Matthew 4:19 (CSB)
19 “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fish for people.”
Revelation 20:6 (CSB)
6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
In November of 2020, we went to Friday night services that allowed us to check in with other churches and see how they were. In addition, we started the year 2021 with Frontline Warriors.
This was supposed to be a time of filling in the gaps of our faith. We would start with the topical studies from the Purple Book as basic training. In addition, we would explore some schools of ministry to learn how to combat Satan and learn to be led by the Holy Spirit.
How Did We Do?
Sunday Services – Tiffany and I have attended services at Grace Bible, Open Door, Meadow Valley Community Church, and Family Worship Assembly. The majority for me has been down at Grace Bible.
How about you?
Schools of Ministry – We took a look at parts of Unity in the Spirit through video (4). We spent 8 sessions on the topic of the Battle for the Mind. I myself have gone through the 10 schools a couple of times. In fact, I am on my third pass through them.
How about you?
The Purple Book – We started out as a hybrid class to meet in-home and online. We had 5 online participants as we experimented through email and online forms. We had no in-home participants except for Tiffany and me in the first chapter.
The initial 5 got through 3 chapters and then they study dropped to Tiffany and me through chapter 5. Then I was on my own.
I attended the chapter 5-6 study in Mather and then it was online experimentation for chapters 7 and 8 with Amanda B. In all, I got through 70% of the content and have it set up as a self-study email course.
How about you? I know several bought the book.
I did use chapters 5 and 6 that comprised of 8 sessions on the word of God and 5 sessions on Discipleship. So even if you didn’t participate in the study you got some of the content.
Final question – how have you grown in the Lord this past year?
Space and Time
Just as God set up spaces to fill with His creation (Genesis 1), He has set up spaces for us to occupy. Some would call it our sphere of activity. These are the spaces where we live, work and recreate.
In coaching, there is an activity called Clear the Clutter. This is an activity to open up space and time for something new in your life. We can’t say yes to everything, but hopefully, we are saying yes to the right things.
Do you have space and time for daily prayer, reading Scripture, and meeting with other believers?
Acts 2:42–43 (CSB)
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.
43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles.
Acts 2:46–47 (CSB)
46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Stages of Maturity – How Do We Move Forward?
While space and time must be allocated to interact with others, stages give us a structure for our maturing process. These can be captured by 4 chairs.
- Chair 1 – The Seeker
- Chair 2 – The Believer
- Chair 3 – The Worker
- Chair 4 – The Disciple Maker
As we grow in Christ things change. We are to be transformed into the likeness of Christ. As we grow, our basic needs change. The skills we need at each stage, or chair, change as well.
Let’s take a quick look at the progression.
4-Chair Assessment
To help us figure out where we are and what our next step should be I have a tool for you to examine yourself. Now, remember, all tools aren’t perfect, but they can be helpful.
The first page has the cover and the suggested steps to move forward from the chair you are in.
The second page is the statements that help you evaluate where you are.
What Will You Do?
What step will you work on as you start the New Year?
How will you bring more balance to the relationships with the Father, the family of God, and the world?
