4.2 Benefits of a Conversation with Jesus

To “be the church,” we get to love God, love people, and make disciples. To do that, we need to be having three conversations on a regular basis. One of those conversations is with God. Today we want to talk about the benefits of having a daily, life-giving conversation with God.

The Relational Triangle

A friend and follower of Jesus engages consistently in three vital conversations. A disciple will have soul-connecting conversations with other disciples and not-yet disciples at least weekly.

And the foundation of a joyful life is laid with daily life-giving talks with Jesus. Every day a disciple invests time and energy to listen and talk to Immanuel (God with us). There are amazing benefits we can receive as we work to develop a close relationship with the Son of God.

In Colossians chapter 1, Paul describes in detail how he and Timothy talk to God about their friends in Colossae. As we think about this prayer, we can infer some powerful benefits that occur when we listen to, talk to, and obey Jesus.  Let’s begin...

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you,” Colossians 1:9

Just before saying this, Paul applauds their faith in Jesus and love for others. That’s why Paul and Timothy are praying for them.

Friends Praying for You

When we set aside focused time to engage with Jesus, other disciples notice and begin to synergize with the power and purpose of God.

It’s like a small snowball rolled down a steep hill. Together our prayers grow, come into focus, and build spiritual momentum that enables us to unify around God’s will.

Which brings us to the next benefit. 

Knowing God’s Will

What if you always knew exactly what God wanted you to do; and how, when, and where he wanted you to do it? 

Paul and Timothy are praying for that very thing.

“God fill them with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Colossians 1:9

When I open my mind and listen to Jesus, I trust that he will give me all the relevant information I need at that moment. 

When my heart is responsive, I can work toward seeing people and circumstances from all viewpoints in order to ultimately understand God’s true perspective. 

When my will is courageous, I can act with wisdom based upon the spiritual knowledge and understanding given. We can live in confidence that we are being and doing what God wants, if we put the work in. 

It’s cumulative. Don’t expect to be knowledgeable, to understand reality, and to act in wisdom all the time if today you invest 15 minutes in conversation with Jesus and tomorrow forget about it. But if you do that each day for a week, a month, and then a year, you’ll be well on your way to the next benefit.

A Life Worthy of Jesus

“You will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,” Colossians 1:10

AND…

You Will Delight Jesus

“You will be fully pleasing to him:” Colossians 1:10

Your life can and will be a series of moments that shine in the light. Jesus will be delighted with you as you interact with him and follow his lead.

But if you don’t connect with Jesus daily, at least you can look forward to being like this woman in our clip who says, “I don’t need a second person for a conversation, a lot of the time they just get in the way.” When we do life solo, we miss this benefit.

But there is more!

Right Actions = Results

When you accumulate life-giving conversations with Jesus, 

“You can and will bear fruit in every good work.” Colossians 1:10

When Jesus leads and we follow, our actions will produce transformational results.

But still, there’s more…

Deepening Relationship

“You can and will increase in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:10

This doesn’t refer to having more information about God. 

It’s all about communing with the Triune God—living with him and him living with us. We are inviting God to enter the “house” of our souls, remodel the rooms, and to move in and live with us.

As the relationship deepens…

Empowered by God

You can and will “be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might.” Colossians 1:11

Would you like to be empowered in conformity with and dependent on God’s magnificent, infinite energy? If I think about that too long, it gets a little scary. 

Empowered to do what? Rule the world?

Well, God is love and love is patient.

Endurance and Patience

So,

“You can and will have all endurance and patience.” Colossians 1:11

We are empowered to possess an abundance of fortitude and forbearance with every person, even our perceived enemies, and in all circumstances.

When we link to Jesus, we’re strengthened to hang in there for as long as it takes.

Or at least until you land. Don’t miss the cat in the clip!

Joy and Gratitude

Even in those times you endure really tough circumstances,

“You can and will have joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” Colossians 1:12

Glorious delight and gratitude will be characteristic of your life, because you know God’s will, live a life worthy of Jesus, you get results, you are deeply connected, empowered to endure with joy and gratitude. And as a bonus, the Father has rescued you from bankruptcy and darkness and prepared for you a rich inheritance and brought you into his light! 

This is my prayer for you and me: That God would enable us to have daily life-giving conversations with Jesus that result in all these benefits.

Would you like to share this with your friends? Here’s the slideshow for today’s blog so you can talk about it with them!

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Conversations with Jesus: A Connection

To “be the church,” we get to love God, love people, and make disciples. In the last two blogs we have talked about how a disciple has conversations with God, other disciples, and not-yet disciples. Today we want to focus on having a life giving conversation with God. How exactly does that work?

For insight, we took a field trip to a vineyard to better understand Jesus’ words about this very subject.



Jesus and the Grapevine

In Jesus’ final hours before the crucifixion, he wanted his disciples to understand how they needed to stay connected to him. In John 15:5 he said,

“I am the vine. You are the branches… Apart from me, you can do nothing.”

In a vineyard, a branch disconnected from the vine is dead. But connected to the vine, it can produce much fruit. I don’t know about you, but I love to eat sweet, juicy grapes! If you happen to have some in your fridge, I give you permission to grab some and snack on them while you continue reading!

Conversations with Jesus And Others

When we follow and befriend Jesus, we are his disciples. As we discussed last time, an engaged disciple will have soul-connecting conversations with other disciples and not-yet disciples. 

But first things first. As we build a foundation of life-giving daily talks with Jesus, the joy and power of God will be evident in our lives.

Staying Connected to Jesus

In John 15:4-5 Jesus says,

“...abide in me,... abide in me,... abide in me.” 

He is using the metaphor of a grape-vine as Steve talked about earlier. We stay connected to Jesus with an open mind, hopeful heart, and courageous will. These are needed to have life-giving conversations.

He is always with us in the present, but are we aware and responsive to him in moments of time everyday?

Jesus - Our LIfe Source

If we are, we are connected to the source of life, Jesus. The phrase “...I in you…” signifies that the mind of Christ, the heart of the Father, and the power of the Spirit are working in you. 

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,...” 2 Peter 1:3a (ESV)

Everything we need to fulfill our purpose is available to us if we stay connected and responsive to Jesus. 

Detached = No Fruit

But if we are detached, we starve ourselves of the nutrients needed to be what we were created to be.

“…As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. …for apart from me you can do nothing.”

These are strong words from Jesus. I think he means what he says. Separated from him we cannot accomplish anything that matters in eternity. We will not produce fruit. We must remain connected to the source of life, Jesus. 

Attached = Fruitful

“Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit,”

When we do, it makes all the difference in the world.

The Father is Elevated and Magnified

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit…” 

When we stay connected to Jesus through daily life-giving conversations, we will produce a truckload of spiritual fruit. This shines a spotlight on God the Father for all to see. It raises God-awareness in the hearts and minds of people in our families and communities. And it has one more very important effect. It’s found in verse 8.

Evidence of Your Faith

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

If you were arrested on the charge of being a disciple of Jesus, would there be enough evidence to convict you and pass sentence?

When we have daily life-giving conversations with Jesus, we stay connected and prove to ourselves and everybody else that we are his disciples. 

Up next: Conversations with Jesus: The Benefits

Would you like to share this with your friends? Here’s the slideshow for today’s blog so you can talk about it with them!

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A Disciple's Relationships

In our last blog, we talked about how to get Christ-Centered leverage in loving God, loving people, and making disciples. Today we want to talk about the fulcrum of that leverage—the disciples’ relational triangle.

This gets very visual and practical in helping us build loving Christian friendships that make following Jesus both meaningful and effective.

Welcome to Be the Church, a blog that equips and encourages us to love God, love people, and to make disciples.

How do we get leverage to accomplish those commands? We make friends. We build relationships. This requires us to converse with one another. We need to have conversations with each other and with Jesus.

Here is a tool that can keep us focused on doing that and help us be a better friend and follower of Jesus.

Three Relationships of a Disciple of Jesus

The points on the Disciple’s Relational Triangle represent 3 essential relationships to being a disciple of Jesus. If we want to experience the abundant life he offers, we must engage in conversations that build Christian friendships. 

At the top of the chart you see Soul-Connecting Conversations. A developing disciple is hungry for soul-connecting conversations. What is that? Well, It’s goes beyond cliché talking. (“Hi, how are you?” “I’m good.”) It more than chatting about the weather, sports, or the news. 

It’s also not gossiping or recruiting allies to help us justify our bad attitude or behavior.  Those are soul-destroying. We have a soul-connecting conversation when, with an open heart and mind, we tell our story in meaningful and appropriate ways. 

It’s simple. We can mutually share something that’s good and something that’s not so good in our lives right now. How could we help each other?  What does God want for us?

Who do we have these conversations with? We can start with any disciple of Jesus.

Soul-Connecting Conversations with Other Disciples

So the top left point on the triangle represents having soul-connecting conversations with other disciples.

I promise you they are out there in abundant supply. Followers and friends of Jesus are hungry for real, grace-filled, love-of-God-based friendships. 

But remember, in training to “be the church,” we are opposed by the world, the flesh, and the devil. These enemies are doing everything they can to distract, entice, and confuse us. They don’t want us to engage in powerful relationships. 

Let’s stand our ground and connect with other disciples! 

Soul-Connecting Conversations with Non-Disciples

We also can have soul-connecting conversations with non-believers. In the Great Commission, Jesus commands us to make disciples. The best way to do that is to play, story, and eat with people. We will be more specific in later blogs about this.

But briefly, “storying” is initiating Spirit-led dialogues where we listen to understand. We ask respectfully curious questions until they believe we’ve heard them. We can then share our story with gentleness and patience. 

This is a loving process that could take years of simple soul-connections, or sometimes God’s timing is sooner.

Daily Life-Giving Conversations with God

All this begins and ends with a daily, life-giving conversation with Jesus. This can happen when I slow down and invite God to fill my mind with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual understanding and wisdom. 

“Jesus, how do you want me to love you, love people, and make disciples today? What simple step could I take?”

We can move toward the Father, Son, and Spirit with open, expectant hearts—assured of his loving response. We can activate our wills and choose to obey Jesus.

As a result, our fear then turns to faith, anxiety to peace, anger to patience, guilt to forgiveness, and our insecurity to confidence. 

We matter to God, and when we’re connected to him we know it, feel it, and love it! Want to know more about having a life-giving conversation? Jesus gives the perfect metaphor. In Blog 4.1, it’s about the vine and branches.

Up Next: Conversations with Jesus: a Connection

Next time we’ll see how Jesus’ teaching about a grapevine can help us better understand how to stay connected to him and be more fruitful than ever.

Would you like to share this with your friends? Here’s the slideshow for today’s blog so you can talk about it with them!

Recruit Some friends to have these Conversations!

Perhaps you have some friends who might want to have an ongoing conversation with you about God and having a daily conversation with Jesus. Here is a tool to help you start and keep those conversations going with either disciples or not-yet disciples.

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To join our community and keep up to date, follow us @playstoryeat on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Please like and comment on our posts to spread the word!

Christ-Centered Leverage

In the last two blogs we talked about how a disciple is a friend of Jesus and a follower of Jesus. Along the way we have pointed out that to “be the church,” we must love God, love people, and make disciples.

But where do we get the leverage we need to actually do this? Loving God, loving people, and making disciples is a huge undertaking! Fortunately Jesus makes it a lot simpler than you might have found in your past religious activities.

Let’s take a deeper look at what Christ-Centered Leverage is all about…

Bill’s 30 Day Say No/Yes List

In response to our blog last time we looked at Luke 9:23 and challenged one another to deny ourselves something so we could say yes to something more important. I (Bill Burrows) said “no” to sports, refined sugar, limited TV for 30 days.

I said “yes” to reading Psalms, vegetables, and good conversations.

How did it go? By the grace of God and through his power I abstained from sports, sugar and effectively limited my TV watching. I ate healthier, lost ten pounds, and had more connecting conversations with family and friends. As I fed on Jesus, the Bread of Life, my hunger for those distractions and enticements dwindled. Overall, I see it as a huge win! Even though I didn’t read Psalms as much as I’d hoped, I made progress.

How did I do it?  Christ-Centered Leverage. 

How Leverage Works

What is leverage? It is the action of a lever or the mechanical advantage gained by it.

Archimedes, a famous mathematician in ancient Greece, said,

“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” 

There is a slide in our presentation that shows a lever (the orange plank), a load (165 lbs), a fulcrum, and applied force. If all elements are strong enough and enough force is applied, the load will be lifted. 

As you move the fulcrum away from the load, the amount of force needed to lift the 165 lbs grows tremendously. The closer the fulcrum is to the load the amount of force needed shrinks.

How can this engineering concept help us follow Jesus? 

Christ-centered leverage begins with a strong lever. Let's say the lever represents God's power in and through our lives. 

Jesus wants us to be the church.  The load pictures the big commands that we’re called to obey.

OUr “Load”—Love God, Love People, and Make Disciples

The force illustrates our effort to wholeheartedly cooperate with God. We allow him free reign to work in and through us. God's grace has never been opposed to effort. 

The fulcrum has to be strong enough and as close to the load as possible to make the amount of force needed doable and sustainable long term.  

How do we do that?

The answer has been to engage in religious activities summed up in the phrase “go to church.” 

The Limitations of Religious Activities

What are some religious activities we do to get leverage in loving God, loving people, and making disciples? Here’s a few:

• Attend a Church service & Sunday School

• Read the Bible & Pray

• Use/Develop Spiritual Gifts

• Volunteer/Serve

• Give at Least 10%

• Join a Small Group

• Go to a Conference

For years I engaged in these activities and I always wondered why my love for God and people was anemic and why very few disciples were being made. Where was the joy and power of God in my life?

I guess I needed to work harder and put more effort into these activities. For most of us the thought of doing more is overwhelming. 

Something isn’t right with this picture. Some might say it's not about the effort, it's about grace. But Jesus said,

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able…” Luke 13:24

Paul said,

“Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12

Peter said,

“...We wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. 

Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found without spot or blemish in his sight, at peace.” 2 Peter 3:13-14

Well according to Jesus, Paul, and Peter we are to make every effort to be the church. If effort is not the problem, could it be a religious activity problem? 

Is there a difference between “going to church” and “being the church?” 

The list of “shoulds” seems to multiply and frankly gives me justification to pick 1 or 2 doable religious activities and call it good. 

We shut down and close our hearts to escape the pull to be and do more. But Jesus said something else...

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29

I find no rest for my soul in this picture. I wish there was an easy button to push and everything would fall into place. Oh wait, here's a button; let's try it!

Notice the fulcrum of religious activity has become the fulcrum of building Christian relationships. 

Building Christian Relationships

Christianity is all about relationships. 

Now, the fulcrum has also moved very close to the load of loving God, loving people, and making disciples. We get to make friends. The effort needed is simplified and focused. Could this be the yoke Jesus talked about?

Three Conversations For Christ-Centered Leverage

Building Christian relationships involves having conversations.

1. Conversations with Jesus. The most important conversation is with Jesus, because he is the Bread of Life. If anyone comes to him, they will never be hungry and if anyone believes in him, they will never be thirsty. He is the source and sustenance of life.

2. Conversations with another Disciple. Having soul-connecting talks with other disciples develops our ability to love people.

3. Conversations with a “Not Yet” Disciple. Making new disciples is impossible without connecting to non-disciples.

So, are our religious activities distracting and/or hindering us from engaging in these 3 essential conversations to being the church? 

Jesus, open the eyes of our souls to see and comprehend the truth about our religious activities and empower us to engage wholeheartedly in those that give us the most leverage for your kingdom.

Up Next: The Disciples Relational Triangle

Next time we will give an overview of these essential connections with what the fulcrum of building Christian relationships entails.

Would you like to share this with your friends? Here’s the slideshow for today’s blog so you can talk about it with them!

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Jesus invites you to follow him. Will you?

To “be the church,” we get to love God, love people, and make disciples. In the last blog we talked about how a disciple is a friend of Jesus. Today, we look at how a disciple is also a follower of Jesus.

For us at Play. Story. Eat. ministries, this is foundational to how we operate. We believe that friends are best at inviting other friends to be followers of Jesus together. It’s not a solo sport. And make no mistake, it’s not a call to a “Treat yourself,” undisciplined life.

Let’s take a deeper look at what a disciple is and what Jesus says a follower of his really is…

What is a Disciple?

In this blog we define what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. To review from last time, we learned that a disciple is a friend of Jesus, and if they are a friend of his, they will obey his commands. In Matthew and Luke there is more information that clarifies what a disciple is.

Jesus says, "Follow me..." in Matthew 4:19 and, "If anyone would come after me..." in Luke 9:23.

A Disciple is also a Follower of Jesus

There is an open invitation from Jesus for everyone to tag along with him. “Come and hang out with me,” Jesus says. “Come be with me.” Jesus is ready and waiting to connect with us. But accepting the invitation comes with responsibilities that may seem constrictive.

 "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself.” Luke 9:23

Deny myself?

Well, that messes up our plans, doesn't it? We all choose activities, relationships, and vocations that we believe will meet our desires and needs. We believe they can make us happy or at least “pause” a painful reality for a while. But sometimes we can be self-deceived. 

I (Bill Burrows) know I have some habits that are time wasters and even addictions. Most of these aren’t bad when I exercise restraint…  But, if I’m honest, I overindulge way too often. For me the big three in my life currently are:

Sports. I'm a sports fan. Okay, I’m a fanatic. I follow the Kansas City Royals, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Missouri Tigers. I read almost every article I can find on my teams. I follow them on Twitter, and I watch 90% of their games. I don’t even want to think about how much time I invest in this.

Sugar/Comfort food. I also eat too much sugar and comfort food. It’s like I can’t live without my Pepsi with real sugar, Breyers ice cream, Captain Crunch cereal, and Kit Kat bars—not to mention double helpings of mac & cheese, French fries, and chips! After eating all this, I must sit down and…

Watch too much television! Everything from Netflix to the networks. I watch sports, movies, and series that are seven seasons long. You get the idea. These all prevent me from being a person that wholeheartedly loves God, loves people, and makes disciples.

Saying No to Myself

I have to deny myself to be a disciple of Jesus. Which means I must say no to sports, comfort food, and/or TV at least for a period of time to break the addictive habit. In moderation these activities can give me some temporary pleasure. But if I am dependent on them, something is wrong. How do you know when you’re too attached to an activity? Try to stop for a day, week, or month.

At the time of this article, I’m choosing to say no to sports and refined sugar for the next 30 days. I will definitely have withdrawals. Somebody might say, “I bet Bill’s going to watch a lot of TV this month.” In fact, I will limit my TV time instead of going cold turkey on that one.

I invite you to join me in denying yourself, even in a small way. I challenge you to say no to something for at least a day.

A Daily Denial

"If anyone would come after me...he will take up his cross daily..." Luke 9:23

Jesus came to earth on a mission from God. He took responsibility daily to carry out his orders which led to the cross. 

Fishers of Men

A disciple takes the mission of loving God, loving people, and making disciples seriously. It's a daily cooperation with the son of God in the process of making you a “fisher of men.” It’s not all about us: it’s about inviting others to join us.

It's not enough to say “no” to some things. Disciples say “yes” to activities that advance the mission—habits like talking and listening to Jesus on a daily basis or having spiritual conversations with other people—especially with our friends who aren’t yet followers of Jesus.

My 30-day Commitment

In addition to my normal daily commitment, for the next 30 days, I will say no to sports and yes to reading Psalms. I will say no to refined sugar and yes to vegetables. I will say no to excessive TV and yes to spiritual conversations. 

I also invite you to join me. Take up your cross by saying yes to habits that keep you on mission. Below is our Disciple Challenge tool that makes this simple, even in a small way. I challenge you to say yes to something for at least a day. When we practice saying no and saying yes, we learn to “follow the leader.”

Follow the Leader

Over time our ability to hear his voice and understand specific tasks becomes clear. As we practice spiritual discernment, choosing the best attitudes and actions over good or even bad ones becomes habitual.

But what about what I want and need to be happy?  Jesus is communicating the responsibilities of a disciple so that we may experience and be filled with his joy.

“...For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” Luke 9:24

Jesus: “Lose Life and Save It”

If we hold tightly to those distractions and enticements of the world that we believe will bring us a happy life, we will miss out on the life of joy God has planned for us. But, if we deny ourselves and take up our cross daily and follow him we are disciples and friends of the Good, Great, Triune God.

“Being” the church is better than just going to church! Take the next step below to be the church by training to love God, love people, and make disciples the way Jesus does.

Would you like to share this with your friends? Here’s the Follow Jesus Slideshow so you can talk about it with them!

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Jesus wants more friends. Are you up for it?

When it comes to “being the church,” Jesus wants us to make disciples. Great! But what is a disciple? The answer comes in two parts. There is a profound difference between Jesus’ disciple-making process and what you and I may have experienced in our lifetimes. So the first characteristic of being Jesus’ disciple is…just watch!

A Disciple = a Friend of Jesus

In this blog, we equip and train together to be the church instead of just going to church. Before we look at being a friend of Jesus, let's review what God is asking us to do as the church.

As people who claim to be Christians, or believers in Jesus, we are commanded by God to love him with our whole person and to love others like Jesus loves them. Within those orders, we are to make disciples: we are to help them to go public with baptism, and we are to train them to obey Jesus. That is our mission from God, to be a disciple and to multiply disciples.

So, what is a disciple?

In John 15:14, Jesus tells his disciples, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” 

This means that your thoughts, feelings, and actions are being guided by God’s definition of love. Your choices in life are governed by a central question: How is this decision helping to multiply disciples? When that is the direction of your life, you are a friend of Jesus.

What If I Struggle to obey?

Someone might say, “What if I don't do what he commands me to do?” The implication here is that if we don't obey, we are not his friends. A true disciple will respond when Jesus gives orders. Because of that, a disciple is a friend of Jesus. 

This relationship goes much deeper. In John 15, Jesus likens himself to a grapevine as he teaches his disciples. He says they, his disciples, are the branches attached to that vine, himself. The disciples receive all the nutrients they need to be healthy and produce fruit (other disciples). But only if they stay connected to the vine that is Jesus.

Jesus’ Love Can Flow To and Through You!

In verses 9-11, there’s a powerful sequence of God’s logic. It begins with, “As the Father has loved me...” 

How do we understand this analogy? The quality of love that God the Father has for God the Son is infinite, it’s unchangeable, and it is so far beyond our soul’s capacity to comprehend. Try to hold that idea of love for a moment. Let’s just say that the Father loves Jesus a whole bunch.

Then Jesus says, “...so have I loved you.”

Are you kidding me?

A simple matter-of-fact statement: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” 

Could that possibly be true? Much of the time, when I focus on circumstances in myself and the pain in the world, I get distracted, enticed, and confused. It’s difficult to believe that I’m loved by anyone, let alone that Jesus loves me like his Father loves him. 

But Jesus, Are You Sure I Can Live This Way?

Jesus adds to his teaching. Imagine having a one-on-one conversation with him.

Jesus: “Abide in my love.” (Remain in my love. Live in my love all the time.)

You: But Jesus, I just explained my struggle to believe and feel that you love me, and you’re telling me to stay surrounded by your love. How in the world am I going to accomplish that?

Jesus: Well… “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love…” John 15:10a

You: Oh, that again. Isn’t there some other way?

Jesus: No, there’s not. Just follow my example: “I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.” John 15:10b

You: Is it really that simple? 

Jesus: Yes. 

You: OK, I’ll train to be your friend and do what you tell me to do. I’ll train to stay connected to your love. Is there anything else? 

Jesus: Yes. 

You: All right what, else?

Jesus: “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11

You: You’ve told me this so that your joy would be in me and fill me up? 

Jesus: Yes.

You: AMAZING! I’m going to love being your disciple and friend!

Jesus: Yes, you will. Just remember, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”

Would you like to share this with your friends? Here’s our slideshow so you can talk about it with them.

Up next: A Disciple is a follower of Jesus. 

“Being” the church is better than just going to church! Begin now to be the church by training to love God, love people, and make disciples the way Jesus does.

To join our community and keep up to date, follow us @playstoryeat on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Please like and comment on our posts to spread the word!

A Cheat Sheet to Do Church Like Jesus?

Cliff notes. Cheat sheets. What does this have to do with Jesus? When I was in school, I liked it when I had all the necessary information boiled down to an essential list that, if mastered, would help me ace a test.

After Jesus’ resurrection, He gave us this kind of direct teaching that, if memorized, could help us ace His test for “being the church.” But there is a big difference between Jesus and some teachers. Those teachers just give us information to pass a class.

Jesus gives life-giving orders to be lived out, obeyed, and experienced in a compelling mission that we must accomplish together.

Jesus’ Mission For You and Me

In part one, we stated that being the church is about loving God and loving people. Within those commands, Christians have been given a vital task directly from Jesus. 

We are on a mission from God! What are we called to do? The answer is found in Matthew 28:18-20. After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples gathered on a mountain in Galilee.

He told them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” 

Jesus is in charge. He has the authority to command his disciples.

Make Disciples

A Christian‘s marching orders are, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” 

As we are living life, we are to compel and cause people to become disciples of Jesus. It's not an exclusive or secret club. It doesn't matter what race or gender or what language they speak or where they live. We are to urge all people groups to follow Jesus.

Baptizing them…

We are to “Baptize them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit.” 

Through baptism we help new disciples go public. They tell the world they have a new allegiance. “I now follow the true King Jesus.” But that's not all.

Teaching them to obey…

Jesus commands us to, “Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

Jesus doesn’t mean to give them information so that they can pass a test. He doesn’t mean showing new disciples how to sit in the stands. He’s not showing them how to watch, criticize, and condemn the people who are on the field playing the game. 

He does mean to train them to obey everything he modeled and taught them.  If we are “being the church,” we will be fully engaged in obedience training.

We might ask ourselves, “Who am I to make disciples? I’m not qualified.” Remember the group he's talking to. They weren't Superstars. They were flawed people like you and me. These men had just turned their backs on Jesus. They ran and hid when he was arrested. Peter denied knowing him. There were some in the group who still doubted.

Jesus’ Promise…

He says to them, “Behold, I Am With You Always, to the end of the age.”

It’s like Jesus said, “Look at me. I am the resurrected Lord. I'm going to be present with you from now on. The good, great, Triune God will be actively present, empowering you as a conduit for his grace and mercy. You won’t be alone on this mission!” 

To “be the church” in a changing world, we must make disciples being led by the Spirit of Christ. 

Up Next: “What is a disciple?”

“Being” the church is better than just going to church! Begin now to be the church by training to love God, love people, and make disciples the way Jesus does.

Would you like to share this with your friends? Here’s our slideshow so you can talk about it with them!

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Fed Up with the Coronavirus and Politics? Maybe It's Time to "BE" the Church.

In a world where fear and conflict is rampant, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. It can set our heads to spinning. This time in history has impacted the way we connect, work, play, and travel. And the church has not been immune. The way we do church has been impacted beyond anything we could have imagined.

Yet Jesus’ concept of “church” and, more specifically, this notion of “being the church” never goes away and is forever relevant to the changes that have barged into our world. We believe that Jesus can help us with the knowledge, tools, and skills to “BE” the church in this new reality. 

This blog will share the why, what, and how of "being" the church according to Jesus. It’s simple. It works. It’s for you. So come alongside us, and let’s discover how, together, we can be the church in an unsteady world. 

Being the church in a changing world

Hello, I’m Bill Burrows. Steve Reed and I are co-founders of Play. Story. Eat. Ministries. We welcome you to “Be the Church:” A blog where together we become disciples of Jesus. 

“Be the Church”…What does that Mean?

What does it mean to “Be the church” in a changing world? What does it mean to be a disciple? or be called a Christian? Steve and I continue to pray and think about these questions often. 

The Barna Group does research for “spiritual influencers.” They define a practicing Christian as:

• a person who identifies as a Christian

•  a person who agrees strongly that faith is very important to them

• a person who has attended church within the last month.

According to Barna, 25% of the US population fits in this category. That's about 83 million people. 

God’s definition of a “Practicing Christian”

How does God define a practicing Christian? What is God’s bottom line when it comes to being the church? We believe it’s found in His two great commandments. 

Love God…Love People

In Matthew 22:37-38, Jesus said,

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”

Very simply, it says to love God with your whole being. For me this means to be open and responsive to God. When I love God, I invest the time and energy to see the world, others, and myself from His true perspective. I work to know and understand His reality. But that’s not enough. If I truly love God, I’ll respond with action to carry out His plans and accomplish His will. 

That’s what it means to love God wholeheartedly. There’s more. In verse 39, Jesus also said, "and a second is like it:

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

These commandments are interlinked. You can't do one without the other. For me to love God, I also need to love people like I love myself. Again, this means to be open and responsive to people. When I love people, I see their perspective of reality as well as my own in light of God's true reality. 

My “Expertise” in Love

I’m an expert in being open and responsive to myself. When I want to do something, I do it. Way too often I ignore God’s reality about me and go with my distorted view of what I think I need or want. Truth is, I don’t even love myself well unless God’s involved.

Jesus’ Standard for Love

But Jesus raises the bar even higher for his disciples. In John 13:34 He says,

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

When I love people, I invest the time and energy to see them, the world, and God from their perspective. I work to know and understand their reality. But that’s not enough. If I truly love them, I’ll respond with wise action to sacrificially love them like Jesus does. I stop being self-centered and become a conduit of God’s love to others.

I wish I could tell you that Steve and I love God and love people like Jesus does 24/7, but I can't. The sad truth is, we have lost many battles to the world system, our own flesh, and the devil. In many moments of time we have been distracted, enticed, and confused because we haven’t stayed connected to Jesus. 

We Need Help!

We need you to stand with us and together resist our common enemies as we become people that love God and love people as Jesus does 24/7.

To join our community and keep up to date, follow us @playstoryeat on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Please like and comment on our posts to spread the word!

The Next blog: Our Mission From God

We hope you join us!

Bonus Tools to Go Deeper and to pass it on!

With many of our videos, we offer resources to help you implement the teaching. Below you will find our “Love Challenge Tool.” Perhaps you might be thinking, "I know I'm supposed to love God and people, but how can I do something about it?” This tool, linked below, will help you to answer the question: “Am I truly loving God and people?" We believe this can help you see the true quality of your love—if you're brave enough to accept the challenge!

The second bonus is a link to our slideshow that we used for this presentation. Take it and use it to share these ideas with someone else!

“Being” the church is better than just going to church! Begin now to be the church by training to love both God and people the way Jesus does.