a chapter!  This particular chapter of Multiply really spoke to me in a very personal way.  I've never had a challenging time studying God's Word, but as I read through this chapter, I realized, and was subsequently ashamed, that I have studied the Bible, on occasion in the past, for the wrong reasons.  At the time, our study motivations are skewed because we aren't really focused on what having the Holy Spirit dwell within us, through His word; rather, we are focused, for example, on how to rationalize a decision, act, sin, or ____________ (insert excuse here).  I have a pretty good example of one of the motivations which Francis Chan explained in this chapter.

It's been probably a year ago now, but I was having a small group meeting at my house every Sunday afternoon.  It was a great time of fellowship with some wonderful friends--SIDEBAR...if you aren't involved in some sort of small group, please join one or start one yourself.  SIDEBAR OVER.  Okay, everyone in the group would mutually agree on what study we were going to do.  The first several weeks were spent studying the book of Romans.  It was awesome!!  Once we were done with the Romans study, we agreed to one of those "Through the Bible in XX" studies.  Normally, you'll see these studies as one you complete in a year.  Nope, not us overachievers!  The program we used was "The Bible in 90 Days."  Yes, you read that right.  We were to read the Bible in 90 days--3 months.  It seemed like a pretty tall order at the time, but achievable, we thought.

We all did well when it came to reading the assigned Scriptures.  I can say with confidence that we read the Bible in 90 days.  Ah, what an accomplishment!  Let me be very clear, I was excited to read through the entire Bible again; however, when we were done, I did not feel anything more than I felt before we started.  You see, my motivation for this particular study was guilt.  I was leading the group (really we were all leading together), and I had an overwhelming sense of guilt if I missed even one verse.  I was motivated not by getting closer to God and knowing Him in a more intimate way, I was motivated to get my homework done.  I acknowledge that this was a poor attitude to have for this study, but the pressure was on full-court press to get the assignment done and couldn't let the others down.

Now, there are a couple factors that contributed to my not gaining much out of this study.  First, I didn't really let the Holy Spirit work in me as we studied and second, it was a very tall order and the devil knew this and used it to his advantage.  Any reading plan which takes you through the Bible is great.  Personally and honestly, I think 90 days leaves little room to really let the Scriptures speak to you.  For example, I would come across a particular verse or verses and really wanted to dwell on them, but I just needed to keep reading to make sure I was done by our Sunday afternoon meeting.  So, I would underline the passage and keep on keeping on.  I think it would have been great if I prepared my heart and really let the Holy Spirit speak to me.  So, to make a long story short, I didn't prepare well enough to get anything out of this study and instead did it because I would be guilty if I didn't finished the assigned reading.  Don't be like me.

Just as Francis Chan points out, people read the Bible for different reasons; however, the true reason we should read it is to "facilitate a relationship with God" (pg 99).  To be an effective disciple, you don't need to be a theologian, but you should understand the Bible so that you can communicate it to others.  I love the Scripture Francis used in 1 Peter 2:1-2:

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.  Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.

I'm sure before you read that passage in Multiply, you've either read it before or heard it spoke.  It's really a great parallel of how we should long for God's Word and presence just as newborn babies long for milk to continue to grow and live.  The Bible is the perfect source for us to focus our attention on God and ultimately get closer to Him every day we are on this earth.  Don't fret about how much you read on a daily basis, either, as long as you focus on God and His Word every day.  Check out what Joshua 1:8 says:

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Joshua had to be deliberate in his reading of God's Word daily and make it a part of who he was by meditating on it.  The Hebrew word translated "meditate" means "to mutter."  It was the practice of the Jews to read Scripture out loud and talk about it to themselves and to one another.  This explains why God warned Joshua that the book of the Law was not to depart out of his mouth.  I pray that if we are not already like Joshua in our study of God's Word, we keep His Word on our lips and meditate on it day and night.

Right now, I'm studying the book of Acts.  For the first day of my study of Acts, chapter one, I prayed in earnest for the Holy Spirit to open my eyes and ears to hear His Word and to open my heart to receive whatever He intends for me to receive.  For three days I've focused on only the first eleven verses of Acts chapter one.  Because my motivation was to get closer to God (e.g. the right motivation), I was able to really dig deeper into His Word and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to me.  As Francis eluded in Multiply (pg. 105), it is life-changing when your daily reading is motivated on God and nothing else.

For the first time since the Barna Group has been surveying religious topics (1984), there is no difference in Bible reading and Bible skepticism with both at 19%.  What does that mean?  It means that of those surveyed, 19% said that reading the Bible at least 4 times a week and believe it is the actual or inspired Word of God.  Compare that to the skeptics, where also 19% believe "the Bible is just another book of teachings written by men that contain stories and advice."  If you look back to three years ago, the skeptics made up only 10% of the surveyed...it's nearly doubled!!  Church, that's a decline that is not meant for celebration.  Furthermore, in just three years, there has been a decline in the amount of people that view the Bible as sacred, 79% in 2014 compared to 86% in 2011.  Here's another statistic...

88% of all households own an average of 4.7 Bibles.  Of those 88%, only 37% read them once a week or more.  One question...what is the other 51% doing with their 4.7 Bibles?  Allowing them to collect dust?

How about this statistic which is directly related to this chapter of Multiply:

Only 56% of those that read the Bible say that it brings them closer to God, compared to 64% in 2011.

I could go on and on with statistics, but you can clearly see that there is an overwhelming decline in people's view of the Bible, how often they read their Bible, and their motivation for studying their Bible.  Keep in mind, we're not just talking about the churchless people; these statistics include those that say they are Christians.  You should be as alarmed as I am!

Church, we must--I say again--we must ensure that our motivation for studying God's Word is completely rooted in a desire to learn more about God, live a Godly life, facilitate a relationship with God, exalt Jesus, and to prepare us for our God-given mission of reaching the world with the love and saving grace of Jesus Christ.  Don't succumb to what I did during "The Bible in 90 Days" and study the Word because you're guilty--this isn't a "Bible in 90 days" situation...we're talking about eternal life or death.  Be the salt and light by being rightly motivated!

I watched one of the final sermons presented by the late Dr. Howard Hendricks, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Dallas Theological Seminary, and he said that as Christians and disciples, we should ask ourselves three questions every day before we go to sleep, based on 2 Timothy 2:15:

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

1) Is the Lord well pleased?

2) Is the work well done?

3) Is the Word well used?

Jumping back to Joshua 1:8[b], do you want to know what success looks like?  If you can answer yes to each of those three questions, then your ministry is successful.  Remember, though, that we must pick up our cross daily and follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 14:27 and many more).

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Jeremy Meier

Living as the Church // The Global Church

I hope the challenge I issued last week is starting embed itself into your life if it wasn't already.  I know that stepping out of our comfort zone and sharing the Gospel to people is tough, but All things are possible with God (Matthew 19:26).

This particular lesson of Multiply was a bit more challenging for me to muster up some sort of personal experience or illustration to help tie it all together.  The Global Church is the title of this chapter.  The Global Church = missions!

It's true that we're surrounded by a ripe mission field in Minot and our surrounding communities, but the global church, I believe, is more focused on Acts 1:8:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Working in the mission fields of Kenya, Thailand, China, Guatemala or any other field in this world isn't for everyone.  Now, please don't mistake my statement of "isn't for everyone" with "isn't called to go."  I believe we are all called to go and preach the Gospel to the world, but there may be certain circumstances that prevent us from doing so.  I get it.  God has given each of us specific gifts to utilize in order to further His Kingdom.  If God wants you to go on a mission trip to "the ends of the earth," you'll know.  God is persistent when He's calling us to do something.  There are many ways you can reach the world with the message of love and the saving grace of Jesus Christ, even if you don't physically go.  You can certainly pray for the missionaries.  You can also give your time, talents, and/or your finances to help the missionaries.  There is always an opportunity and need for, in military terms, "support personnel" for the missionaries...all you have to do is ask what they need and give it if you can.

I love what 1 Chronicles 16:24 says about missions:

Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. 

Do you see what is said here?  Declare His glory among the nations.  The author of 1 Chronicles (attributed to Ezra), spells out pretty clearly what we are to do as Christ followers.  We are to: go and proclaim.  So, I know what you're probably thinking...probably what many mission workers first thought when they received the nudging of the Lord to go on a mission trip: Why me?  and How?  Those are two valid questions.  Of course, I would say the answer to both of those questions is one word: JESUS!  If you are called to the mission field, Jesus will provide both the why and how answers.

Let's check out Romans 10:13 and see what Paul tells us:

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

BOOM!  That's the answer we're looking for, friends.  People will be saved when they call on the name of the Lord.  How, though, will they learn of who the Messiah is without Christ followers going and sharing the Gospel?  There are some places in this world that literally have never heard of Jesus or how He can change their lives.  We have a responsibility to the world as Christ followers to teach them so they, too, can receive salvation offered only through faith in Jesus Christ.  If no one goes...who will proclaim?  Do you get it?  Someone has to do it, whether it's you, me, or someone else; otherwise, the lost won't be saved.  It's an awesome (read: big) responsibility that shouldn't be taken lightly.  Are you ready to go?

As I was preparing and studying for this post, I jumped on Right Now Training and watched a training session called "Plan B" by Todd Phillips.  Todd used a pretty awesome illustration as he discussed the mission field.  He said the most important piece of a puzzle isn't a corner piece, the last piece, or an edge piece.  Instead, the most important piece of a puzzle is the picture of the completed puzzle on the box top.  You see, if we aren't focusing on the big picture, we can, and often times do, get lost in the small details that are really good at derailing us.  Each piece of the puzzle is a nation that needs to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, whether it's at home, another state, or overseas.  The box top is the world with Jesus.  We must keep our eyes focused on His plan for the world.

Be in prayer about how God will use you to reach the ends of the earth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ--the ultimate goal.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Jeremy Meier

Living as the Church // The Local Church (Part 2)

Well, it's been a few days since I issued the challenge to deliberately show the love of Christ through your actions and words to people you interact with on a daily basis.  So...I'm dying to know how you did!  I know that making yourself vulnerable and transparent can be, and often times is, a nerve-racking position to put yourself in.  I get it.  I'm sure that Jesus was anxious when he was betrayed, forced to carry his own cross to His place of death, and ultimately His hanging on the cross, dying for our sins.  Are you picking up what I'm putting down?  Jesus died for you and me, for our sins, so that we would receive eternal life.

As you all know, I'm sure, we're sinners.  We are all sinners.  Romans 3:23 spells that fact out pretty good for us: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  In order to be able to receive God's free gift of salvation through faith alone in Jesus, we have to acknowledge that fact.  We are a broken people who are incapable of saving ourselves.  Period.  Good works are good, but they won't get you to heaven.  Being nice to people is great, but if you're looking at that to get you into the Pearly Gates, think again.  Coming to church is awesome, but God will give you the clothesline (football reference in light of Super Bowl Sunday).  All the aforementioned things are wonderful aspects of a life but it means nothing if Jesus isn't at your very core, embedded into your heart.  Do you want to know what the best way to share Jesus with someone is?  Be in love.  You must be head-over-heels in love with Jesus Christ, that's where you start.  If we don't exhibit the love that Jesus has for us to others, why would anyone want to be part of the family of God?  If they don't see through our actions and words that Jesus Christ is a life changer, people may dismiss the power of a relationship with Christ.  Is that a risk we're willing to take?  I'll speak for myself and say, "absolutely not!"

Enough preaching...sorry about that.

My name is Jeremy.  I was able to grow a beard by the time I was 13 or 14 years old.  As it turned out, this became a curse for me because it allowed me to disguise my age to cashiers at the local liquor store where I would frequently visit.  There are few days during my first two years in high school that I remember not being drunk.  I didn't care nor was I concerned about stopping.  I reluctantly visited a church with a friend and immediately felt the presence of the Holy Spirit wash over me in a way that is almost indescribable.  Unbeknownst to me, God was doing His work on my heart even as I pounded back shot after shot, beer after beer.  People were praying for me.  People invited me to church often.  It wasn't until I chose to go with my friends to church that I realized my life wasn't worth living the way I was.  There was something more out there, something much bigger than myself.  God transformed my life.  I can all but guarantee that had I not accepted the invitation to church, and ultimately Jesus' invitation to follow Him, my life would have ended early.  Life without Christ isn't a life.

That's my story in a very brief nutshell.  That's what I shared to someone this weekend while I was doing some last minute grocery shopping.  It was awkward and, at times, uncomfortable, but I believe that the Holy Spirit put on my heart to talk to this person.  Sometimes your story is what people need to hear.  Maybe someone needs to hear that you are broken, too.  The difference between your brokenness and a non-believer's is that you have hope in Jesus Christ.

The first day that I taught our High Schoolers Sunday School, I gave them two things: first, I gave each of them a book called "Difference Makers: An Action Guide for Jesus Followers" which is intended to help them become the difference makers in their "circle."  The second thing I gave them each was a stack of tracts called, "What Shall I Do to Inherit Eternal Life."  Their challenge was to use the book to help them become more deliberate in their walk with the Lord and to be the change agent that people need to hear from.  The tracts weren't theirs to keep; rather they were encouraged to pass them out to everyone they came in contact with.  Quite a few of the high school kids were concerned about telling their story because they grew up in the church for all or the majority of their lives.  I am here to tell you that even if you grew up in the church, you have a story to tell.  Maybe you've seen the power of God work miracles.  Perhaps you have witnessed someone addicted to drugs quit cold turkey.  You've seen the sick become well.  You have seen and heard things that is a testimony to the power of the Holy Spirit.  People need to hear your story.  Tell them.

Check out what Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:22: To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.  I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.  Have you ever asked God to break your heart for what breaks His?  I believe, in a way, that's what Paul is talking about here.  We need to have a great burden for those around us, in our church, community, state, country, and world.  Church, those in the world that don't yet know who Jesus Christ is and what His love feels like must be told our stories.

As I write this post, I'm listening to some music.  Normally I don't stop what I'm doing to listen to the actual lyrics, but for a certain song I stopped what I was doing and just listened.  The song was called "While I'm Waiting."  The lyrics start like this:

I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord

And I'm hopeful, I'm waiting on You Lord

Though it is painful, but patiently I will wait

And I will move ahead bold and confident

Taking every step in obedience

It's easy for me to relate to this song because I was "given the opportunity" to move to Nebraska for a little over a year.  I have no idea why God has chosen me for this and there have been times that I just didn't care.  But, the bigger picture is that God has some glorious plans for me in Nebraska.  I don't know what they are right now, but I'm sure it has something to do with leading people to the Lord.  You see, our story isn't always what we want it to be, but it's our story nonetheless.  We must remain patient on Him and "take every step in obedience" to Him.  God has gifted each of us to fulfill His calling so that by all possible means we might save some.

Church family, I encourage you to continue to show the love of Jesus Christ through your actions and words so that the Holy Spirit will shine through us to those that don't yet know him.

Thanks for letting me ramble on for what has now become my longest post.  Enjoy the game today and GO SEAHAWKS!!!

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Jeremy Meier

Living as the Church // The Local Church (Part 1)

The church building serves many purposes to further the ministries of the church.  I love the everything that the church is used for from weddings, soup kitchen, Vacation Bible School, worship services, funerals, guest speakers, and everything in between.  I suspect that a majority of you feel the same way.  Our building is pretty awesome.  What’s the difference between our building and another church building down the road?  Structurally, not much.  The true difference is the people, would you agree?

When we were going through our release from the PC(USA), I lobbied for us to keep the building but I was prepared to walk away from it and start a new church somewhere else.  Why?  Because the building is a tool for ministry, it isn’t the church.  We are the church.  This week’s Multiply study is about getting out of the church and ministering to the lost while nurturing the saved.  Do you remember your life before you were a Christian?  I know that I believed that if I just looked at a church I thought I would get struck by lightning.  Of course I was wrong, but before I gave my life to Christ, I wouldn’t have even thought of stepping foot in a church building.  So, how did I eventually end up putting that fear aside and actually going to a church?  People were praying for me, talking to me, and showing me through their actions and how they lived what Jesus’ love looked like.  That’s exactly what we have to do, church!

Life change, realistically, doesn’t always happen inside the church walls.  Life change happens over coffee, around the dinner table, or at the grocery store.  Life change happens all the time, but, in my opinion, it doesn’t happen much inside the church walls.  I remember a story a prior Session member once told me.  This person began attending church but wasn’t yet saved.  Not one person asked if he was saved.  Not one person.  You see, I wonder if our mentality while we are inside the church walls is somewhat different than when we’re not at the church?  Whether it’s right, wrong, or indifferent, can we sometimes assume that those at the church are there to continue their growth in Christ?  In other words, do we believe, more often than not, that if you’re at the church, you are there to receive the needed nourishment for your Christian walk?  To put it another way, do we generally believe that if you’re in the church, you’re already saved and therefore don’t need evangelism?  I do think that as a church we do a great job, but I also believe that there is always room for improvement.  I know this sounds somewhat crass, but it needs to be said.

As Christians, we must be Christians all the time.  Our lives must reflect the love that Christ has for us by loving Him and loving others (Mark 12:28-31).  We are a team but not a football team.  We don’t just play the game on a Sunday afternoon; we must always be on the first-string lineup ready to evangelize those around us, whether in the church or somewhere else.  This Multiply study is a tool for our ministry.  It is teaching me (and hopefully you) a lot about discipleship, but it shouldn’t stop there.  We need to put what we’re learning into practice in every aspect of our lives.  At your work, do you show the love of Christ through your actions and words?  At home, do you pray with and for your family and others?  Do you study God’s Word continuously?  Do you long to grow closer to Him on a daily basis?  Our lives must revolve around God.  In doing so, we will show His love to others regardless of where we’re at.

As a church body, our job is to better ourselves as disciples and make disciples through evangelism and deliberate discipleship.  Our job also includes showing others how we live through actions and words.  Accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior was the easiest thing I ever did (once I saw His love through others).  One of the most challenging things I’ve ever had to do was show how I was a Christian through actions and words.  My blood pressure rises to dangerous levels when I drive because I get angry at bad drivers.  When people drive me nuts at work, I get annoyed.  When I don’t see results immediately for something, I get discouraged and upset.  I have my faults, just like you.  It takes time, energy, and God to press through those challenging times to show others that even though things aren’t necessarily going your way, God loves you–and them.

I’m writing this blog entry earlier than the others because I have a challenge for us.  Every day, the average person interacts with approximately 30 people.  That’s 30 people that you have the power to show what the love of Jesus Christ looks like.  I challenge each of us to get out of our comfort zone and make a concerted effort to ensure we are showing the love of Christ to everyone we interact with.  Sometimes it’s really easy to do and other times it is a huge challenge.  I encourage you to put your fears and concerns aside and really show people, through your actions and words, Jesus’ love.  This email is going out to a list of 208 people in our church.  If you do the math, we have the opportunity to show Jesus’ love to 6,240 people in one day!

We have an awesome opportunity to reach literally thousands of people a day with the love of Christ.  Not everyone is ready to hear the Good News, but there are some who are.  It is our responsibility to be the component of the church that helps those people come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  I’m committed to be all in…are you?  Take this challenge with me.  Don’t just stop at one day, continue this challenge until it becomes who you are.  We are not perfect, but as we continue to be more Christ like, it will no longer be a “challenge” issued by me, it will be who we are, individually and as a church body.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Jeremy Meier

Living as the Church // Life in the Church

I drive a truck. It has a steering wheel, tires, mirrors, transmission, an engine, and needs oil and gas every once in a while. If I was getting ready to leave and noticed that the tires were missing from my truck, it would be a challenge to go anywhere using it, right? What if I had the tires but the battery was missing? Yep, it would also be a challenge to use it. You see, just like my truck needs essential components in order to operate properly, the church needs its essential components to operate. What are the church's components? you and me--US! We, together, are integral components of the church. We must work together in order to fulfill God's commands to the church.

It would be inappropriate to suggest that we'll always agree. I think the one thing that we can all agree on is that our mission, as commanded by God, is to make disciples of all nations--be His disciple. In order to be an effective disciple, we must work together as a team. The church is an amazing vehicle that is absolutely essential as part of the discipleship process.

Before we started attending Cornerstone, I was missing something significant. I was missing a church that I could call home. I attended church regularly, but I wasn't really "there," if you know what I mean. I went to church to "fill up" so I could drive the rest of the week until I needed to "fill up" again the following Sunday. My priorities, as it came to church, were not in order. I was trying to do things individually instead of trusting the other components (people) of the church to help my family and I do life and disciple others. When we started to attend Cornerstone, we immediately realized that church wasn't about us, it was about God. This understanding of church was further solidified when I read an amazing book called "I Am A Church Member." This book was an awesome reminder that "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." (1 Corinthians 12:27) As I said, church isn't about you, me, the style of music or any other type of self-serving attitude. Church is about being part of the church. As a member of the church body, we are to serve others and serve Christ--together. That's what this chapter of Multiply is all about; we can't go at it alone, believe me, I tried and I failed. Church is meant to be done together. Jesus said, "For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them." (Matthew 19:20). As said in the movie "God's Not Dead," those words are written in red, so you know they're important. So, in addition to the Multiply study, I would encourage you vigorously to pick up a copy of "I Am A Church Member." I don't read a whole lot, but I read this book in one sitting...it's that good--and life changing.

We're lucky, church family. The leadership of this church is absolutely passionate about creating disciples and nurturing us as we build our discipleship skills. This Multiply class is a perfect example. This church-wide initiative to help us all learn more about discipleship and, in the process, get better at making disciples, shows where the heart of this church is at. We're doing this study as a church because discipleship about being the church; it's about being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ while on this earth. The Holy Spirit within us gives us the power to help people know, understand, and place their trust in the Savior of the universe. There's a huge party in heaven every single time someone places their trust in Christ...here's proof:

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:7)

Don't try to do church as an individual. Discipleship is about being together. Lets join forces and make disciples of all nations, starting right in the mission field of Minot (I'll work on Omaha, Nebraska--it'll be easier for me). We all have to do our part and each one of us is a different component of the church. Remember, the mission of the church isn't efficient if it doesn't have all of the components. Be the component!

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Jeremy Meier

Living as a Disciple Maker // The Heart of a Disciple Maker

I've always wanted a brutal punch to the gut! I'm so thankful that week three of Multiply was able to provide that for me! This week's lesson talks all about the heart of the disciple maker--you and me. Admittedly, I've never really looked at discipleship from this point-of-view; I should have. So far, this lesson was the most eye opening for me. A disciple maker is one that has a heart to make disciples. In other words, they are a fully committed child of God whose love for Christ supersedes all other loves in their life.

There are some churches that, unfortunately, look at numbers instead of looking at people. Economics tell us to look at numbers. Numbers equal "physical" sustainability. The difference between numbers and discipleship is that discipleship isn't about numbers; it's about eternal sustainability. It doesn't matter if you are praying for and discipling one person or 100. It actually doesn't matter if you're discipling one person if your heart isn't in it. I've counseled a lot of people over the years and the one thing that I always start off with is that they can't fix their problem until they fix themselves. To put it in discipleship terms--you have to love God and have Him number one in your life before you can help others come to know who He is. Does that make sense?

I've always used the analogy that our job as Christ followers is to make Christ followers. Our boss is Jesus Christ, our employee manual is the Bible, and our job description is Matthew 28:19-20. After studying this third chapter of Multiply, that description may not be the best use of that particular analogy. For some people, their job is mundane, repetitive, and, at times, downright boring. Discipleship is (should be) an amazing, fun, satisfying, and wonderful part of your daily life.

Walk the walk. Practice what you preach. Do as I say, not as I do. Have you heard these sayings before? You may have even said them before. For this particular lesson, these quotes are much more relevant. Again, if we don't have God as our number one, then we aren't living our life the way we are teaching others to live theirs. It all goes back to our love for Christ. Putting Him as our first priority is the most important aspect of discipleship--nothing and no one can come before Him, not even us or our desires (John 3:30). Galatians 2:20 puts it this way:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Do you see what we're being told here? The second you accept Christ as your Savior, you no longer live for yourself; instead, you live fully and willfully for the One who saved you. Christ did something miraculous for us--He died on the cross for us--you and me. The unconditional love that Jesus showed us is what we must reciprocate to Him every day. Discipleship starts, first and foremost, with loving Christ. Just as Francis Chan talked about in this chapter, we must not be a disciple for any other reason other than our love for Jesus. If we aren't prepared to "practice what we preach" then we aren't prepared to be an effective disciple. In fact, I'm not sure if we could even consider ourselves worthy to be Jesus' disciple unless we are doing it for all the right reasons.

Remember, discipleship isn't about numbers--it's about loving God. We can get caught up in the many cogs of a ministry that sometimes we are just going through the motions and doing what we know is right, but perhaps our heart isn't really in it. For the sake of transparency, I've been there. I've discipled people in the past because I know that God tells me, through His word, that I am supposed to do it; however, it was only me doing what I'm told--my heart wasn't necessarily in it. We have to be courageous enough to recognize that particular season in our life and ask God, our pastors, friends, accountability partner(s), etc., for help. That type of discipleship isn't only ineffective, it can be dangerous.

Commit with me today that you will put God first and disciple others based on your love for God and nothing else.

In Christ,

Pastor Jeremy Meier