Fresh Vision, Part 4 (Being Disciples/Building Disciples)

The passion of my heart (and the heart of the Pastoral Team at CCF) is to:

LOVE GOD & LOVE PEOPLE!!!

That's our passion and that's our purpose.

But, How do we do it? Where do we do it? When do we do it? How do we measure it?

But more important than any of that even is...how do we communicate it and get people to embrace it and help us live it? We need you!

It took me a long time to get here, actually. But I arrived somewhere that I now am so jazzed about that I cannot wait to bring loads of people with me to this place.

So, here it is. I was actually driving down 197 in Bowie when these ideas flooded my mind. It was just fresh clarity to what we had already been feeling. I pulled over to write. I will never forget it.

How do we love God? Most effectively? Most passionately? Most powerfully? Most intimately? A GOOD Christian might say..."oh, we worship Him, praise Him, magnify Him, exalt Him, obey Him, serve Him, seek Him, on and on and blah, blah, blah....and that's how we love God!" Pump the brakes! OK, I am sorry to sound harsh, but that's too long of a list, too churchy, too complicated, too demanding for most busy 2008 CCF attendees, members and guests who need their lives to be transformed, not informed. So, I ask the question differently now...what is the top, premier, primary, number 1 way that we can LOVE GOD. I say it is this: BE DISCIPLES! To follow hard after Christ as committed Disciples. There is no greater LOVE GIFT that we can offer, than our lives transformed and lived out as disciples all day, all week, all month, all year, all of life. BE DISCIPLES!

So, that sets the stage for the second question. How do we love people? Again we could compile a lengthy list of ways that we communicate love to others. We can give gifts and spend time and encourage and hug and kiss and feed and clothe and on and on and on. But again, the series of answers leaves me well informed of your ability to show love, but not transformed with power. So, it is as clear to me as anything has ever been that the number 1, top shelf, primary way to LOVE PEOPLE is to BUILD DISCIPLES. Just like being a disciple is the greatest gift we can give our God, building disciples is the greatest gift we can give people. Period. There is no better way to show love. When you build disciples, you are transforming lives for now and eternity. What matters more than that?

So, I hope this is taking shape for you. I see a cool logo or visual in the making!

Purpose: Love God & Love People
By: Being Disciples & Building Disciples
Through: Large Groups & Small Groups

I am looking forward to writing more on:

• What is discipleship? Who are disciples?
• Purpose of Large Groups.
• Purpose of Small Groups?
• More...

Stay tuned in and I would love your feedback and comments.