When we feed our hearts with the gospel, we will be strengthened to fulfill our calling to make disciples. I love this promise because it is the explanation of how we will fulfill our mission of disciples making disciples in the everyday stuff of life.

Sooner or later everyone hits a wall. We wake up one morning exhausted and uninterested in fulfilling our calling. When life gets busy and our schedules overflow, it we have a tendency to question the purpose and impact of our lives. When that happens we need to feed on the gospel.

At its core, belief that life is too busy to follow Jesus is a gospel unbelief issue. If we are so busy that we don’t make time to hear from God through His Word and His people, then we must take a step back to evaluate our busyness. It is through meeting together that we gain perspective on our circumstances and remind each other of the gospel. “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25). Living life together can be messy. Laying all of our messes on the table can be humbling.

Sharing our messy stories allows us to apply the gospel in everyday ways. The gospel reminds us that our identity isn’t found in our strengths but in our weakness. The gospel becomes real in the mess of life!

The calling to love each other with no limits sounds grand and noble, but when the rubber meets the road it can be tough. If pursuing people and wanting to see change in them stems from glorifying yourself by being their Savior, it’ll never work. The gospel isn’t meant to be a tool to make you look good, it is a truth that points to Jesus. A truth we all need.

Through Jesus we have been changed and so we get to be the hands and feet that carry the gospel to those around us in the everyday messes of life. There is no limit to what God can do through one disciple delighting in and submitting to Jesus. As we seek to believe the gospel in our own lives, we are then equipped to bring the sweetness of it to others. The gospel strengthens us to be disciples who make disciples in the everyday stuff of life!

Loving the gospel,
Pastor Kent

We are called to be disciples making disciples in the everyday stuff of life. This is not an event or program tacked onto our already busy lives. It is our everyday life as a disciple. Disciples make disciples by listening to the Holy Spirit, listening to our friends and neighbors, and intentionally sharing Jesus in word and deed everywhere we
go. We can do this in everyday ways without overloading our schedules. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Eat with non-Christians.
We all eat three meals a day. Why not make a habit of sharing one of those meals with a friend. Whether he/she is a Christian or a non-Christian, God can use this to make or grow a disciple. Order pizza, host a cook-out, meet at a restaurant and focus on having a good conversation.

2. Walk; don’t drive.
If you live in a walkable area, make a practice of getting out and walking around your neighborhood, apartment complex, or campus. Instead of driving to the mailbox or convenience store, walk. Be deliberate in your walk, greet people, and take interest in your neighbors. For added impact, take your dog and pay attention to what happens next!

3. Be a regular.
Instead of hopping all over the city for gas, groceries, haircuts, eating out, and coffee, go to the same places at the same times. Get to know the staff. Smile. Ask questions. Build relationships. Be a regular, listen well, and pray for open doors.

4. Hobby with Others
Pick a hobby that you can share. Get out and do something you enjoy with others. Try a sports league or a local cycling team. Share your hobby by teaching lessons. Teach sewing, piano, guitar, knitting, or tennis lessons. Be prayerful. Be intentional. Be winsome. Have fun and be yourself!

5. Talk to your co-workers.
Take your breaks with intentionality. Go out with your team or task force after work. Show interest in your co-workers; pray for them by name. Form parent groups in your neighborhood. Schedule play dates with the neighbors’ kids. Be intentional.

6. Volunteer with non-profits.
Find a non-profit in your neighborhood and take Saturday a month to serve your city. Volunteer regularly. Bring your neighbors, your friends, or your small groups. Spend time making the world better everyone!

7. Participate in local events.
Instead of time with electronics, get out with other people. Go to fundraisers, festivals, clean-ups, summer shows, parades, seminars, and concerts. Strike up conversation. Study the culture, and reflect on it. Pray for and love the city.

8. Serve your neighbors.
Help a neighbor by weeding, mowing, building a cabinet, fixing a car. Stop by the neighborhood association or apartment office and ask if there is anything you can do to help improve things. Ask your local Police or Fire Stations for ways to help. Get creative and serve.

Summer is a great time to get out and grow as a disciple making disciples in the everyday stuff of life. See you out and about!

~ Pastor Kent