Category Archives: Discipleship

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Help, I Want To Pray More

Last month I was sitting on a hill staring out at one of the most beautiful lakes in the world in Africa, Lake Victoria.  I was praying for my family, our church ministry, the leaders, my marriage and overall wisdom in every decision.  Many times God calls you to make hard decisions, sometimes that are unpopular but rooted in the word. God teaches us different things in different seasons.  In this season, He is teaching me to depend on Him more through prayer.  We must have a rich prayer life, These are prayers I am praying for you…

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“The prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective ” James 5:16

God is not done with you.  No matter what you face it is for a season.  But when all else fails, you can absolutely depend on God.  It’s time to pray.

Four Prayers I am Praying For You…

#1 Your Faith – Jesus takes convicts and turns them in to converts.  That is right, this is what we are all about, restoring people in their relationship with Jesus.  He came that we would have faith and that He would die and be the ultimate sacrifice so we would have eternal life and know and follow HIM.  RESTORED!  This is our word.  Jesus rose from the DEAD and while pointing to Jesus, My prayer is your belief and dependence would increase that you would be able to take your eyes off the worldly results, temptations and pride and call out in the heavenly reality.

#2 Your Finances  – What we invest in we value.  I have talked to so many people these last two weeks who are hurting financially.  When you can’t provide for your family there is uncertainty, fear, confusion and even insecurity.  We need to continue to pray for God’s provision for the people of our community.  Especially the elderly, the disabled, the widows and the single moms.  When we begin praying these prayers God will move us to realize that we are to be generous and help one another through difficult times.  I love being a part of a church and community that believes in taking care of those who are going through rough times.  We do this because it is an example of the Gospel of Jesus in action.  Giving is not about a legalistic percentage, but a heart that is transformed as a reflection of the Gospel. A FAMILY takes care of one another and advances the Gospel with its finances. My prayer is you would have enough to live but not so much that you would depend on your riches.

#3 Your Focus – Be more afraid of missing an opportunity than failing.  Distractions will derail your life.  Jesus and the Gospel are what matters.  We are to be pursuing Him as our FIRST priority.  We are to serve others and love them.  Who has Jesus sent you to?  Take your eyes off yourself and you will begin to gain the right focus. The church is at it’s best serving the community, loving people, taking care of one another, pursuing the common good, sharing meals together and speaking out as a peaceful voice of reason.  My prayer is you would focus on the right things. 

#4 Favor of the People – We are HIS children – Let me say that again.  You have a seat at the table with Jesus and he calls you, “brother, sister and friend.”  I tell my children they bear my last name and they need to act like it!  When you realize whose family you are in and that the Father has lavished the greatest gift of love and favor on your life, it changes how you PRAY.  Through forgiveness of sins, repentance, privilege and honor to be called the church and a life in heaven with HIM, he has given us favor.  This changes our perspective.  We need to pray for the favor of God that he would be merciful and gracious, especially with those who don’t know Him yet.  My prayer is he would INCREASE HIS FAVOR upon you.

You refresh my heart and it is a privilege to pray for you.

This week at 217church week 2 of our defining moments series as we study Deborah: When Calling Meets Action Judges 4.

 

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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, we would love to have you join us.  Don’t miss our weekend services. Visit www.217church.com for more information. or watch a weekend message here

Josh

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3 Things Our Church MUST Do

I am still in Uganda but I’ll be back with you this Sunday!  We can’t wait!  This week, when I heard the news of the destructive fire that tore through 20 homes of Hamilton residents in the Bromley community, it broke my heart.  These are the people we have been called to serve.  When people are hurting is when the church is at it’s best.  As a church there are a few clear things we MUST do.  There is no doubt, these are the NON-NEGOTIABLES of the Christian walk. If you want to be the church, do these 3 things to hit the bullseye:

 

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“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind…you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Matthew 22:37-39

3 Things Our Church Must Do:

#1 Serve The World Relentlessly – This happens both across the street and around the world.  Every time we bring a meal to the hungry, take care of the widow, give someone a grocery card who just lost their job, clean up a neighborhood after a devastating storm, provide clothes, toiletries and blankets after a fire, take in a foster child who is abandoned, adopt a child who has no home, or provide clean water to villages in the Dominican Republic, JESUS IS PLEASED.  We are reflecting His love. The Good News: You are already doing ALL these things.  More Good News: We get to keep doing these things!

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”  James 1:27

 

#2 Care For One Another Deeply – As a church we are to take care of each other as brothers and sisters.  You have forgiven one another.  You have paid each others’ rent, prayed for and taken care of the sick, visited each other in the hospital, fixed cars, rebuilt houses, eaten thousands of meals together, shared in the joys of baptisms, weddings and milestones in each others’ lives, and done simple things like babysitting children so a marriage can be strengthened through a date night.  The best part, you asked for NOTHING in return from your church family.  You desired to LOVE.

 “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-12

 

#3 Pursue God Passionately – Our Role is to MAKE Disciples. The standards MUST BE raised as Christ followers to be HIS DISCIPLES.  Do you aspire and discipline yourself to pray and know JESUS, HIS GOSPEL, and word daily and follow it?  I’m talking about feeding yourself spiritually daily. Do you submit yourself to someone for accountability and growth regarding how you handle your purity, your possessions and your pride?  Do you love repentance and often admit you are wrong?  Are you ascribing to please God with EVERY area of your life?  Are you pursuing God with your marriage, time, parenting, leisure and habits?  There is no room for mediocrity and following Jesus half-heartedly. Our church must raise the standard.

 “But seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you.”  Matthew 6:33

Sound like a lot of work? Think it will take a lot of time? Think it might cost a lot of money?  Exactly.  Maybe this is why Jesus went to the cross. His ultimate sacrifice involved death, blood, an act of pure love. He is the example and we do these things by HIS strength and leadership not our plans and power.

When we “love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves,” we become the church at it’s best.  This is the vision unleashed, because this is who we are.  Our preferences will fall away and our focus will be sharp and clear. This is what we MUST do, it’s time.
 

Josh

Join us this Sunday for our VISION WEEKEND followed by baptism and BBQ. Link to our facebook event here

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, we would love to have you join us.  Don’t miss our weekend services. Visit www.217church.com for more information. or watch a weekend message here

 

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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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Cultivating Deep Character

There is a HUGE tree in my back yard that I love because of how tall it stands.  When I look at it I see a beautiful creation of God that has taken decades to build strong.  What makes it so strong?  An extensive root system.  A complex interweaving of the underground part of the tree that you never see.  This has always fascinated me about trees.  You can gaze upon how majestic it climbs to the sky, but really what makes it grow is what you never see below the soil.  The same is true for our character.  Character is NOT about what everyone sees, it is about what is driving you that often no one ever notices.

Character not only will defend you but it defines you…

 
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“He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season…” Psalm 1:3

Most of us would say we want to have deep character and we want people to trust us.  But sometimes character can be illusive because of our blind spots and our bad experiences.  But even so, here are some ways you can develop deep character in your life no matter what situation you find yourself in.  And keep in mind, we develop strong character in order to stay focused on the mission God has for us.

5 Ways To Develop Your Character…

#1 Stay in the Word –  We can too easily forget the foundation of character starts with our relationship with Jesus.  We must INTENTIONALLY make time to get away with him.  I was just talking to my friend the other day and he told me he is taking a mini 12 hour retreat Sunday.  Awesome! Get away from all your distractions and be shaped and steadied by your time with Jesus.  Let him root out destructive habits and incorrect thinking.

#2 Be Humble –  If you have to take credit for everything good that happens in your work, family, etc. you have a problem.  Pass along the credit and promote others.  Do you always have to be right?  Always have to have the last word?  Always interrupting people to get your point across?  Yep, that’s pride.  And by the way, the moment you think you are humble your character is probably taking a hit.  It is when you realize your pride when your character is deepened.  

#3 Serve Continually – Every chance you possibly get you need to serve.  Considering others’ needs will give you a strong root system that can’t be compromised.  You can’t just serve when it feels good, but when it hurts.  This is especially true in marriage.  Did you know your marriage has character as well?  Build the character of your identity together as a couple through serving continually.

#4 Select Friends Carefully –   You need friends that will build into your character not tear it down.  I’m not at all for being an exclusionist and isolating yourself from others who don’t believe the same way as you.  But we must be careful who we bring close to us that INFLUENCES our thinking.

#5 Hold Your Tongue –   Nothing will destroy your influence and character faster than a hasty, harsh word.  The words you use define what you believe and how you interact with the world.  The next time you want to say something brutal, slow down.  Don’t make excuses for yourself either.  NO ONE gets a free pass by saying, “that’s just the way I am.”  If you want to deepen character it’s time to address the problem, your mouth.  Quick to listen, slow to speak, blah, blah, blah. you get it right?

Which one do you need to work on the most?  Which do you need to prioritize today?  I would love to interact with you here.

Josh

This Sunday at 217church we conclude our #Activate Series:   “Disciple Making”


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We are the church that meets at two theaters!  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 9:30 & 11am and Starplex Cinemas in East Windsor, NJ at 10:15.  Our new 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.