Have you ever had an experience that helped shape your life to some degree.
This may have happened in a moment, week, month, or over years.

I am sure your answer to this question is, "Yes".
Who you are has a lot to do with your lived experiences. These experiences help you construct your values, habits, and lifestyle

Maybe you went to Space Camp and discovered an interest and aptitude for science.
Or perhaps you were raised on or worked on a farm. Which may have developed values for hard work and responsibility.
Maybe you have been part of a group of people that has changed the trajectory of your life.

There are as many examples as there are people.
God uses these opportunities to mold us and shape you into who He has called you to be.

When considering these experiences the following questions rise to the surface:
- What are formative experiences?
- Why are they important?
- How can an understanding of formative experiences help in your life and the lives of those you lead(or parent)?

Formative Experiences are periods of time or opportunities that help shape your character, attitudes, or interests.

They are valuable because of their strong and lasting influence on your life.

These times provide a break from what is normal. This allows you discover new passions, values, and practices.
This is important because your day-to-day life tends to reinforce the status quo.

Formative experiences are helpful in your growth and development. You can take advantage of these experiences at any stage of life. Even as an adult (including more "seasoned" adults), you are still being formed and shaped by your experiences.

You have the power to seek out or create these opportunities.

What would it look like for you to seek out formative experiences for yourself? How could you multiply that impact by inviting others along with you?

You can use your influence to point people in these directions. Maybe there was an experience that was profound for you that you could recommend to others.

This perspective is helpful for discipleship (and for discipling your children). You can help position them in ways that will help them take steps towards living a life full of God.

This is why it is common for churches to encourage their youth to attend church camp or mission trips. Their hope is that the experiences will go a long way in shaping the values and character of the young people. In these environments God tends to shape young hearts in powerful ways.

Keep in mind, two people may share an opportunity and have different experiences. One person may be forever changed while the other may be remain largely indifferent.
(However, I don't see how anyone's life wouldn't be forever changed by Space Camp...)

But, there are some experiences that tend to have deep impact on most people.

These are opportunities such as mission trips, ministry opportunities, conferences, and being part of the body of Christ.

The "X" factor in these experience is that living God is at work in the lives of those present.

The more you can get yourself and others into God-saturated environments the better. He is the most impactful and formative force on the planet. He is constantly shaping us and helping us grow into who he made us to be.

So, what are the key ingredients to formational experiences?

Understanding the following building blocks can help you identify opportunities to step into. These may also help you craft formational experiences for others to enjoy.

Not all the building blocks are necessary to have a formative experience. You could have a high degree of impact from something with only one or two of the building blocks.

They exist to help you understand how to get the factors to work together to produce the most impact.

For a period of time you:


1. Enter a new setting or context
Get away from what is familiar. Find a break from your normal context. For some period of time life as you know it is on hold. In this space, you are free to practice new rhythms and routines that lean into a different set of values.

In doing this, you hit the reset button for your mind. You are telling yourself that things aren't normal. When you adjust to the environment you establish a "new normal" for that context.

Then you get to bring the "new normal" back to collide with the "old normal". The areas where the "new normal" becomes part of your life is where you see life change. This is what you hope will happen!

This could be a third world nation, a part of town you aren’t used to, or even a friend's house for a small group or microchurch.


2. Learn something new
Formative experiences hinge on incorporating new information.

Sometimes your experience or what you see is the teacher (ex. seeing the living conditions of those you minister to on a mission trip).

Often what you learn comes through discipleship or a more formal teaching context.

Someone you trust may go along with you who will teach. Other times there are teachers you meet who earn your trust.

These people teach valuable lessons for that context. Good teaching helps to shape you to fit into that setting.

This teaching is often related to the culture and goals of the setting. In other words they teach, "this is how and why we do things this way." They teach you how to live in a way that is consistent with the values and the context.


3. Serve in new ways or do something new
This is where you apply what you learn. A teacher has primed you for the task at hand. You may still feel unprepared, but you go for it anyway.

You might minister to people in new ways or practice new spiritual disciplines.
Whatever the context calls for, this building block is about stepping out and doing it.

The newness will grow and stretch you. Your eyes open to what you can do.

Stepping into these experiences often means embracing some degree of discomfort.

Sometimes, instead of embracing discomfort, people will meet discomfort with resentment or resistance. Not surprisingly, this will likely ruin the experience for them(and for others too).

In moments of discomfort you may uncover an area of giftedness or passion.

Keep in mind, your attitude has a lot of power in this process. It could be your biggest asset or your biggest liability.


4. Go with people you know
You are made for community. You are not meant to be formed all by yourself.

You need people who are on the journey alongside you.

Your connection will deepen with those who enter the experience with you. As you navigate the setting and learn together your relationship will grow deeper.  
Formative experiences have a way of drawing you out. These times often facilitate deep and meaningful conversations and connections.

Those who share a journey with you can help keep you accountable. You may help each other incorporate the values and practices into your lives.

The more people that go with you the easier it is to carry the rhythms, practices, and culture back with you.


5. Form new relationships
Deep and meaningful relationships get forged as we are formed alongside others.
Perhaps you can recall the friendships that you made during a week at camp, on a mission trip, or at a small group.

These relationships can also help you incorporate the "new normal" into your life.

Those you meet know you as the person who lives into the new context and values. They help you remember the person that you want to be.

I still keep in touch with friends I made at my Summer Project with CRU. Summer Project was a 10-week summer experience in Ocean City, NJ. Over seventy college students lived in two huge houses near the beach. We were equipped and encouraged to share Jesus with people out on the boardwalk. When I talk to these friends I remember how I want to be intentional with sharing my faith. I am encouraged by thinking about their commitment. We were only together for a few months. But now, we share a lifelong connection from our time together that summer.

Everyone has formative experiences that have shaped them.But few seek out the opportunities for themselves. Many sit back and let the experiences find them.

What would it look like to have a personal formation or growth plan?

What would it mean for you to seek the Lord and ask Him what can help you take the next step in growing in character and in the values of His kingdom?

As you go, you will find experiences that are resonate deeply with your heart.
When you discover these special experiences, make a habit of regularly entering into those contexts. This allows you to consistently instill the values in yourself.

If it is backwoods camping trips, get one on the calendar as often as you can. If it is volunteering at the local Salvation Army, seize all the opportunities you can to serve. If it a church, microchurch, or small group, dive into community there.

Help yourself and help those you lead. Get formative experiences on your radar. Seek the Lord. Walk with Him. Let Him stretch, challenge, and transform you!


Here is a list of God-saturated experiences with the potential for life changing impact:
- Mission Trips (stateside & international)
- Church Camp
- Retreats
- Conferences
- Serving the poor & praying for the sick _{(In Zanesville, we go out weekly on Tuesday's at noon to pray for the sick and minister to those in the downtown/Putnam area. See Revival Mission event on the event calendar Click Here!)}
- Small Group/Microchurch
- Discipleship Relationships
- Church Gatherings

____________________________________________

What is a formative experience (big or small) that you can commit to?

Some of the most formative experiences that made me who I am today were recommended by a trusted friend who was further along in their walk with God. Who is someone you trust that could recommend a formative experience to you?

What is a formative experience you could suggest or provide for someone who lead or are close to (maybe one of your children)?

Who could you share this blog post with that could benefit from this understanding of formative experiences?

⌚︎  1-2 min. read

Book Review: Not a Fan. (Kyle Idleman, 2011)

Kyle Idleman sounds a clear call to be a committed follower of Jesus.

The big question facing most Christians today:
Are you a fan or a follower?

Using the words and life of Jesus, Idleman draws a line in the sand.

In today's culture it is easy to just be a fan of Jesus. Maybe that is all that has been asked of you. Church culture tends to settle for fandom. Show up at the service, throw some money in the plate (and go to a Bible study once a week if you are a superfan).

Is that all Jesus called us to?

Discover the life that Jesus intended his followers to have with Him.

Idleman navigates the topic well. His tone strikes a refreshing balance. He holds back nothing as he boldly outlines the commitment Jesus wants. At the same time, his writing is full of grace and love.

He helps evoke a desire to deepen your commitment to Jesus. But he doesn't leave you there, he provides a roadmap for how to move forward.
The writing style is equal parts convicting and empowering. This is no rant about church culture that leaves you in the dumps. By the end of the book you are left picturing a better future where you are all-in as you fall more in love with Jesus.

The words of this book continue to ring in my ears. I see the effects of Christian fan culture all around. Idleman put words to my heart's cry. Which is to be fully committed to Jesus and to lead others to a greater degree of commitment.

I recommend this book to anyone who earnestly desires to live for Jesus. Let its words strengthen and encourage you to follow Jesus closely.

You need this perspective as a disciple-maker. Discipleship is partnering with Jesus to make followers, not fans. Not a Fan will help you look for and strengthen commitment in those you disciple and lead.

“Jesus never asked us to sit on the sidelines and cheer for his cause.” — Craig Groeschel, senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv Are you a fan or a follower? The dictionary defines a fan as “an enthusiastic admirer.” Fans want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires sacrifice. Fans may be fine with repeating a prayer, attending church on the weekend, and slapping a Jesus fish on their bumpers. But is that really the extent of the relationship Jesus wants? Jesus was never interested in having admirers. It’s not fans he is looking for. Not a Fan challenges you to consider what it really means to call yourself a Christian. With a direct frankness that you’re not likely to hear in Sunday school class, Kyle invites you to take an honest look at your relationship with Jesus. His call to follow may seem radical to us, but Jesus desires it for every believer.

⌚︎  7 min. read

You  walk with God (see my last post about walking with God). You take steps with Him and experience His presence.

You come across passages in the Bible about keeping in step with the Spirit. It sounds simple and straightforward. It seems like something you should be able to do easily.
Why does it seem difficult?

Many struggle with staying in step with the Spirit.
 
Most "Bible heroes" experienced this very problem. They had their moments where they were in step with God. But, many of them were out of sync with him at some point.

The truth is, there are many barriers to staying in step with the Spirit.

I want to highlight two pitfalls or ditches on the sides of the road for you to avoid. They are there to derail you from following the Spirit.

These two pitfalls are best understood in terms of walking with God.

The two pitfalls:
1. Walking too slow
2. Walking too fast
 
As you walk with God and listen, you will hear from Him. You will see promises in His word. There will be other promptings from God.
In each instance, it will take time to see these their fulfillment. During this period, there is an invitation to walk with God by staying in step with Him. There is also the opportunity to find yourself out of step with Him along the way.

You and God might start out together, heading in the same direction.
But, by going too slow or too fast you may find yourself further and further from Him.

You excessively wait on God to move while watching what He does without you. Eventually your walk with God leaves you as a passive observer in your own life.

This pitfall may seem spiritual and might even look like faith from a distance. But it is unbelief in disguise. Those deep into this pitfall will find a way to use theology to justify their lack of involvement.

It takes personal involvement and risk to get on the road and in step with the Spirit.

Imagine a young soccer player who knows her coach wants to win. She also knows that he is far better at soccer. The coach comes over to put her in the game. The player turns to her friend on the sideline and says, "If he wants to win he can do it, he has the ability."
The coach was trying to work with her to win the game. Now he wonders if the she even wants to play.

You move quickly, acting on every prompting from God. You do what you can to make things happen and end up doing most of work.

This side seems to contain faith as you push hard into God's word. But you end up with a result that bears next to no fingerprint of God's presence or power. This leaves you exhausted because you were not meant to do it without Him.

You can feel it when you start walking too fast. You leave the easy yoke and light burden way of life Jesus talked about. You feel the weight to produce results. The pressure rests on you, not God.

Surrendering your ideas and plans and patiently waiting on God is what it takes to get back in step with God.

One day during family God time we had instruments out during worship. My oldest, Calvin, picked up the small recorder. He knew the sound it was supposed to make. He put it to his lips and instead of blowing into the mouthpiece, he did something else. He produced a sound with his voice to imitate the recorder. He made an oooooooohhhhhh, oooooooohhhhhh sound. He was using his own ability to make the notes. The notes that could be produced with ease if he knew how to partner with the recorder.
He used his own ability to try to get results.

No matter your ability, you cannot get God results on your own. That statement may either be liberating or terrifying to you depending on which way you lean.

This is where you want to be. It has the best out of both sides. You have dependence on God along with action that partners with Him.

You wait on Him so that you do not run ahead.
You take steps because you believe what He is doing.
You meet God in the process as you walk together.

One indicator that you are in this sweet spot is that you act in a way that depends on Him and His power.

Because you believe, you take steps. This is where God puts his ability on your availability.

Because he believed, Peter took stepped out of the boat.
Because she believed, the woman with the issue of blood reached out and touched Jesus cloak.

This is a picture of how faith expresses itself in action.

You start with intimacy and closeness with Him. Then you step out with Him in faith, leaving the results up to Him.

On the opposite side, an indicator of being in step with God is how you wait on Him.

You adopt a yielded posture that says, "not what I want God, but what you want."

The simple test for this is in your prayer life. How often do you turn to God in prayer seeking His direction or ideas before making decisions.

In many ways God has invited you to dance with Him.

You may think, "If he wants to dance, he knows where to find me. He is God and he can dance if he wants to, he doesn't need me. I would just screw it up anyway".  
You leave Him waiting on the floor as everyone else gets out there and participates. You grow bored as you stand with your back on the wall and wonder what happened to the love you had at first. You wonder why God doesn't do things that excite you anymore.
 
Or, you may hear God's call to dance and run out straight past Him to the dance floor. After all, you think you know the song. You start strong until you get tired. Maybe you realize that you don't exactly know what you are doing as much as you thought. You end up looking foolish to the other couples. You feel tired and alone in the middle of all the activity.

His desire is for you to hear his invitation to dance and take his hand. To risk getting out onto the floor. You don't quite know what to do, but you let him lead.
With time you learn to be led by gentle nudges.
Eventually, you learn to dance with Him so well that you don’t need many nudges. He will still lead but you know how to partner so well that you move as one.

Consider the life of Abraham. (Genesis 12-25:11)

Abraham was called to move to the land of his fathers and received amazing promises from God.
From here his life was a series of ups and downs.

He typically fell in the pitfall of walking too fast by relying on himself.
Abraham received a clear picture of what God was doing and he often took it upon himself to make it happen.

One of the big moments had to do with God's promise that Abraham would be the father of many nations. Simple logic told Abraham that he needed to have a child for this to happen.

After a time with no children, Abraham reasoned that he knew how to make children. His plan was to take matters into his own hands and have a child by Hagar. The Bible makes it clear that this was a step ahead of God and not what He planned.

God told Abraham that Sarah would bear his child. Abraham knew that for Sarah to bear his child it was up to him to make her pregnant.

In their old age they did not have the power to bear a child on their own. God's role was to open Sarah's womb to get pregnant in her old age. For this to work, Abraham and Sarah had to do their part and God had to do His.

In this story you see:
• God's makes a promise
• Abraham takes a detour by walking ahead of God
• Abraham syncs up with God (he repents and gets on God's page)
• Abraham and Sarah have faith in God's word and power,
• Abraham and Sarah partner with that promise
• Their faith and obedience meets God's power and ability
• They all rejoice in the fruit that they achieved together

Do you see how Abraham walked too fast to be in step with God?
Did you notice how Abraham never said, "God if you want Sarah to be pregnant you can make it happen, you don't need me." Abraham was clearly meant to be involved in the process.

I hope this has encouraged you and equipped you with an understanding of how to stay in step with the Spirit.

Use this understanding to steer clear of the pitfalls and stay in step with the Spirit.

You may also use this perspective as a lens to view those around you. Use it to help and encourage your community to stay in step with God.

God gave us community to help one another get out of the ditches and back on the road.

He wants all of us to walk with him in an active, easy-yoke, life-giving, and fruitful way!

____________________________________________

What side does the pendulum of your life tend to swing towards?

What is one thing you can do in the next 2-3 days to walk in step with the Spirit? (Where your obedience, faith, and intentionality can meet his ability and power)

Who is someone that is stuck in one of the two pitfalls? How can you partner with God in getting them back on the road?

Who is someone you will share this with in the next in the next 2-3 days?

⌚︎  1-2 min. read

Book Review: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (John Mark Comer, 2019)

You: Hello!
Friend: Hi! How are you?
You: I'm good, just ____

Did you fill the blank in with the word busy?
Even when I am not particularly busy I find those words coming out of my mouth. How did this become my default?

At a recent pastor's gathering I heard a pastor make a blanket statement. In the context of the conversation he said, "Now, I know that we are all super busy..."
No one batted an eye. In fact, most nodded their heads. How can such a large assumption be so accurate for a whole room of people?

I suspect you feel super busy too.

It is all too much. the noise, the hurry, the frenzy of activity, the thousands of daily choices of how to fill your time.  
As a culture, we are packing our lives with more and more.

John Mark Comer masterfully captures the unhealthy effects of hurry on our souls. In very short order, he illustrates the problem and offers a solution.  

His solution? Follow Jesus.

Jesus was amazing. His life was filled to the brim with purpose and meaningful work. He worked hard and was not lazy when it came to doing the Father's business.  But, the Bible never depicts Jesus as being distracted or in a rush to do anything or to get anywhere. He was not bogged down by business or by being in a hurry.
He was always in the moment. He experienced times of deep peace, rest, and joy.

Comer describes spiritual disciplines and practices to follow the example of Jesus. Practices to help you move towards an unhurried life.

Not often does a book of this nature draw me in to this degree. The process of reading felt more like a novel. I found the pages turning easily. I often sat down to read a chapter and end up reading two. Comer is engaging in his writing style. His content resonated with me at a deep level that helped me feel seen in my struggles with hurry.

Every once in a while a book captures the attention of a generation. This author has his finger on the pulse of modern American Christianity. I am confident that he speaks straight to the heart of each and every person reading.

I highly recommend this book if you have fallen victim to the hurry sickness and want to be free.

“Who am I becoming?”
 
That was the question nagging pastor and author John Mark Comer. Outwardly, he appeared successful. But inwardly, things weren’t pretty. So he turned to a trusted mentor for guidance and heard these words:
 
“Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life.”
 
It wasn’t the response he expected, but it was—and continues to be—the answer he needs. Too often we treat the symptoms of toxicity in our modern world instead of trying to pinpoint the cause. A growing number of voices are pointing at hurry, or busyness, as a root of much evil.
 
Within the pages of this book, you’ll find a fascinating roadmap to staying emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world.

⌚︎  4 min. read
Have you ever prayed for a sick person to be healed? If you are walking with Jesus, this is unavoidable. Jesus healed people and called believers to do the same (Joh. 14:11-14; Luk. 10:9; Mat. 10:1, 8; Mat. 28:20). If you have prayed for the sick, or received prayer for healing, you likely discovered divine healing can seem mysterious!  What do you do if nothing happens? Does this mean it’s not God’s will, or that you're the problem?

But what if there’s another perspective–a hope filled one…what if lack of instant results DOES NOT mean God isn’t working? What if your prayers actually do play an essential part in seeing the condition completely healed as you continue to apply faith and pray?

What I’m suggesting is that we need a perspective of seeing divine healing as a process, emphasizing the “ing” in “healing.” I’m not suggesting the process has to be slow–most of Jesus’ healing miracles happened fast–but I am saying if it’s not fast, don’t give up! Healing can be progressive, and that’s ok! When you realize this you will be encouraged to persevere—even when you don’t experience fast results.

How does progressive healing happen?  Commonly, through impartation. In divine healing, impartation is the Holy Spirit releasing life through a believer to heal the sick. The idea here is that because believers are vessels of the Holy Spirit, they can impart healing grace, or “life,” by the Spirit Of Life (Rom. 8:2).  

Jesus calls the thirsty to come to him and drink living water. He also says those same people who believe in him will have streams of living water flowing out from their inmost being (Joh. 7:37-39)! Jesus turns us into walking sprinklers that saturate everything around them with life! It’s the Holy Spirit flowing through you that heals sick and broken bodies.

To further illustrate impartation, picture someone with a garden hose filling a bucket with water.  This is a process.  If you turn the hose off too soon, the bucket won’t be completely filled.  This is similar to how healing comes through impartation.  As you pray in faith in Jesus' name, the living water begins flowing out of you–like turning on the hose.  Sometimes you “fill the bucket” quickly, resulting in a near instant miraculous healing. Other times it is more gradual and progressive, requiring prayer multiple times over an extended period of time.

This perspective is very powerful! When faced with lack of results, instead of abandoning expectation, it allows for faith to keep working!  Sounds biblical, right?  This allows you to walk by faith, not by sight (2Co. 5:7).  It allows for genuine faith to persevere until the process is complete. It allows you to know by faith that as you pray in Jesus' name life is being imparted and healing is occurring. If the condition isn’t healed yet, that’s ok, the process isn’t over yet. You have permission to pray as many times as needed!

This is biblical. Jesus prayed twice for a blind man because after the first prayer the man was only partially healed. So, Jesus put his hand on him and prayed again to impart more life until the man could see perfectly (Mar. 8:22-25).

The prophet Elisha prayed multiple times when he raised a boy from the dead. First, he sent his servant to place his staff on the boy.  There was no instant noticeable change. Elisha then went to the boy and imparted healing life by stretching himself out over the lifeless body.  Eventually the boy's body began to grow warm as life flooded in.  Then Elisha paced in the room, until he again stretched himself out on the boy's body, and the boy came back to life (2Ki. 4)!

Let’s get practical. There are different ways you can receive and impart life. For example, in the Bible we see healing result from life imparted through touch. Jesus told his disciples that believers would heal the sick through their hands (Mar. 16:18).  

Another example is items becoming impregnated with life after touching a believer.  Jesus' clothes and Paul's handkerchiefs were able to heal the sick and drive out demons (Luk. 8:44; Mar. 6:56; Act. 19:12)!

Anointing with oil is also used in healing the sick (Mar. 6:13; Jas. 5:14).  Throughout the bible anointing with oil is an act of consecration.  If handkerchiefs and clothing can carry the supernatural life of God to heal the sick, why not oil used in this holy ordinance?  

Speaking is another way to impart life.  At times, Jesus healed with a word (Mat. 8:5-13, 16).  This makes sense--the bible says his words are "spirit" and "life" (Joh. 6:63).  

Additionally, there are accounts of healing when people received communion.  How? The bible says, “by his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5; 1Pe. 2:24). Life can be released through faithfully receiving Christ's broken body.

This list is not exhaustive.  Our God is too creative for that!  The key ingredients are life and faith.

Healing is a process. Life imparted in these ways can be powerful and fast, or it may be gradual over time.  Healing may happen in 30 seconds, or over 30 years. In either case, by faith, thank God for what He’s doing until you see complete healing.  Keep dispensing and receiving living water until each situation is filled with life!  Remember, as you walk by faith, not by sight, you will continually grow in effectiveness as you grow in your partnership with the Spirit Of Life.

⌚︎  6 min. read

Have you ever wanted to walk with God, but not known how to take the next step?
Have you ever felt like life with God should be simpler and more meaningful than you have experienced?
Ever been in a spiritual dry season, walking toward God but still feeling distant?

I have answered yes to each at various parts of my life.
The truth is, these experiences are not uncommon to those wanting to walk with God.

This prompts the following questions:
Are you stuck with these experiences?
Does God intend these things to be part of life with Him?

Do you long for a simple way to live life with God that addresses these challenges and others?

I believe if you apply the following steps in sincere pursuit of God, you will experience Him in new ways.
You will be blessed.
And God will be blessed by your pursuit of Him.

The phrase "Walking with God" paints a beautiful picture of what it means to journey through life with Him.

There are several biblical principles to unpack from this expression.

To walk with someone, three things need to happen.
1. You draw near them to start together.
2. You discover where they are going so you can walk with each other.
3. You take steps and start walking together.

To walk with God you must start together.

Think of this as syncing up with Him by starting on the same page.

The Bible has a lot to say about the idea of drawing close to God.
It uses terms such as knowing and experiencing Him, abiding, and first love.

This looks like spending time with God and experiencing Him in meaningful ways.
This step is the foundation for the Christian life. Everything for the believer rises and falls on relationship and fellowship with God.

This step is not just an action it is a lifestyle. A way of life built on connecting to and enjoying God.

God has given us ways to draw close to Him and enter into his presence through spiritual disciplines. These include prayer, spending time alone with God, and reading the Bible to name a few.
Establishing a routine of spiritual disciplines helps you draw near to God.
(To learn more about engaging and understanding the disciplines you can view a List of Spiritual Disciplines, or read Celebration of Discipline)

A question to ask God for this step may be,
God, how can I draw nearer to you in this season?

Next, you need to know where He is walking.

Jesus' life and ministry provide a great picture of where He likes to walk.

Jesus walked to many locations, but people always seemed to be His destination.

He walked toward the oppressed and the depressed.
The poor and the powerless.
The hopeless and the helpless.
The sheep in need of a shepherd and the lost in need of a savior.

Your knowledge of where God is walking and your willingness to go with Him is the key to this step.

You might be great at starting near God. But unless you know where He is going, it won't take long before you are no longer walking together.

In my experience, I begin feeling distance from God when I shy away from walking with Him where He is going.

This requires me to draw close to Him over and over again, never closing in on the felt distance.
I may have an amazing time with God in the morning, only to feel far from Him by the evening. I'll have an amazing encounter in worship at a church gathering that only becomes a vague memory by the end of the week.
 
Perhaps you have experienced this too.

God never stops walking toward those in need of Jesus.
To stay close to Him, it only makes sense to go with Him where He is going.

This step is all about your awareness of where He is going and your intention to go with him.

Don't be afraid to get specific.
Think about family members, neighbors, co-workers, or friends that need Jesus in a real way.

Some prayers for this step may be:
God, who are you walking towards? Who are the people around me that you are pursuing?
and
Would you give me a desire to walk with you to reach those around me?

You have started with Him and you know where He is going, all that remains is to walk.

Walking with God looks like stepping into opportunities to be Jesus to the people around you.

This could mean:

• Loving your neighbor
• Meeting a practical need
• Sitting with those in despair
• Praying for healing
• Being a good friend
• Sharing the gospel
• Etc.

It all comes down to taking step after step with God in loving those around you.

In this journey, you may be tempted to fix your eyes on a specific destination. You may focus on the fruit you hope to see or the big moments that may seem daunting to you right now.

Keep your focus on Him, who He is, and where He is going, as you faithfully take steps.
Remember, when walking on water, Peter began to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus.

As you form a lifestyle of taking small step after small step the big moments come with ease. You will find that the small steps actually prepare you for the big steps that God has prepared for you.

John Maxwell speaks to this idea when he talks about stepping into your calling, he says,
"We don’t wait for the big moment, we wait for the next moment."

A question you might ask for this step could be:
God, I see where you are going. What is the next step? Please give me what I need to take this step with you.

Have you ever taken a step to be Jesus to someone in need?
If you have, I am sure you felt God's sweet presence in a way that was unique to that moment.

You can't get these experiences with Him in your prayer closet or at a church gathering. There are aspects of who He is, that you only experience when moving towards the lost and the hurting.

I propose that being Jesus to others is necessary for you to understand Him in new ways.

What you find is that you fall more in love with Jesus the more you imitate Him. Because you see Him in a new light every time.
He is unique to each person and their situation. He is hope for those in trouble, healing to the sick, forgiveness to the sinner, He is the way to those who are lost.

The truth is that our very lives in some ways limit the way we have experienced Jesus. Who Jesus is to you is just a piece of all He is or all He can be to others.

For example, you may have never experienced Jesus…
…as healer
…as your hope and peace when life is falling apart
…as restorer of trauma
… as miracle worker

But you may come to know him in these ways by partnering with him…
…in healing the sick
…in bringing hope and peace to the broken hearted
…in helping redeem the past and identity of others
…in praying for and seeing the miraculous

In a surprising turn of events, as you reveal and embody Jesus to others, Jesus reveals himself to you.

Drawing near and walking with God results in a vibrant and exciting life with Him.

Consider how you will incorporate these steps into your way of life.
With practice, you will come to do these steps in a way that will be like breathing to you.

You are going to need help!
If you are taking your first step or your 1,000th step, you were not made to do this alone!
You need the help, encouragement, and support of community.

Walking with God is both a personal and a public journey.
These steps help you as an individual to walk with God. They are also important in helping a community do the same.
A community can pursue Him, see where He is going, and work as a team to walk with Him.
In the iron sharpening iron setting of a group, you can pool your skills, gifts, and resources. This allows the group as a whole to mature along with all the individuals involved.

Another way to grow in these steps is in the way of one-on-one discipleship. This means to connect with someone you trust who is already walking out these rhythms with God.
As Hebrews 13:7 says, "Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith."
The practical applications of these steps are sometimes better caught than taught.

People who can help are great, but the Holy Spirit is your primary guide and teacher every step of the way.
Submit to His leading and his teaching.

Draw near to God, discover where He is walking, and take the next step!
Enjoy the journey as you walk with the living God!

Do you ever feel lost in the magnitude of the Great Commission to go make disciples of all nations?

Does MVVC's vision to reach and disciple the Muskingum Valley appear out of reach?
 
Does asking for 100 microchurches over 10 years seem unrealistic?

Rest assured, God knows we need His help and has also provided some Biblical principles to assist us!

Let's explore multiplication and how it can help us on the mission God has given His church!

Here is an illustration to help us grasp the concept of multiplication:

Image you are presented with a choice between two options:
Option 1 - You receive $25,000 a day for the next thirty days. Each day you wake up with another $25K in the bank.
Option 2 - You receive $0.01 that doubles each day for 30 days. Today you receive a penny, tomorrow you receive two pennies and so on.

Which would you choose?

If you chose the $25,000 option, at the end of thirty days you would have received $750,000. That is no small amount of money!

You may have suspected the penny could amount to more.
But, how much more?

If you chose the $0.01 that doubled, at the end of thirty days you would have received over $10.7 million dollars!

This is the power of multiplication.

The $25,000 option represents addition, while the penny represents multiplication.
 
It is important to note that the penny option does not receive $25,000 until day twenty-one of thirty. This is the same amount the other option received on the first day.

Because of this, multiplication will often see a slow start. The base slowly increases while the potential for impact grows and grows.

Jesus, the master multiplier, is our model for multiplication. He multiplied things like bread and fish. He also multiplied himself in the lives of his disciples.

The followers of Jesus throughout history number in the billions. He has been very successful in reproducing himself through his disciples for the past 2,000 years.

How did he do this?
Jesus spent time a great deal of time with the disciples. He sent out the twelve and the seventy-two to do the works of the kingdom that he had been doing. Before he ascended, he left them with the commission to disciple all nations.

Multiplication can take a small start and grow from one penny to two pennies, until you have millions. That is precisely what Jesus was doing.

He took his life and invested it in others to turn his one penny into twelve pennies. Today we can look back at how the life of Jesus has multiplied to reach billions.
Jesus taught on the relationship between multiplication and the Kingdom of God. Consider the parable of the soils. The seed that fell on good soil will produce a crop and can multiply thirty, sixty, or a hundred times what was sown.

The apostle Paul had the same idea.
2 Timothy 2:2 says, "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others."

Imagine if Paul taught two other friends the same concept. Now, imagine each of his three friends invested in three other reliable people. And if each of those reliable people invested in three others. 

In this imaginative exercise, Paul's life grew to impact more than just his three friends. As a result of Paul's faithfulness, 9 reliable people and 27 others were discipled.

2 Timothy 2:2 provides an example to take faithful people and make them disciple-makers.

The Great Commission is only possible if disciples are faithful in making disciple-makers.

If we follow Jesus' example, we will focus on the few to reach the many. We will be faithful and take our time with those he has given us to disciple.

It is important to understand that multiplication is a principle and not a promise.

Multiplication as a principle allows penny go a long way.

Yet, the growth of the church does not always occur through multiplication.

In Acts 2, we see 3,000 join the body of Christ in one day because of a handful of disciples filled with the Holy Spirit.

God can always blow open the doors and draw a large number of people in at once.

But, the principle never goes away.

Multiplication is a factor regardless of how people enter relationship with God

All 3,000 baptized disciples may become disciple-makers. Multiplication kicks into gear after a supercharged period of growth.

They went from "twelve pennies" to "thirty dollars" in one day that may now begin to multiply.

We are asking God for 100 microchurches in 10 years.

We may be prone to discouragement if we do not understand multiplication and expect rapid results.

We may also try to speed things up instead of slowing down. Trying to do what we can in our own power instead of relying on God and His power.

Multiplication takes the weight off us and puts it on God.

It is not about speed, it is about our faithfulness.

Multiplication invites us to go slow to go fast.

It allows us to have exponential impact by taking our time and investing in those God has put in our lives to disciple.

Let's invest our one penny in a way that multiplies and continues to grow.