Grace Chapel Podcast | Leipers Fork, Tn

In part three of the Disciplines of a Disciple series, Pastor Rob dove deeper into the disciplines of solitude, prayer, and fasting. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the solitary place, and Jesus continued to return there over and over again. We have no idea how to do this because our pace of life is so fast, we’re distracted, we’re all addicted to our phones, and we have a million excuses for why we can’t get alone with God. The purpose of all of these private devotion practices is to teach us how to slow down, eliminate distractions, and look to God. We want to be conformed into the image of Jesus–to be made like Him and do what He did.

In part two of the Disciplines of a Disciple series, Pastor Rob went deeper into private devotion and the disciplines of reading Scripture and keeping the Sabbath. It can be hard for us to make time for these things, but they are a gift for us to grow deeper in our relationship with the Lord. Rather than getting in the Word because you feel like you have to, allow your reading of the Scriptures to draw you into conversation with God. Be expectant that God wants to speak to you. The Sabbath is a day specifically to commune with God, and to enjoy the family and friends He has given you. It is a way of reordering your life around six days of productivity and one day of resting in and delighting in God. If you’re going to really press into establishing a Sabbath rhythm of work and rest, and intentional time in the Word with the Lord, it means you’re probably going to have to say no to some things that you’re currently doing. Spend some time seeking God this week on what He may want you to say “no” to in order to

Have you struggled to make time for things like reading your Bible or prayer? Or maybe you do make time, but it’s just a rushed 10 minutes in the morning so that you can check off that box? When it comes to spiritual disciplines we often focus more on accomplishing the task than the reason we’re actually doing it, but these aren’t practices we need to keep up in order to be saved, or in order for God to be pleased with us.Jesus invites us into these disciplines the way He does in Matthew 11:28–30 when He says to learn from Me, and you will find rest. He’s inviting us into living freely, and lightly. Spiritual disciplines are not something we have to do, they should be something we enjoy doing because we desire to look more and more like Jesus.

Pastor Rob gives three foundational pillars that this body is being built upon and that will continue to shape our church family to look more and more like Jesus. We believe the gospel changes everything, we believe discipleship is the process, and we believe everyone owns the mission. This is who we are. This is where we’re going. This is the foundation that everything else is being built upon because we’re a disciple-making church, filled with people that are following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and on mission with Jesus.

As followers of Jesus we’ve been called in to His body in order to be sent out into the world with both gentleness AND courage. The only way to get the power to live on mission like that is to rejoice, not in power, not if gifting, not in your influence that we have, but rejoice that your name, of all names, is already written in heaven by the miraculous grace of God.When your heart is resting in that reality, when the Lord asks you as He did Isaiah in chapter 6… “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” you’ll be able to say, “Here I am! Send me.”

Do you see people the way that God does?Pastor Rob challenged us with this question this morning because oftentimes we justify keeping a safe distance from those we view as different than us based on our assumptions, predetermined conclusions, broad brush stereotypes, rather than getting to know them. But if we do that, if we don’t look past our opinions and see them for who they are–a person created in the image of God–there’s no way we can truly love those around us.If we are only about loving people who act like us, think like us, and believe like us, we will not actually reach anyone for Christ–we will not live on mission.

As Christians, we have a very clear mission, but it gets muddled through the busyness and frantic pace the world demands that we live in. Which leaves us feeling anxious and worried about many things. We’re called to live in the culture, but counter to the culture! Jesus sets the pace for us, it’s slow and unhurried. When we live like this, we can be present with Jesus and be present with the people that are in close proximity to us. 

Jesus said we should love our neighbor as ourselves, but oftentimes we don’t actually want to define who our neighbor is, so that we aren’t actually held accountable for intentionally loving anyone. A neighbor is anyone you encounter with a need. There’s a million excuses in the book for why we avoid our neighbors like we’re too busy and don’t have time, but if you wait to live on mission until your life is perfect, you never will.

This morning Pastor Rob kicked off the Life on Mission series by talking about the greatest commandment Jesus has given us from Mark 12:30-31 which says “…you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”Jesus is telling His followers this simple truth: Your love for God is revealed by your love for people. God wants you to express your love for Him by loving your neighbor, serving your neighbor, telling your neighbor about Him. If you’re a follower of Jesus, His desire is that you would be intentional about living on mission.You don’t have to go to Africa to be on mission–God put you where you are for a reason, and we all have people around us who need to hear that they have purpose, and that are seen by a God who loves them and wants to be in relationship with them. Challenge yourself this week–simply begin to pray fo

This morning Pastor Rob finished out The Transformed Life series by talking about the power of transformation. When God calls us to share with others about what He’s done in our life and you obey Him in the call of disciple-making, it’s not just for others–it’s for you too! It is like pouring jet fuel on your own transformation journey because not only will you witness life change and transformation in others, but you’ll see yourself being made more and more into the image of Christ in the process.

In our fourth and final week of talking about being changed by Jesus, Pastor Dave taught on The Purpose of Transformation. God transformed us not only for our benefit, but so that we could make an impact by advancing His Kingdom, and bringing glory to His name. Advancing the Kingdom is the mission of the Church–it’s why we’re here on Earth. We should be about telling people about Jesus, making disciples, and living in such a way that enhances the reputation of God in the eyes of others.

This morning Pastor Dave broke down the expressions of love found in 1 Corinthians 13 because the way that we love others is how we and the world around us can know that we have been transformed by Jesus.

This week Pastor Dave built on the the process of transformation by talking about the priority of transformation. Our Heavenly Father’s primary aim, next to reconciling you to Himself, showering you with His love and forgiveness, and welcoming you into His heavenly family, is forming you to look more like His Son. God is more concerned with developing your character than He is with your comfort. He is the God of all comfort, but His priority is to transform you to make you look more like Jesus!

This morning Pastor Dave Buehring kicked off a new 4-part series called The Transformed Life where we’ll be diving into what it means to live a life being transformed by Jesus. It’s not just about knowledge of the Bible—if there is no application then transformation doesn’t happen. It’s obeying what God is revealing that brings about transformation.

We’re all growing, we’re all in desperate need of being discipled, and we’re all called to make disciples. When we recognize where we are in the process of spiritual maturity, we can begin joining the Holy Spirit on the journey to get where He wants us to be. The fruit of a gospel-centered life is growth in spiritual maturity, which comes when we abide in Him and center our lives on the Rock that will not move.

Talking about money at church can be kind of awkward sometimes, but it shouldn’t be because Jesus actually talked about money quite a bit. He said in Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”When hard times come, is your first thought, “it’s okay, I’ve got money” or “it’s okay, I’ve got Jesus.” See, we often look to money to give us value, security, meaning, and control, but when we do that we’re focusing on the wrong kind of wealth. Jesus Christ emptied Himself of all His rights and privileges, His wealth and possessions, even His own life, so that you could be spiritually rich with a true wealth that will never fade away – no amount of money on earth could ever compare to that.

Ever wondered how you can make a difference in the next generation? Bob Lenz brought an incredible word that challenged us to fulfill our part of the great commission by coming alongside parents and pouring into our youth because they are so valuable. You don’t have to have the gift of evangelism to share the gospel. Show them you love them and see their worth with your time, treasures, and talents.

How do you have a satisfying marriage or relationship with your kids?It’s gotta be through Jesus Christ.If you look to a spouse or children to be satisfied you’ll ultimately crush them under the weight of your demand that they meet all your needs or expectations of them, which can lead to your disappointment or unhappiness.Having the gospel at your center is the only thing that gives you the ability to be a consistently humble, loving, and joyful person because you acknowledge that everything you’ve ever needed and desired is fully satisfied in the person of Jesus Christ.

Throughout this series we’re going to be talking about how the gospel affects every aspect of our lives. This morning Pastor Rob explained that the gospel changes the way that we approach our work. Often times we view our jobs as simply a means to provide for our needs, or a way to find purpose and value rather than realizing that we already have value in our identity in Christ. We are more than what we achieve or what we accomplish. This is why the gospel should change the way you view your work. It changes the reasons that you work. It’s not about earning a salary or obtaining an identity, it’s about fulfilling a calling given to you by God to bring glory to His name in everything you do. Not because you’re earning something from God, but because God has already given you everything you need in the person of Jesus Christ. We have the opportunity to work to serve the people around us and to be an example of Jesus by doing great work out in the world.

This morning Pastor Rob kicked off this new series focused on what it looks like to live a gospel-centered life, and how that fits into our mission of being a disciple-making church. When we say gospel-centered, what we’re saying is that your whole life–your actions, your life decisions, your family, your marriage, your wealth, and relationships–are all informed, and completely shaped by your understanding of the gospel.Over the next 5 weeks we’re going to walk through what it looks like to truly make the gospel the center of your life as a follower of Jesus.