Sunday, February 14, 2020

Feb 16

This is an extended Sunday rewind - with further thoughts from Daniel Grenz below the video.

On Sunday, I shared a buffet of practical application for how to apply the lessons from Joseph’s life. I mentioned fasting weekly, praying in tongues daily, and gathering with others for small group community and accountability Email me if you’d like more information on accountability groups or anything else I shared!

Email Daniel Grenz

While calling us to those things, I want to focus in on sharing more around building lives in the Word and growing mentoring relationships.

Life in the Word

In days of spiritual drought and waywardness, God’s solution is to bring us back to the foundation of knowing Him. To know Him, we first and most look to the written Word. I’ve heard it said that the Bible is the transcription of the very soul of God. While most of us have read the Bible for years, I am convinced that we will never graduate from having a focused, intentional reach for knowing and encountering God through the Bible. While the first step is to schedule a dedicated time to read the Word, even then it is all too easy to fall into a “Bible roulette” approach of opening our Bibles and reading in random locations day by day. Here are a few ways you can engage in a more focused, intentional way with the Bible:

1) Read-Through the Bible: To get a picture of the whole of Scripture, it is valuable to read through the Bible front to back. Whether it be a 30-day plan or a 2-year plan, there are many options for doing this. Grab a friend or do this as a family! Check out specific reading plans here!

2) Book Study – Rather than going for breadth, this method goes for depth in one book. By choosing a book of the Bible to lock into for a period of time, several months or even a year, you will find yourself understanding not only the content, but the heart of the message (and the heart of God) at a deeper level.

3) Topical Reading – If you find yourself wanting to study a specific focus, such as the mercy of God, the Old Testament Covenants or the work of the Spirit, topical reading and study is a great way to dig into a specific focus.

Regardless of which approach you take, commit to a focused, scheduled time where you ask God the Spirit to open the Bible and teach you God the Word.

Pray daily for “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus” (Ephesians 1:17) to fill the storehouse of your heart. As you are reading, take note when a phrase or verse sticks out, sit on it for a moment and turn that into conversation with God.

I’ve found that questions also help facilitate this conversation:

· What did this mean to those it was first written for?

· What does this show me about who God is?

· Who am I in light of this?

· What is this calling me to think, say, do?

These questions become the doorway into revelation and encounter with God. Journal insight and key ideas that He highlights, along with questions you have, as all of these will bring greater continuity in the day-to-day journey into knowing God through the Word.

Set a time. Choose a plan. Share it with a friend.

Mentoring

One of my favorite promises for what the Church will look like before Jesus returns is found in Jeremiah 3:15: “Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.”

At The Bridge, we are striving to find ourselves as part of the company of those shepherds. One of the main callings and defining assignments upon us as a church is to give our time, energy, experience and strength to the next generation in such a way that they are empowered to love God wholeheartedly and touch nations with revival.

Because we all appreciate a concise call to action, here it is:

·Ask God to highlight one person for you to mentor.
Approach them and express your heart for them and desire to intentionally encourage them in their growth in Jesus.
Set a time and place to meet (I would recommend starting with bi-monthly meetings).
Buy them a coffee - or cookie if they prefer.
Take time at the beginning to share your story and create relational equity.
Invite them to share their story.
Ask them what they want to grow in.
Seek the Lord for wisdom on how to support them in this journey.

You have a spiritual inheritance, whether deposits have been made for two months or two decades.

That deposit is worth more than gold for others on their journey. Move beyond the apprehension, the scheduling challenge, and the awkwardness of initiating the relationship and find someone around you to sow into, serve and bless.

And while you’re at it, find someone who can come alongside you as a mentor/encouragement. We believe so much in this that we will be offering more training and resourcing on mentoring for those who are interested!

Click the button below to contact Daniel with more questions or suggestions.