Hello dear friends! I hope that each one of you are connected to healthy groups of other believers. It is possible, but very difficult, to live out the Christian life without the help of others. All of us were made for relationship, and in relationship we learn how to do the "one anothers" of the Bible (e.g., love one another, pray for one another, encourage one another, forgive one another etc.).
Today's Psalms of Discipleship teaches the principle of guarding our words and deeds. If we do as the Scriptures instruct us, we will experience, not only for ourselves great personal blessings, but we will be a blessing to our community of believers as well.
This is a prayer we can each call our own:
May the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (Ps. 19:14)
Denny
P.S. Let me share a little bit of housekeeping matters with you. Perhaps you are aware that facebook is changing the way "Groups" are managed. After this submission, I am going to upgrade the group. As far as I know, this change should not have any significant impact upon your ability to stay connected with Psalms of Discipleship. As far as I know, your email inbox (if your settings are such where you receive notifications, you receive an email of the newest post) should still give you access to Psalms of Discipleship.
If, for whatever reason, you get cut off, you can still locate Psalms of Discipleship via my teaching blog. It can be found by clicking on the link at the bottom of this message.
I am grateful to hear the feedback of how this devotional ministry of discipleship has been a blessing and personal encouragement to you. Thanks for praying for me. This past week I completed the written portion of my doctoral dissertation. Lord willing, sometime this summer I will defend it and then graduate. To God be the glory!
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #19
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: 12 Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34:12-14
Core Value: Community
Connecting in community is not an option if one wishes to grow in faith and in relationship. The answer for a meaningful relationship and spiritual growth is not isolation or even into a program steeped in religious rituals. What really matters in Christian spiritual formation is the relationship with other believers. “Ironically, one problem we often see in the Christian community is that people get more into religion and less into the connectedness the Bible prescribes, with the result that they get sicker” (From “How People Grow” by Cloud & Townsend 2001, 123). It was the great writer and thinker John Donne who stated these timeless words: “No man is an island unto himself.” This simply means that it is crucial for a believer who wishes to grow spiritually to have frequent times of fellowship with other like-minded believers. In addition to times of corporate worship, time must be spent in a smaller group setting in order to build lasting, meaningful relationships.
Trust in relationships must be established for any community to be considered as “safe.” The goal of any community of Christians should be “an environment of grace.” Author Bill Hull suggests that, “Trust is only present when the faith community experiences relationships of trust in an environment of grace.” Being a participating member in a healthy community of other believers, one experiences more than just having “fellowship.” In a community where grace is celebrated and trust is a part of the culture, one can be changed; even one’s character can be impacted by those who surround them. Again, Hull says, “Character is shaped in community.” Hull also suggests the value of being a member of a group of other disciples of Jesus Christ enhances the spiritual growth of each individual. In many cultures, there is the great temptation to go it alone. The success of the spiritual journey is never about how fast one can go. The underlying challenge and measure of success is to make the journey with others too. “As the African proverb tells us, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together’” (Bill Hull).
Principle #19 & Personal Application: The quality disciple desires to build a community that is committed to having a healthy and safe place for spiritual, relational and emotional growth.
• A healthy community of believers will guard their tongue from evil and deceit.
• A healthy community of believers will depart from evil and do good.
• A healthy community of believers will seek peace and pursue it.
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
Do I have a place, a group, where I can receive spiritual and emotional support on a regular basis?
What positive contributions can I bring to the Body of Christ that will help others feel safe with me?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I do desire a quality life, a good long life that I may be a witness of what is good. Grant me the power to keep my tongue from evil. Keep my lips from speaking deceit. Help me to depart from evil and empower me with the inspiration to seek and pursue peace.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2011 All rights reserved.
www.dennybates.com
http://thequalitydisciple.blogspot.com/
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