Here are ten suggestions to leave a spiritual legacy. The first is to share the hope of the gospel and be a channel through whom God can bring light and hope to others who can do the same for others. The second is to continue to correct stinking thinking. It hinders us more than we realize. The third is to fulfill God’s purpose, and the fourth is to love God, neighbor, and other believers.
5. Be a 24/7 Follower with Hiking Boots, not a Fan with a Seat Cushion
· Fans show up for services but not service. They sit better than they serve.
· Fans sing “Trust and Obey” but don’t.
· Fans praise God with their lips, but He isn’t their defining passion.
· Fans treat Christianity as a piece of the pie of life instead of the pie plate.
· Fans are not whole-life stewards.
· Fans are still trying to make a name for themselves.
· Fans occupy the driver’s seats of their spiritual lives.
· Fans are not growing spiritually.
· Fans do not understand the basics of the Christian faith.
· Fans do not feed themselves spiritually.
6. Be a Whole Life Steward
· The parable of the bags of gold teaches that God expects a return on His investment in us (Matthew 25:14–30).
· We are accountable to Him for using the time, talents, treasures, energy, and gifts He has given us for His glory.
· We live in time to make an eternal difference. Pursuing earthly “accomplishments” competes with using all our resources to do what matters for eternity.
7. Be Holy Spirit Empowered
· “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18 NLT).
· God commands us to be controlled and empowered by His Spirit. That is His will.
· When we pray daily for Him to control and empower us, He will (1 John 5:14–15).
· When the Holy Spirit controls us, we remain in Christ (John 15:5) and can do whatever God has planned for us (Philippians 4:13), living in a supernatural gear.
8. Serve to Open Hearts
· God pursues lost people through us (Luke 15:3–7).
· We connect with and open their hearts by practical demonstrations of love on their turf.
· We heal hurts and meet practical needs to build trust and demonstrate Jesus’ love for them.
· These people eventually become the growing edge of the church.
9. Make Disciples
· Jesus commanded us to make disciples (Matthew 28:18–20).
· We must give all church ministries a discipleship core.
· Disciples follow and progressively become more like Jesus.
· Make discipleship training reproducible and recycle spiritual feeding (See “His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength” at https://www.christiangrowthresources.com/his-power-for-your-weakness.
10. Floor It
· “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:13–14 NLT).
· “We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That’s what I’m working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me” (Colossians 1:29 The Message).
· These ten suggestions boil down to one word—love. Ten Suggestions to Leave a Spiritual Legacy--Part One. #freediscipleshipresources #freeevangelismresources #freechristianleadershipresources
See free spiritual growth resources for Christians at https://www.christiangrowthresources.com
God has empowered me to write “His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength.” It’s a free evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship eBook. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead more than 2,400 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 5,836 people. I invite you to check it out. https://www.christiangrowthresources.com/his-power-for-your-weakness
Commenti