What is Discipleship? Is it a class, a seminar, or a one on one accountability relationship? What is discipleship? This is a question any believer should know how to answer.
It is important to know what discipleship is because JESUS calls us to be his disciples. To be a disciple is to be a learner. More then just a learner; a disciple is a learner who seeks to become like their master.
Thus, to be a disciple of CHRIST means you learn from him and follow him, and seek to be like him. This is why true discipleship cannot take place in just a class room, or in a seminar, or a one on one accountability relationship.
Discipleship must be something that involves your every day life. Nothing is insignificant as a disciple of CHRIST. Every day, every moment, and every activity is discipleship for the disciple of CHRIST.
Further more, for true discipleship to take place one must be learning from their master. As a disciple of CHRIST one must have CHRIST as their teacher. This is not to say that you can not learn from others, but it is to say you must never substitute what others can teach you for what JESUS can teach you. Keep in mind that JESUS will use a number of things to teach you and mold you to be like him.
Our team believes that the life of a disciple is fluid and organic. We believe discipleship can happen in all areas of life. This is why we believe creativity and artistic expression is so important in life.
In light of these things we are organizing our first "art and discipleship" project. This first project will be low key but still highly impactful.
In my next blog I will explain the project in more detail. your comments and questions are welcomed. I will gladly respond and answer any questions. Stay tuned for more on the project and the lessons we will be learning.
a servant of JESUS CHRIST,
Joe W Hartsell Jr
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
uuuuummmmm, Yeah!
Hello friends,
I do appologize for not having more to say lately in regards to the journey in missions. truth be told I am still very much in a waiting stage. I hope to hear back from crossworld soon in regards to my application. (Crossworld is the missions agency the France team is being sent by) Further more we are awaiting news as to Pat's tremors. (Feel free to visit their blog through the link provided). So I have been living life to the fullest as I wait.
As we wait we are working on putting together our first art project to be done here in Iowa. We figure, "Why wait to use the arts as an expression of our GOD given ability to create, and as a vehicle by which we may meet or better know our creator."
I will post a blog soon to describe this in more detail...
so I do not have much to say tonight, but i wanted to let you know I am still alive and kicking. Well, my fingers do not seem to want to cooperate with keyboard. Or maybe it is the keyboard that is being uncooperative. So I think I am going to say goodbye for now.
a servant of JESUS CHRIST,
Joe W Hartsell Jr
In the meantime please feel free to browse the blog links.
I do appologize for not having more to say lately in regards to the journey in missions. truth be told I am still very much in a waiting stage. I hope to hear back from crossworld soon in regards to my application. (Crossworld is the missions agency the France team is being sent by) Further more we are awaiting news as to Pat's tremors. (Feel free to visit their blog through the link provided). So I have been living life to the fullest as I wait.
As we wait we are working on putting together our first art project to be done here in Iowa. We figure, "Why wait to use the arts as an expression of our GOD given ability to create, and as a vehicle by which we may meet or better know our creator."
I will post a blog soon to describe this in more detail...
so I do not have much to say tonight, but i wanted to let you know I am still alive and kicking. Well, my fingers do not seem to want to cooperate with keyboard. Or maybe it is the keyboard that is being uncooperative. So I think I am going to say goodbye for now.
a servant of JESUS CHRIST,
Joe W Hartsell Jr
In the meantime please feel free to browse the blog links.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
The adventure of missions Part two
"What? I have to wait?"
Sometimes the adventure of missions can be like a young child realizing they can not have what they want right away. Yes, the adventure of missions involves some waiting, some preparations, some waiting, some training, some more waiting; you get the point. However we need not be discouraged by this. On the other, we can enjoy it.
If you think about it, every adventure contains this element of preparation and waiting. Just recall to your mind any adventure/action movie you have ever seen. In these movies there is always a series of short clips that usually pass by quickly to the backdrop of some motivational music. These scenes are the preparation/waiting scenes of the adventure movie. In these scenes you see years of martial arts training in 3 minutes. You might also see a clan of individuals cross the country in seconds.
In real life we are not allowed to put this phase of the adventure into a fast forward motion picture. In real life we must engage in the preparation and waiting of the adventure in which we a partaking. It does us good to realize that this is just as much part of the adventure as is the high adrenaline action packed part is.
This is where I am in my adventure. I have been in this phase of my adventure for some time. Yet without this part I would not be prepared for what comes next. Furthermore, It is within the preparation/waiting that I find the adventure is in the now. As I wait and prepare for the adventures of tomorrow I must engage in the adventure of missions that is available today. I can engage in the missions of today by telling others today about who CHRIST is and what he has done. I can love others today, serve others today, prepare for future adventures today. Today, I can wait because that is part of the adventure too. There is a time and for everything.
a servant of JESUS CHRIST,
Joe W Hartsell Jr
Sometimes the adventure of missions can be like a young child realizing they can not have what they want right away. Yes, the adventure of missions involves some waiting, some preparations, some waiting, some training, some more waiting; you get the point. However we need not be discouraged by this. On the other, we can enjoy it.
If you think about it, every adventure contains this element of preparation and waiting. Just recall to your mind any adventure/action movie you have ever seen. In these movies there is always a series of short clips that usually pass by quickly to the backdrop of some motivational music. These scenes are the preparation/waiting scenes of the adventure movie. In these scenes you see years of martial arts training in 3 minutes. You might also see a clan of individuals cross the country in seconds.
In real life we are not allowed to put this phase of the adventure into a fast forward motion picture. In real life we must engage in the preparation and waiting of the adventure in which we a partaking. It does us good to realize that this is just as much part of the adventure as is the high adrenaline action packed part is.
This is where I am in my adventure. I have been in this phase of my adventure for some time. Yet without this part I would not be prepared for what comes next. Furthermore, It is within the preparation/waiting that I find the adventure is in the now. As I wait and prepare for the adventures of tomorrow I must engage in the adventure of missions that is available today. I can engage in the missions of today by telling others today about who CHRIST is and what he has done. I can love others today, serve others today, prepare for future adventures today. Today, I can wait because that is part of the adventure too. There is a time and for everything.
a servant of JESUS CHRIST,
Joe W Hartsell Jr
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
The adventure of Missions
"Now listen, you who say, "today or tommorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money". Why, you do not even know what will happen tommorrow. What is your life? You are a mist, that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "if it is the LORD'S will, we will live and do this or that." - James 4:13-15
" In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD directs his steps" -Proverbs 16:9
The adventure of Missions is a mission we all should participate in. At the heart of missions is a heart for wanting to share with others what JESUS has done for them. I find it interesting that the passage most use to describe missions starts out with "go into all the world..." It is said that the word translated "go" is best translated "as you are going"
As the different members of the French team work on getting to France to do the work of missions there they are also doing the work of missions now. Missions is not about destination as much as it is about sharing the gospel as you go. A destination is of importance because it helps one focus on a group of people. It allows one to become focused on the mission as well as allows them to focus thier love toward a group of people. Thus, destination is important, because it helps define who to aim love at and love is the purest motive for sharing the gospel.
So here we are as a team planning to go to France. We rest assured that we will arrive there if the LORD is willing. Some may ask? How do you know it is the LORD'S will? That my friends is a great question. To which I will answer with this, We pray, We read, and we listen to the HOLY SPIRIT. We then make choices based on what we discern. Then we travel in that direction and we trust that the LORD will direct our steps. And if what we thought was the destination is not the LORD'S will then we know that every step "as we are going" was designed to bring us to the right destination. Furthermore, every moment "as we are going" provides us with the oppurtunity of missions.
That my friend is the adventure of missions. It is not always sure, but GOD is sure and so is the heart of Missions. The beauty of missions is that when we are following GOD we will always be in his will, because he directs our steps. In our heart we make the plans, and GOD directs our ways. As we are going, the adventure of missions unfolds and the work of missions takes place.
Much love to you all.
The adventure continues
a servant of JESUS CHRIST
Joe W Hartsell Jr
" In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD directs his steps" -Proverbs 16:9
The adventure of Missions is a mission we all should participate in. At the heart of missions is a heart for wanting to share with others what JESUS has done for them. I find it interesting that the passage most use to describe missions starts out with "go into all the world..." It is said that the word translated "go" is best translated "as you are going"
As the different members of the French team work on getting to France to do the work of missions there they are also doing the work of missions now. Missions is not about destination as much as it is about sharing the gospel as you go. A destination is of importance because it helps one focus on a group of people. It allows one to become focused on the mission as well as allows them to focus thier love toward a group of people. Thus, destination is important, because it helps define who to aim love at and love is the purest motive for sharing the gospel.
So here we are as a team planning to go to France. We rest assured that we will arrive there if the LORD is willing. Some may ask? How do you know it is the LORD'S will? That my friends is a great question. To which I will answer with this, We pray, We read, and we listen to the HOLY SPIRIT. We then make choices based on what we discern. Then we travel in that direction and we trust that the LORD will direct our steps. And if what we thought was the destination is not the LORD'S will then we know that every step "as we are going" was designed to bring us to the right destination. Furthermore, every moment "as we are going" provides us with the oppurtunity of missions.
That my friend is the adventure of missions. It is not always sure, but GOD is sure and so is the heart of Missions. The beauty of missions is that when we are following GOD we will always be in his will, because he directs our steps. In our heart we make the plans, and GOD directs our ways. As we are going, the adventure of missions unfolds and the work of missions takes place.
Much love to you all.
The adventure continues
a servant of JESUS CHRIST
Joe W Hartsell Jr
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