Sunday, January 6
Truth: A disciple is someone who submits to the authority of a teacher in order to learn from him and become like him. A Christian must be a disciple of Jesus Christ—learning Jesus by walking with Jesus in order to be like Jesus.
Truth: Discipleship is replicating Christ followers through the transformational teaching of God’s Word in the context of accountability relationships. Discipleship is evidenced by a “disciple making disciples” who make disciples; it’s like the spiritual version of a perpetual motion machine.
Challenge: Participate in or lead a discipleship group (D Group) in 2019. D Groups are small groups reading God’s Word together and sharing personal responses to it through journaling. D Groups also pray together, share accountability, and memorize Scripture.
Response: Submit one of the interest forms made available on Sunday morning or email Pastor Rob Tayne (rtayne@mbbcriving.org) with your name and phone number.
Response: Prioritize joining a D Group, and then prioritize participating in that D Group when it comes to planning and managing your schedule. Blocking out a solid 90 minutes of your week plus travel time for the next 52 weeks is a costly investment but comes with an invaluable return.
Truth: Your children may not be disciples of Jesus Christ yet, but they are disciples of you. Just listen to the words they use with others (especially your spouse and their siblings) and observe the emotions they exhibit in response to life events. Your children are learning you as they live life with you because they want to grow up to be like you.
Response: Don’t be ashamed to leverage this natural developmental truth for spiritual purposes. It is actually a biblical principal (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Joshua 24:15b, Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:1-4). Here are a few concrete action points.
- Let your children see you read your Bible.
- Tell your children what you are learning from your reading.
- Sometimes, read your Bible out loud while they are in the room; keep reading out loud as they go in and out of the room.
- Re-read a specific verse with them and ask them what they think about it.
- Pray together in response to specific verses.
Sunday, January 13
- Leaders in worship: Bob Bolander, Brandon Ramey & the Worship Ministry.
- God will meet with us through His word and by His Spirit, lead us to worship Christ and grow in Christ-likeness.
- God will help us to be a church of zeal and hope, passionate about ministry and confident in His promises.
- God will make us more passionate about and obedient to His mission of leading people to trust and follow Christ
Progress in Giving – Acts 4:32-35 | Pastor Bob Bolander
Giving for the early disciples in Jerusalem was more than a self-affirming way to deal with loose change, and it was more than a financial transaction to meet public expectations. Look at the attitudes that motivated the people’s giving in verse 32. See how the people’s giving enables the apostles to give in verse 33. Consider the testimony of the results from this cooperative giving in verses 33b-35. Do you currently have these attitudes for giving? Do you currently have these expectations for giving? Tell God that you trust Him enough to have ownership of your attitudes and your expectations as you prepare to respond to His Word on giving.
Come Before His Courts With Praise
Brandon Ramey, Aryn Calhoun & The Prayer Time Band
Praise The King
Corey Voss
O How I Love Jesus
Frederick Whitfield and Dave Williamson
Manifest Your Presence
Brandon Ramey & The Prayer Time Band
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Chisholm, Thomas Obediah \ Runyan, William Marion