You already noticed that I published the wrong post yesterday for the One Year Bible. I usually try to put out the posts a day ahead, not only for your convenience, but there is someone reading with us for whom it is already tomorrow. Also, these entries take me a lot of time to write. In Genesis, it was taking me 3-5 hours to write a post. Things are “quicker” now in the OT and with the repetition of the events in the Gospels, but eventually we’ll be back into new narrative texts (Judges and John) and it will get time consuming again. All this to say, that I have to work ahead and I got mixed up yesterday.
These posts serve several purposes and I’d appreciate your input. The reason I’m doing this is to develop a plan for discipleship groups to read through the Bible, encouraging and strengthening one another according to what the Spirit is giving them each day, not according to some “contrived” curriculum. These posts will become the basis for a manual or guide to help the people in the groups grow in the Word and sharpen one another. Discussing the reading as it applies to us as disciples is just one part of what the groups will do, but it is a big part.
My experience as a pastor has shown me that few people really feel at home in the Bible. They feed themselves mostly from many secondary sources. A disciple cannot afford to do that. Our true strength and focus is from the Spirit as He uses the Word in us. As Timothy in 2Tim. 2:2 was told to do, we entrust the truth. The Word is our most basic and necessary manual. As a missionary, I know that tools vary in any culture in any language, but the Word is the only constant and essential tool and the Word works. We don’t need to wait for books by any popular authors, we have the Bible.
The “lessons” are not formal as in some discipleship manuals, but are geared as a companion to the reading to focus us on discipleship and understanding, even enjoying, the Word. Rather than have a lesson on “stewardship,” stewardship comes out in the reading as the Spirit leads or gets emphasized by someone in the group. The goal is to teach the leaders of these groups to ask the Spirit to focus them on following Christ, feeding their heart through the Word, so that they can encourage and strengthen the others in the group to follow Christ in the harvest. Since everyone is reading and is focused, the “lessons” and applications will be what the Spirit brings to each person for that day and in their particular setting. They actually can be encouraging one another and learning, themselves, to lead another group of 2-3 disciples. That’s the goal.
This pursuit of making disciples is a passion for me, so I’d be doing this if no one was reading, but since you are reading, I want to thank you because it is an encouragement to see that some people are following along, even throughout Europe and Asia.
If you have comments or suggestions to make the entries more discipleship focused or if you just want to trade observations, either write a comment, or just email me at dgkachikis@gmail.com.
Laura and I are transitioning out of the church plant we were hoping would gain some traction and are searching for a church. During the transition, I plan on posting everyday, therefore I really need to get ahead (or do I mean, “get a head?”). If you don’t mind, pray for us, for a church where we can grow together in unity in Christ, following Him into the harvest to see lost people saved and disciples made who will make disciples who make disciples. Oh, yeah, and if you know of a church, let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment