What a privilege it has been to be a part of different ministry opportunities over the last four decades.
I don’t remember a time when ministry has not been the natural outflow of what God has done and is doing in my life.
God’s call is in recognizing His hand within the desires of one’s heart. Desires that have grown and changed over time and life experience. Simply put, we encourage others with the encouragement we receive in Christ. This translates into both sharing the gospel with those who don’t know Him, and many different forms of discipleship methods as well.
Presently, I’m working within Freedom Trainings based in the East Texas area. Our emphasis is on freeing men from the shame that drives them toward isolation and into the value of who they are in Christ, who God says they are.
Because of the variety of different formats for discipleship, here are a few I am able to engage with – SPAR (sharpen, pray, affirm, repent) is a group of men meeting weekly.
My wife and I have “Couples Couch Time” – we meet with other couples to think through marriage in the comfort of our living room.
“Coffee Time” is an intimate one-on-one discipleship/coaching time to better move toward the heart of the issue.
“Bootcamp” is a weekend workshop of discovery, a discovery of one’s weakness opening up to God’s strength, one’s pride giving way to humility. Bootcamp is not some kind of ‘secret revealed’, rather it’s truth spoken. Truth each man can consider as they open the pages of the gift God has given them in his word.
A Blog Post is yet another way to assist others as they think through life lived in who God says they are.
Because there are many methods within the principle of discipleship we can continue to creatively develop curriculum that is relevant to the Body of Christ unto maturity.
The fruit we have seen over the years, the restored marriages, men walking in bold humility and love, creating new patterns within his family, though not our motivation, it is a joy, as is ice cream on a pie!
Galatians 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”