Category Archives: Blueprint

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The Three Core Relationships of A Disciple Maker – Part 3

God wants people to meet Him and that involves you!  You are as unique as they come and if you are going to be sent on mission, to reach the world, you will need to step up and use your gifts!  The truth of the matter is that every person and every gift matters.   The church should be shouting and proclaiming this every chance it gets!  Paul explains five types of gifting that we receive as Christ followers:  Apostolic: Blazing new territory, Prophetic: Discerning spiritual realities, Evangelistic: Going and finding the lost sheep, Shepherd: Caring deeply for the needs of people, and Teaching: Inspiring with the truth of scripture.  Every gift set is needed and when we are self aware we can then maximize our contribution to expand the Kingdom of God.

Key Relationship #3 – The people around us who aren’t following Jesus Yet


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“…When each part is working properly makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” Ephesians 4:16

Here is the challenge.  Sometimes we feel like a round peg in a square hole and sometimes we don’t know how our gift set fits our church family and the community we live in.  Traditionally, if you have a teaching or shepherding gift, it is usually quite easy to integrate into the body of Christ organized as a church.  But if you are an A.P.E. (Apostle, Prophet or an Evangelist) it can be more difficult to find your spot.  The latter three tend to be more comfortable with change and new initiatives.  But here is one thing we need to make sure we do.  Celebrate each others uniqueness.  In the five fold ministry, no one gift set is better than the other, they all should be given equal weight.  As a church leader my constant question is, “does our church structure and practice provide a place for each gift set?”  You are unique, it matters. 

4 Reasons Why Your Uniqueness Matters…

#1 God Doesn’t Make Junk –  Everyone has value!  Even if you are frustrated by people not seeing your value, take heart that Jesus created you exactly the way he wants you.  Your spiritual gifts, natural abilities and acquired skills will be used of him if you let them.  You were created in the image of God and your gifts reflect the very image of God.  You have his DNA, you resemble Jesus.  His fingerprints are all over you.

#2 Others Need You – Namely the your neighbors.  My primary gift set is the Teacher/Apostle.  These two gifts operate with almost equal weight at the front of my contribution to the church and its mission.  This means I will always motivate movement and understanding towards the mission of God.  What I need most to complement is the other three gift sets functioning at a high level.  I need you, you need me, we need each other.  Use your gift set to serve in your community.

#3 Your Gifts Give You Purpose – Clarity brings enjoyment.  There is nothing worse than trying to be something you are not.  No one wants to see a shepherd try and do the work of the prophet.  When you know who you are and what you are about, it narrows your clarity with laser like focus and this is when you will be personally satisfied beyond belief.  Real contentment can’t come from external things like pride, possessions and power.  Only dependence on the Gospel of Jesus perfecting the gifts among the church will advance his mission.

#4 With You The Church Will Expand –  Synergy brings incredible growth.  When we are all operating at the pinnacle of our gift sets, yielding to one another, sharing in the ministry, encouraging for the sake of the growth of His church, the energy is scintillating.  Nothing excites me more than when you can see all the gifts at work discovered and directed.  You matter.  But even without you God’s plan will still happen.  He doesn’t need you, but He will use you.  It’s up to you.  The invitation to a purpose greater than any other in the world is right before you. His Mission, it’s time to Activate it!

This week we will discover, share and grow in the depth of our understanding of our gifts and how this relates to our mission.  You are unique and your relationships with those who don’t know Jesus are unique to you.  It’s time to capitalize on it!

 

 

Blueprint Blog Rec

My prayer is we will grow strong as a church and discover His blueprint for being a disciple maker as a church community. #BeADisciple #MakeADisciple

Josh

This Sunday at 217church

March 29- The Mission – Part 3 of being a “Restored family sent on mission to make disciples.”

 

Join us at 217church, a multi-site, contemporary church in Mercer County NJ.  217church is a family with small groups in New Jersey and Pennsylvania that meets Sundays in the Hamilton AMC24 Theater 10:00am and Sharon Elementary school in Robbinsville, NJ at 11:00.  Our new Robbinsville/East Windsor Campus meets every Sunday.  If you are looking for a church in East Windsor NJ, Lawrenceville NJ, Ewing NJ, Robbinsville NJ, Hightstown NJ, Hamilton NJ, Mercer County, Middlesex County or Bucks County, PA, don’t miss our weekend services. Visit www.217church.com for more information.

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The 3 Core Relationships of a Disciple Maker – Part 2

The Church is incredible.  Over thousands of years now through the power of the Holy Spirit, the church has endured.  We ARE THE CHURCH!  YOU ARE THE CHURCH.  The BEST way to make a #disciple of Jesus is to do so in the context of local sending biblical community.  When I look back over my life, my closest friends have been made in the context of biblical community.  In order to be a disciple and in turn be a disciple maker, we must stretch ourselves to achieve excellence in three core relationships.  Our mission statement is to be a “restored, family, sent on mission to make disciples.”  In this post we will deal with the second relationship of the mission statement.  The church as a family.

Key Relationship #2 – The Church

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“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit...“ 1 Corinthians 12:13

I’ll never forget one warm summer day stepping out into the Atlantic Ocean with Jorge, 17 years old.  Jorge has an amazing story, but the above picture is one moment, a snap shot of a personal declaration of his belonging to Jesus and to the Body of Christ, the CHURCH!  Jorge has been at 217church from the beginning but it wasn’t until a couple of summer’s ago when he made it public.  We are family.  If we are going to be a disciple and a disciple maker, we must invest our whole life in caring for one another deeply. You aren’t just baptized into a relationship with Jesus, but also with His church.  This means showing love, adopting constantly and living with each other in the tension of failure and future promise.  The church isn’t for the perfect but for those being perfected.

5 Marks Of A Disciple Making Church Family –

1. Forgive Regularly – The more you leave individual churches and go to other ones, the more you will become a consumer of religious goods and treat the church as an earthly organization rather than a reflection of heavenly grace and amazement.  Have you “left” a church before?  Many of us have left a church because of conflict and honestly, it goes back to unresolved sin issues.  Either it was to hard to forgive or we were too embarrassed or unwilling to be forgiven.  The more you run from church, accountability and admonishment, the more you will find your ability to disciple someone lacking.  Keep this in mind, the church will NEVER be perfect on earth because you are in it!  Leaving a church because you refuse to forgive will cause you to be bitter angry and you will carry regret with you for years to come.  Odds are, you will “leave” the church family you just ran to as well.

Question:  What can you do to solve a problem at your local church?

2. Serve Continually – If we are to follow Jesus and he came to serve and not to be served, than we MUST serve every chance we get.  In our small groups, bringing meals to each other when in distress, visiting each other in the hospital, celebrating milestones with each other.  Our 217church ownership covenant sums it up nicely.  This is the 4 step covenant we ask each person to agree to when they make our church their local congregation:  Here it is:  #1 Protect the unity by acting in love, #2 Share the responsibility by loving in small group community, #3 Share the ministry by serving on a weekend team, and #4 Support the testimony of the church by giving generously.

Question:  Are you ready to covenant with the body of Christ?

3. Learn Diligently – One of the best ways to learn is from each other.  We must learn to depend on the gifts of teaching in group community.  In our groups, one of our roles is to be a learner.  If we are to disciple, we must be fully committed to be taught on a continual basis.  A group that learns together will be a group that grows in ability to disciple.  Just because you know something, doesn’t mean you have mastered the concept.  Learning means putting the principles you study into action.

Question:  Are you a learner, What are you most excited about to learn?

4.  Invite Constantly – One of the best things your group can do is invite people to do life together.  Now here is the secret.  This shouldn’t take much more time, just be human and participate in building relationships where you already find yourself.  You should be someone who is approachable, amicable and even admired for your character in your community.  Throw a party, coach a team, build relationships naturally, walk your dog, be someone who is inviting people into your life.  Your church should be easy to connect with and there should be very few barriers authentic community.

Question:  Who is one person you can invite to your group?

5.  Eat Joyously – Does this really need explanation?  Where the church is there should be food, enough said.

Question:  Who can you share a meal with this week in your church family?

Blueprint Blog Rec

My prayer is we will grow strong as a church and discover His blueprint for being a disciple maker as a church community. #BeADisciple #MakeADisciple

Josh

This Sunday at 217church

March 22- The Church Family – Part 2 of being a “Restored family sent on mission to make disciples.”

 

Join us at 217church, a multi-site, contemporary church in Mercer County NJ.  217church is a family with small groups in New Jersey and Pennsylvania that meets Sundays in the Hamilton AMC24 Theater 10:00am and Sharon Elementary school in Robbinsville, NJ at 11:00.  Our new Robbinsville/East Windsor Campus meets every Sunday.  If you are looking for a church in East Windsor NJ, Lawrenceville NJ, Ewing NJ, Robbinsville NJ, Hightstown NJ, Hamilton NJ, Mercer County, Middlesex County or Bucks County, PA, don’t miss our weekend services. Visit www.217church.com for more information.

 

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The 3 Core Relationships of a Disciple Maker – Part 1

I hear lots of people talking about wanting to be a disciple, but far less talking about being a DISCIPLE MAKER.  One of the hardest things to do as a Christ follower is this, INTENTIONALITY in disciple making relationships.  Over the next 3 weeks at our church, we will be starting a series that explores three key relationships if we are to be disciple makers.  Our identity is ones who are sent as image bearers of Jesus.  Here is what I have found in my life:  Two of the relationships come easier than the third.  It is easy to hang out, surround myself, be friends with and insulate my life with a bunch of people who think like me, believe like me, act like me and even like the same things that I like.  This is comfortable, but this IS NOT what we are called to if we are going to be disciple makers.  This is NOT healthy over the long term as it creates a dependency on religion, rituals, worship services and eventually leads to legalistic interpretation of disciplemaking.  In order to be a disciple and in turn be a disciple maker, we must stretch ourselves to achieve excellence in three core relationships.  This is usually where being a disciple maker usually starts…

Key Relationship #1 – Jesus & The Trinity 

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“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.“ Matthew 22:37-38

Your relationship with God is meant to be reciprocal!  So there it is, if we are going to be a disciple and a disciple maker, we must invest our whole life in Pursuing God Passionately.  This means at different times we interact with God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Our identity in every part of our life must be with the Gospel of Jesus.  This blog is not meant to be a to do list, but an aid in helping us discover the continual experience in rhythm with the one who was sent to us to give His life.  Everything Jesus did was to establish a relationship with us.  But we have agendas, desires, and idols in the way.  My encouragement to you is to create intuitive rhythmic patterns of authentic dependence on Jesus so you can experience the fullness of Him in your life.  I hope this helps.

Four Strategies to Build Your Relationship With Jesus –

1. Sabbath – Do you take a sabbath?  If God rested on the seventh day, what makes you think you can work 28 straight days and then get away with it?  Your body was not created to work seven days a week.  You were designed with a whole day of rest in mind every week.  Jesus redefines the sabbath and worship.  God desires to be with you!  Heck, it is even a commandment:  Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, TAKE A SABBATH!  This must be important to God.  Sabbath is the starting point with Jesus.  We were meant to work out of the strength that comes from resting with God through Jesus and living in his presence, not the reverse.

Question:  What day is your sabbath?

2. Prayer -Prayer is perhaps the most misunderstood of all the spiritual disciplines.  This is because the only prayer we experience is in a church, or a circle where someone prays out loud.  How ridiculous is this?  The beauty of prayer is you can do it ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!  Here are a few types of prayers we find in scripture.  Arrow prayers are those that are quick and easy, they help us build a constant dependence on Jesus.  Intercessory prayers are those that cause our heart to break for others and for specific needs.  Confession prayers help us come back to a dependence on the Gospel and the Holy Spirit.

Question:  What place can you designate as your prayer closet?

3. Read, Study, & Listen to the Word – Ok, stop feeling guilty. The word of God is meant to be interacted with on a consistent basis.  Consistent engagement allows us to develop deep theological convictions.  Some of us are auditory, some of us love to read, some of us love to study, but whichever camp you fall into, you must live out of a love for the word.  Every word is profitable and good. 2 Timothy 3:16.  Here are 4 ways you can interact with the word practically:

  • Familiarity Reading – This is exactly what it sounds like.  Just get in there and start getting familiar with the word.  Start in John or Philippians if you have never done this before
  • Devotional Reading – Spend a portion of time every day working with a tool or resource that aids you in your daily understanding of the word.  Usually these are shorter times of daily discovery.
  • Studying Scripture – This is where you systematically work through a book of the bible to observe, interpret, compare other texts and then apply the scripture to your life.  Usually as you study scripture, God will point out exactly what you need to change and apply.  The key to effective study is clear action plans following the study.
  • Develop Core Material – This is something I began to do 10 years ago.  I have selected, specific books of the bible, people, parables, Psalms, and passages that I want to ‘master.’  It seems these are the passages that speak loudest to me.  I want to know EVERYTHING I can about these passages in order to grow in my knowledge and understanding of who God is.

Question:  How and when do you best interact with the Word?

4.  Sing / Worship – Battles in your spiritual life are won as we sing, at the top of our lungs often when we are alone with God!  Your finest moments of worship will come usually when NO ONE ELSE is around.  Many people don’t know how to worship and claim they are “introverts”.  Express what you feel to God and let God heal you.  We must choose to  emotionally engage with Jesus.  Worship establishes who is in charge.

Question:  When do you worship best?

Blueprint Blog Rec


My prayer is you will grow strong and discover His blueprint for being a disciple maker. #BeADisciple #MakeADisciple

Josh

 

Join us at 217church, a multi-site, contemporary church in Mercer County NJ.  217church is a family with small groups in New Jersey and Pennsylvania that meets Sundays in the Hamilton AMC24 Theater 10:00am and Sharon Elementary school in Robbinsville, NJ at 11:00.  Our new Robbinsville/East Windsor Campus meets every Sunday.  If you are looking for a church in East Windsor NJ, Lawrenceville NJ, Ewing NJ, Robbinsville NJ, Hightstown NJ, Hamilton NJ, Mercer County, Middlesex County or Bucks County, PA, don’t miss our weekend services. Visit www.217church.com for more information.