Run With Horses Podcast

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we continue thinking about how we can be intentional about making spiritual progress in our life. Last week our focus was to clarify our purpose this week we think about our priorities. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. There are lots of moving parts to the journey but our foundation is built on the solid Rock. Keep your eyes on the prize and keep making steps forward on your spiritual journey. Last week we talked about seeing the needs in the world. Particularly important is the need for more harvest workers. I asked you to focus on prayer for those workers and to pray for a greater burden for the work and mission of Jesus. I moved on to consider how God made you and has designed you for a purpose. We took John 15:9-17 and looked at some things that God wants for you. This week we turn toward living out that purpose. Hopefully you have spent some time considering what God has to say about you and about the call that Jesus made to all His followers. “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Actually the way I like to put it is to combine two verses. “Deny yourself, take up your cross, follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” Your purpose, regardless of age, income, job title or current address, is to be a disciple maker – an ambassador for Christ. So how do you see your priorities every day? How do you know what to focus on? In other words, how do you live out your purpose? The world gives you lots of ideas! Many churches take Peter Drucker’s advice. Resources https://andrewsobel.com/article/peter-druckers-five-magic-questions/ ****** Peter Drucker’s Five Magic Questions The management guru Peter Drucker framed his consulting advice around five critical questions. With the answers to these five questions, you could run and grow your business. Here are Drucker’s five questions: 1. What is your mission? 2. Who is your customer? 3. What does your customer value? 4. What results do you seek? 5. What is your plan? Sometimes he would spend an entire day on the first question, challenging the leadership team he was working with to redefine what business they were really in. ***** I can see some value in those questions, if they are answered the right way. But too often churches answer the question, Who is your customer? With some kind of demographic survey and an ideal person in their area. My customer is Jesus. What does He value? Answer that and you are well on your way to determining your best priorities for the week. After a short break we will look at some biblical advice for our priorities. PART 2 The Bible doesn’t tell you exactly what to do each day but God does tell you what is important to Him and what you should value in life. That is a pretty good place to start when you consider your priorities. Matt. 6:33 Luke 10:38-42 Matt. 22:35-40 – Deut. 6:4-7 - Romans 12:1-2 – 1 Timothy 2:1-2 – 1 Timothy 3:1-7 Matt. 28:18-20 – What does that look like in your life? How are you living out these truths? Next week I plan to bring in some family for a Christmas show but we will return to building an intentional life of following Jesus for the New Year weekend show., Thanks for joining me again today! What is God doing in your life this holiday season? How are you focusing on abiding in Christ in the midst of a busy schedule? I’d love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today I go through Seven area of life that are worth evaluating on a regular basis if you are serious about consistent spiritual growth. Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a follower of Jesus. We all need to spend some time prayerfully considering how we are doing at following Jesus. We all struggle and we all fail. But we can also all keep getting up and keep relying on God to lead us and finish His work of sanctification. God does His part, are you willing to do your part? I don’t know about you but I am often a little overwhelmed by the great need for change that I see in my own life. It seems that I take a few baby steps only to find myself right back where I started! The great news is that God’s work in our lives doesn’t depend on us and our ability to be obedient or successful in any way. He is more than capable of working in and through our mistakes to make us what He intends. Having said that, we should want to grow and be pursuing Jesus with all of our energy. This is the challenge of Paul to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:15 - Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. So what are some area to be evaluating? Prayer Life Learning to rely on God in everything! We are so quick to try our own way. Bible Time God’s Word is the foundation. How do you know Him? How do you learn how to live? How is your world-view shaped? Outreach We are invited to be on mission with Jesus. The ministry of reconciliation is worth the effort. 15:1 to over 100:1 – let’s change the conversation! Take a minute to think through your life. Grab a piece of paper and make some notes on where you are and how you could do better. Invite a friend to meet and discuss the details of what it means to be pursuing God in these areas. We have a short break and then I will be back with the second part of our personal spiritual life evaluation! *** Did you have any brainstorms as you think through your spiritual life? Is it more involved than you thought or maybe a little more approachable when you break it into the different components? Discipleship of Believers Living out the “one another’s” of the NT. Using your gifts. You do know what your gifts are don’t you? Spending real quality time with your church family. The goal is to help, encourage and walk beside others as they pursue Jesus. Time Management Daily, Weekly, Yearly, Your whole life! Do you need a schedule? A priority list? How are you doing in putting the most important things into your life? Exercise Your body is the temple of the living God! Do you treat it like that? This is basically a stewardship issue. You were given a certain level of health and physical potential to use in God’s service. How have you taken care of it and used it? Personal Spiritual Growth What else do you do that contributes to your spiritual life? Church family involvement, humble service to others, practicing the spiritual disciplines? What do you do and what could you do better? Remember the desire is to pursue godliness, righteousness and holiness. What would make that easier in your life? How can you include others in the journey? Thanks for Joining me today! If you have questions or comment about todays show, email me at norman@runwithhorses.net or look up the Run With Horses podcast facebook page.

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today I go through Seven area of life that are worth evaluating on a regular basis if you are serious about consistent spiritual growth. Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a follower of Jesus. We all need to spend some time prayerfully considering how we are doing at following Jesus. We all struggle and we all fail. But we can also all keep getting up and keep relying on God to lead us and finish His work of sanctification. God does His part, are you willing to do your part? I don’t know about you but I am often a little overwhelmed by the great need for change that I see in my own life. It seems that I take a few baby steps only to find myself right back where I started! The great news is that God’s work in our lives doesn’t depend on us and our ability to be obedient or successful in any way. He is more than capable of working in and through our mistakes to make us what He intends. Having said that, we should want to grow and be pursuing Jesus with all of our energy. This is the challenge of Paul to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:15 - Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. So what are some area to be evaluating? Prayer Life Learning to rely on God in everything! We are so quick to try our own way. Bible Time God’s Word is the foundation. How do you know Him? How do you learn how to live? How is your world-view shaped? Outreach We are invited to be on mission with Jesus. The ministry of reconciliation is worth the effort. 15:1 to over 100:1 – let’s change the conversation! Take a minute to think through your life. Grab a piece of paper and make some notes on where you are and how you could do better. Invite a friend to meet and discuss the details of what it means to be pursuing God in these areas. We have a short break and then I will be back with the second part of our personal spiritual life evaluation! *** Did you have any brainstorms as you think through your spiritual life? Is it more involved than you thought or maybe a little more approachable when you break it into the different components? Discipleship of Believers Living out the “one another’s” of the NT. Using your gifts. You do know what your gifts are don’t you? Spending real quality time with your church family. The goal is to help, encourage and walk beside others as they pursue Jesus. Time Management Daily, Weekly, Yearly, Your whole life! Do you need a schedule? A priority list? How are you doing in putting the most important things into your life? Exercise Your body is the temple of the living God! Do you treat it like that? This is basically a stewardship issue. You were given a certain level of health and physical potential to use in God’s service. How have you taken care of it and used it? Personal Spiritual Growth What else do you do that contributes to your spiritual life? Church family involvement, humble service to others, practicing the spiritual disciplines? What do you do and what could you do better? Remember the desire is to pursue godliness, righteousness and holiness. What would make that easier in your life? How can you include others in the journey? Thanks for Joining me today! If you have questions or comment about todays show, email me at norman@runwithhorses.net or look up the Run With Horses podcast facebook page.

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast PART 2 Today I finish my interview with special guest Brad Hoff of of Continental Baptist Missions Bradand his wife Joanne have served with CBM since 1985, first as church planters in Iron River, Michigan and Sioux City, Iowa, then as Field Director (now Director of Church Planting) since 2010. In recent years, Brad has had increasing administrative responsibilities within the CBM home office. As Administrative Director, Brad provides general leadership and manages administrative affairs, being responsible for the executive direction of day-to-day activities in the home office. Find out more at https://www.gocbm.org/

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today I interview special guest Brad Hoff of of Continental Baptist Missions Bradand his wife Joanne have served with CBM since 1985, first as church planters in Iron River, Michigan and Sioux City, Iowa, then as Field Director (now Director of Church Planting) since 2010. In recent years, Brad has had increasing administrative responsibilities within the CBM home office. As Administrative Director, Brad provides general leadership and manages administrative affairs, being responsible for the executive direction of day-to-day activities in the home office. Find out more at https://www.gocbm.org/

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Making those needed changes to your life is hard. It’s even harder when you don’t have a clear picture of what changes you should be making! Thankfully God gives us a blueprint for what He is doing in our lives. Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a follower of Jesus. You may see a need to make some changes and not be sure what steps to take. God hasn’t hidden the work He is doing in your life though, He is working to make you more like Jesus and the bible gives us a pretty good picture of what a life following Jesus should look like. Today we are looking at a quick overview of the blueprint He gives us,. . . in the life of Christ. We will come back to that in a minute. First some housekeeping. If you are listening to Run With Horses on Revelation Radio, you need to know that Beginning November 4th we have a new time and day along with some format changes. We go to the new ONE hour format on Saturday, Nov. 4 at our new time, 6:30-7:30 PM. So starting in Nov. look for us at revelationradio.net every Saturday night at 6:30 pm for an hour-long show! For those who listen to Run With Horses on your favorite podcast player, new episodes will coincide with the radio broadcast and will be available every Saturday night beginning Nov. 4th. Back to our regularly scheduled programing! I mentioned in the last show that. like it or hate it, change is necessary. Without changing I will never be like Jesus! But random change, unrelated to what God is doing isn’t helpful. We are invited to join in the work that God is doing and be intentional about pursuing godliness and righteousness. In the last show I mentioned Lack of motivation, lack of a plan, and poor priorities as reasons we struggle to change. Today we address the idea of having a clear goal of what we are changing into...the image of Jesus. The Mind of Jesus. Phil.2:1-9 The Purpose of Jesus. Lived out in His relationships The Relationships of Jesus. With God - John 6:38 - To carry out God’s Plan of Redemption. With His followers – John 15:12-17 – With the World – Matt. 9:36-38 – Luke 19:1-10 – So we look for these things in our lives. The Fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22-25 – Love for God and Man Matthew 22:37-39 – Obedience and Good Works Titus 2:11-14 – Engagement in Disciple Making Matthew 28:18-20 – Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you. Keep looking for the change that God is working in your life. God is working to prepare you for eternity and close fellowship with Himself. Find a friend today and encourage them to keep on the journey with you. Keep running!

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Do you ever get the feeling that things need to change if you are to make any progress in your life? Remodeling is tough whether it is a house or a life. Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a follower of Jesus. You may see a need to make some changes and not be sure what steps to take. You can rest assured that God not only does know, He is working to make you more like Jesus and He always finishes what He starts. . . unlike the rest of us . . . Got any unfinished projects sitting around? We will come back to that in a minute. But first. If you are listening to Run With Horses on Revelation Radio, I have news for you! Beginning November 4th we have a new time and day along with some format changes. We go to the new ONE hour format on Saturday, Nov. 4 at our new time, 6:30-7:30 PM. So starting in Nov. look for us at revelationradio.net every Saturday night at 6:30 pm for an hour-long show! The longer format will make it easier to fit in guest interviews and a few other things we have been wanting to do but find difficult in the shorter format. The longer format will also make it easier for us to find syndication options so contact norman@runwithhorses.net if you are interested in having Run With Horses on your station. So where were we? Ah, yes, unfinished projects. . . How appropriate that I am sitting in a half-finished room as I record this! Some people like change and thrive in chaos. Other hate change and fight it with every breathe. But like it or hate it, change is necessary. Without changing I will never be like Jesus! So why is it so hard for us to accept the need for change? 1. We get comfortable. Distracted. 2. We are basically lazy. 3. Unknown is scary. 4. Unsure about where to begin. 5. Not sure where we will end up 6. It seems too hard. 7. We can’t be perfect so why bother. 8. Busy with other things. Maybe less important but in our face. So to summarize. Why don’t we change? Lack of motivation, lack of a plan, poor priorities. I think that about covers it! Did I miss anything important? Why is it important to resist the urge to “go with the flow” and never apply efforts to intentional change? 1. The call of Jesus demands an intentional response. Matt.4:18-22 2. No one knows how long they have before their life is over. Matt. 24:35-36 3. We will all answer for how we lived our lives. 2 Corinthians 5:9 Change is hard. Got it. But Change is necessary. Do you find yourself fighting change or embracing it? Sometimes a bit of both? Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you. Keep looking for the change that God is working in your life. Don’t run from it but embrace it and make firm choices to welcome the change that He is doing. Find a friend today and encourage them to keep on the journey with you. Keep running!

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we are looking at friends. Do you have enough good ones? Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a follower of Jesus. You are not in this alone. God intends for you to make the journey with others. How are you doing at building and developing lasting friendships? Hopefully better than the average! Reference - https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/the-state-of-american-friendship-change-challenges-and-loss/ Number of close friendships has declined over the past few decades. - SM influence? Contact does not equal close relationship! More friends equals more satisfied with the number of friends you have. No surprise there! Why is it so important to have and maintain friendships? Prov. 27:6 - Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Prov. 27:17 – 17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – 9 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. 1 Cor. 15:33-34 – 33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. John 15:12-15 - 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 1. Friendships give you hope. A good friend will talk you down when you are crazy. 2. Friendships encourage you to take time away from stress to recharge and refocus on what is really important. 3. Friendships encourage you to try new things and meet new people. Exercise is better with a friend, so is Thai curry. 4. Friendships encourage thankfulness. Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you. Find a friend today and encourage them to keep on the journey with you. Keep running!

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast An Interview with Pastore Chris O;Reilly from Immanuel Baptist Church, Wausaukee, WI

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we are looking at some reasons why people don’t go to church. And can I start by saying that this is part of the problem. We “go” to church, something that was impossible in the NT. Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a disciple of Jesus. God is working to grow you into the image of Christ and HE will complete that work. What a joy to know that it all doesn’t depend on us! Let’s go to church! Ok, we already have a problem. . . Church is not a place. The church is a group of people called out by God, gloriously saved by His Son and united through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. You cannot GO to church. If you are genuinely saved by Faith through Grace you can choose not to use your Spirit given gifts to strengthen and build up the Family of God, the Bride of Jesus, His glorious Church. Avoiding time with God’s family will keep you from serving His Church. Let’s call that what it is, disobedience. But you cannot GO to church. The church is not a building that can be taken away or a service that can be scheduled. The church can meet in a building or under a tree. The church can meet in a large group with thousands or in a coffee shop with three. But you cannot GO to church. And if that is what you have been doing, you are part of the problem. Because if you can go to church, you can NOT GO to church. If your life, your family, your community and yes, even your church, are to change, we have to stop going to church and start BEING the church. Every day in every house, on every street, in every town, in every nation. We ARE the Church of the True and Living God. So why don’t people go to church? Reference - https://churchhelper.net/why-people-dont-go-to-church/ 1. They deem the church irrelevant. The church is a group of people who are bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus. As such, He has placed us into His family. The church is instantly relevant if you understand the mission of Jesus in the world. Sermons that are theology without application. Although some can take a sermon and run with it, most people need or at least will benefit from discussions about the passage/ topic that allows them to see how it works out in their life. 2. They cite the hypocrisy and moral failures of church leaders. This is straight up bad news. It points to the need to emphasize character as we train and prepare leaders in the church. Dealing with sin in the lives of leaders. Confession, repentance, humility. Side rant. We cannot allow the training and preparation of pastors and church leaders to be left to bible colleges and seminaries. They are great supplements to churches discipling and preparing leaders but they cannot replace the churches role. 3. They feel God is missing in the church. Spectator churches can easily be focused on the audience and felt needs, not God. God IS and that matters. He is Holy and that matters. The church has to be focused on God. When we are, it changes us. Biblical doctrine matters. We need to see God in His Word. Hearts prepared to follow Him are hearts prepared to worship Him. If God is missing in your life the rest of the week, God will likely be missing in your time with His Family or at least, you won’t see Him. 4. They feel that legitimate doubt is prohibited. God is big enough to handle our questions. The pastors pride might not be. Spurgeon - “Suppose a number of persons were to take it into their heads that they had to defend a lion, full-grown king of beasts! There he is in the cage, and here come all the soldiers of the army to fight for him. Well, I should suggest to them, if they would not object, and feel that it was humbling to them, that they should kindly stand back, and open the door, and let the lion out! I believe that would be the best way of defending him, for he would take care of himself; and the best 'apology' for the gospel is to let the gospel out.” As the church we need to be inviting people to ask questions. God can handle it. You don’t need to answer everyone’s questions, point them to the Word and encourage them to ask God for answers to their doubts. He is amazingly good at it. 5. They don’t learn about God or Jesus. I don’t know what church this is true in but it is shameful if it is true! 6. They don’t gain any significant or new insights about faith. There is a need to be growing and making efforts yourself. Pursue Christ. 1 Timothy 6:11-12 - 11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Practical obedience is part of our growth. Without it we will stop learning. Our spiritual life is more than head knowledge, we have to live it or we will struggle in our faith. 7. They have trouble finding a community. If you don’t find community, you build it. There are others who want that unity that the NT talks about and are willing to fihgt for it. Look for them and build a small community. Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you.

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we are talking about the size of the local church and the impact of the local church. Two things that are not always related. Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a disciple of Jesus. The road often seems long but we are in this together. The Church. God’s amazing, wonderful, frustrating, beautiful, distracted Family. Hard to live with at times, impossible to live without at others. Reference - https://outreachmagazine.com/resources/small-church-america/74242-god-can-use-a-church-of-any-size.html Reference - https://research.lifeway.com/2021/10/20/small-churches-continue-growing-but-in-number-not-size If the goal is getting every member involved int eh mission of Jesus it would seem that smaller churches have an advantage. But small churches have a challenge as well. Large churches have a place. My thought is that disciple making is difficult in any size church. It takes intentional effort not to be distracted by the challenges of being small, or big. Disciple making is intentionally investing in the life of another person. The size of your church doesn’t matter. Your focus and your clarity of purpose do. Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you.

Today we finish our overview of the spiritual life and the five areas we need to focus on if we want to see consistent progress in Christlikeness. Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as as follower of Jesus. The spiritual battles we face are real. The battles of the future will require you to be growing and trusting God even more than you do today. Your spiritual life, Is your life. We may try to break it into different parts to better understand it and to apply intentional efforts to grow and change, but our life is unified in Christ. Everything matters. Mental Life - Mental life includes emotional, psychological, and social aspects. It is how we think, feel, and act, and determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Includes education. Physical Life – From conception to our last breathe we are physical beings. We don’t have control over much of our physical life but our choices do influence our health and ability. Exercise and diet are key. Relational Life - Humans are interconnected. The family and community play an important role in our lives. Humans are meant to connect with others on a personal and emotional level and strong, fulfilling relationships help people build and maintain emotional health. We need people. Mentors, coworkers, friends. Emotional Life - There are many types of emotional skills (aka emotional intelligence). These skills: like emotion regulation, gratitude, empathy, and kindness — help you relate better to others and yourself. Feelings don’t lead us but they do impact us greatly. Physical Health - Humans are interconnected. The family and community play an important role in our lives. Humans are meant to connect with others on a personal and emotional level and strong, fulfilling relationships help people build and maintain emotional health. We need people. Mentors, coworkers, friends. Spiritual Life – The life lived in Jesus, in communion with God. Basics – prayer, spiritual community, bible knowledge. Or three areas of spirituality – doctrine, affection (love) and experience. 1. 1 Peter 2:2-5 – Our desire is to know Him and His Word. - Mental Health We know Who we are. We believe what He says about us. Our Identity is settled. --Mental and Emotional Health We are growing, maturing and our life glorifies God. - All areas affected as we grow and mature, becoming more like Jesus. We are part of His family, a priesthood that serves Him. - Relational Health Our actions are in line with our faith. - Whole life 2. Col. 2:6-10 - Our actions matter every day. Our faith is settled and we build on it. Faith is vibrant, alive and leads us to Thanksgiving! We lack nothing we need for Spiritual Health in Jesus. Ephe. 4:11-16 – All areas of life, working well, result in the body of Christ growing, serving, and building up itself as we all become more like Jesus. Matthew 28:18-20 – A Healthy Spiritual life is one that is engaged in the mission of Jesus to take the message of reconciliation to the world, inviting others to join us as Ambassadors for Christ. The question we all must ask ourselves is not “Where will I be when I face the most difficult challenge in my life?”, but “Who will I be? Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you.

We have been looking at five areas that all impact our ability to grow and have a healthy spiritual life. Spiritual Life – The life lived in Jesus, in communion with God. Basics – prayer, spiritual community, bible knowledge. Or three areas of spirituality – doctrine, affection (love) and experience. Mental Life - Mental life includes emotional, psychological, and social aspects. It is how we think, feel, and act, and determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Includes education. Physical Life – From conception to our last breathe we are physical beings. We don’t have control over much of our physical life but our choices do influence our health and ability. Exercise and diet are key. Relational Life - Humans are interconnected. The family and community play an important role in our lives. Humans are meant to connect with others on a personal and emotional level and strong, fulfilling relationships help people build and maintain emotional health. We need people. Mentors, coworkers, friends. Today we are looking at our Emotional Life - As beings created in the image of God, we have many emotions that we use to express ourselves and that reveal our inner character. The challenge is to allow the Holy Spirit to rule not only our actions and thoughts, but our emotions as well. As the challenges of the summer intensify, each of us will reveal our “true self,” as fatigue and the mental exhaustion of living and working in another culture take their toll. Self control is the result of a Spirit-controlled life! Following the Way means balance in Life. From Two Steps to Improve your Emotional life – 1. “You want to be able to choose what you become emotional about and when you become emotional.” Proverbs 29:11 - A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back. Prov. 16:32 - He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. 2. “Be able to choose how you act when you are emotional. “ 1 Tim. 1:7 - For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Gal. 5:22-25 – 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Self control is the result of a Spirit-controlled life! Reference - https://bigthink.com/articles/two-steps-to-improve-your-emotional-life/ There are many types of emotional skills (aka emotional intelligence). These skills: like emotion regulation, gratitude, empathy, and kindness — help you relate better to others and yourself. Feelings don’t lead us but they do impact us greatly. Reference: https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/emotional-skills.html As beings created in the image of God, we have many emotions that we use to express ourselves and that reveal our inner character. The challenge is to allow the Holy Spirit to rule not only our actions and thoughts, but our emotions as well. As the challenges of the Christian life intensify, each of us will reveal our “true self,” as fatigue and the mental exhaustion of living and working in another culture take their toll. Following Jesus means seeking His control of our life. How are you doing at keeping your emotions in their proper place? They definitely have value. We were created as emotional beings. But our emotions shouldn’t be running the show. The question we all must ask ourselves is not “Where will I be when I face the most difficult challenge in my life?”, but “Who will I be? Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you.

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we are looking at our relationships and considering how they impact our spiritual life. Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as as follower of Jesus. The spiritual battles we face are real. The battles of the future will require you to be growing and trusting God even more than you do today. How can you be the person that you need to be to face the challenges of the future? Your relationships play a big part in your spiritual life and growth. Who you hang out with affects your thought life and your choices. True Spiritual Health requires us to pay attention to our relationships. We are getting closer to completing our look at the five areas of life that influence our overall Spiritual Health and potential for growth. Spiritual Life – The life lived in Jesus, in communion with God. Basics – prayer, spiritual community, bible knowledge. Or three areas of spirituality – doctrine, affection (love) and experience. Mental Life - Mental life includes emotional, psychological, and social aspects. It is how we think, feel, and act, and determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Includes education. Physical Life – From conception to our last breathe we are physical beings. We don’t have control over much of our physical life but our choices do influence our health and ability. Exercise and diet are key. Emotional Life - There are many types of emotional skills (aka emotional intelligence). These skills: like emotion regulation, gratitude, empathy, and kindness — help you relate better to others and yourself. Feelings don’t lead us but they do impact us greatly. Today we are looking at our Relationships- Humans are interconnected. The family and community play an important role in our lives. Humans are meant to connect with others on a personal and emotional level and strong, fulfilling relationships help people build and maintain emotional health. We need people. “We are relational beings, but the sin that destroyed our relationship with God also ruined our relationship with others. This is why life’s greatest hurts, as well as life’s greatest joys, come through relationships with people.” So how do you deal with the fact that people are a pain and yet we need people on so many levels? I mean, sinners abound! But comfort comes through people. Encouragement comes through people. Jesus gave the call to love and serve . . .people. And then again, our greatest hurts come from people. So what do you do? There are options. You can be a hermit. You can avoid as many people as possible. You can live near people without any real connection to them. It is not uncommon for people to attend a church for years and not really get to know anyone. It is possible to live near others and never meet. But Jesus calls us to relationships with others. Why? 1. We are God’s ‘A plan’ to reach the world with the good news of His Son. There is no plan B. We are Ambassadors for Christ and have the message of Reconciliation that the world needs to hear. Mark 12:29-31 Not easy. But not complicated. Love and serve others for the sake of the Gospel. 2. Our loving service and use of our gifts builds up the church towards maturity. Maturity builds unity. Unity glorifies God. 1 Cor. 12:12- 26 - The fact that Jesus is returning should motivate us to love each other, comfort each other and use our gifts to build each other up. 1 Thess. 5: 1-11 But Relationships are Hard! You might say. And you would be right. No getting around it. Sin is a real thing, even in the life of a believer and we are easily swayed by our hearts to choose our own way rather than Jesus. That usually doesn’t work out well for our relationships! A good question to ask yourslef, if you are a follower of Jesus and consider yourself His disciple, is : Do my relationships look like the relationships that Jesus had with people? Phil 2:1-11 - Jesus humbled Himself for the glory of God. He wasn’t a doormat. He ran people out of the temple with a whip, also for the glory of God. Jesus lived a life that lifted up God. That desired showed itself in every action and in every relationship. As a follower of Jesus we have the same calling. To live a live that is pleasing to God. One that glorifies Him in every relationship as we put Him first and help others see how great that He is. It really isn’t an option to avoid people. Our choice is how will we relate to them? Will our interactions with others make the message of the cross clear and allow the Hope of the Gospel to shine bright? I certainly pray that they do. Life is all about our relationships. How are you doing in yours this week? References - https://www.globaldisciples.ca/blog/christian-relationships-relating-with-others/ The question we all must ask ourselves is not “Where will I be when I face the most difficult challenge in my life?”, but “Who will I be? Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you.

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we are continuing to look at our spiritual life and the five areas we need to focus on if we want to see consistent progress in our spiritual life. Today’s area? Our Physical Health. Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as as follower of Jesus. The spiritual battles we face are real. The battles of the future will require you to be growing and trusting God even more than you do today. An important piece in your overall spiritual health is your physical well-being. From handling stress to having the energy to push through a difficult situation, your physical health greatly impacts your spiritual ability to respond well tot the trials that will come. Quick review to get us started today. Five area of life that are critical for our overall spiritual growth and maturity. Spiritual Life – The life lived in Jesus, in communion with God. Basics – prayer, spiritual community, bible knowledge. Or three areas of spirituality – doctrine, affection (love) and experience. Mental Life - Mental life includes emotional, psychological, and social aspects. It is how we think, feel, and act, and determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Includes education. Physical Life – From conception to our last breathe we are physical beings. We don’t have control over much of our physical life but our choices do influence our health and ability. Exercise and diet are key. Relational Life - Humans are interconnected. The family and community play an important role in our lives. Humans are meant to connect with others on a personal and emotional level and strong, fulfilling relationships help people build and maintain emotional health. We need people. Mentors, coworkers, friends. Emotional Life - There are many types of emotional skills (aka emotional intelligence). These skills: like emotion regulation, gratitude, empathy, and kindness — help you relate better to others and yourself. Feelings don’t lead us but they do impact us greatly. Physical Health - 1 Corinthians 3:16 – 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 1 Corinthians 3:16 tells us that our bodies are the temple of the true and living God. We are stewards of His dwelling place here on earth. What an awesome responsibility! To maintain a fitting vessel prepared for His service, we will exercise daily and be ready for every opportunity that He gives us to serve. 1 Cor. 6:19-20 – 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. “Physical training is good…” (1 Timothy 4:8 - 7 But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.) So why focus on our physical health? 1. We are to Glorify God in our Body. 1 Cor. 6:20 2. Being healthy means being physically able to serve others. Increase energy levels. Can reduce pain. Improve sleep quality. 3. Regular exercise can be a spiritual discipline. Builds humility, self-control, endurance. 4. Stress relief <https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469> Virtually any form of exercise, from aerobics to yoga, can act as a stress reliever. It’s meditation in motion. It improves your mood. 5. Taking care of your body is stewardship of God’s gift to you. Stewardship : the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care (Merriam-Webster) “Stewardship defines our practical obedience in the administration of everything under our control, everything entrusted to us. It is the consecration of one’s self and possessions to God’s service. Stewardship acknowledges in practice that we do not have the right of control over ourselves or our property—God has that control. It means as stewards of God we are managers of that which belongs to God, and we are under His constant authority as we administer His affairs. Faithful stewardship means that we fully acknowledge we are not our own but belong to Christ, the Lord, who gave Himself for us.” - https://www.gotquestions.org/biblical-stewardship.html A focus on physical fitness will allow us to see the results of consistent training and challenge us to apply the same concept to our spiritual lives. Progress is the result of developing new habits. New habits are the result of hard work. Ministry is often tiring and stressful but by maintaining a high level of fitness, we recover faster from hard days and are better able to handle the stress of ministry, preventing burnout and extending our years of productive ministry. Following the Jesus is not easy. The question we all must ask ourselves is not “Where will I be when I face the most difficult challenge in my life?”, but “Who will I be? Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you. Our lives are complicated with all five of these areas interacting in many ways. The good thing to remember is that God is using all of them in the process of sanctification, preparing us for the day we meet Him face to face. Until that great day, keep running!

We are looking at all of our spiritual life and have divided it into 5 key area to help us consider how we are made and where to apply effort and energy for change. Let’s review. Spiritual Life – The life lived in Jesus, in communion with God. Basics – prayer, spiritual community, bible knowledge. Or three areas of spirituality – doctrine, affection (love) and experience. Mental Life - Mental life includes emotional, psychological, and social aspects. It is how we think, feel, and act, and determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Includes education. Physical Life – From conception to our last breathe we are physical beings. We don’t have control over much of our physical life but our choices do influence our health and ability. Exercise and diet are key. Relational Life - Humans are interconnected. The family and community play an important role in our lives. Humans are meant to connect with others on a personal and emotional level and strong, fulfilling relationships help people build and maintain emotional health. We need people. Mentors, coworkers, friends. Emotional Life - There are many types of emotional skills (aka emotional intelligence). These skills: like emotion regulation, gratitude, empathy, and kindness — help you relate better to others and yourself. Feelings don’t lead us but they do impact us greatly. Mental Growth - Proverbs 23:7, 1 Corinthians 13:11 The Christian life is an incredible challenge and adventure that requires us to commit everything we are and have to the task. As Christians, we are leaders wherever God takes us, leading the way among lost sheep looking for direction. Through the study of God's Word, we will examine the life of a spiritual leader; through the activities of the summer we will have opportunities to practice what we learn. Everyone will receive training to prepare devotionals as well as practical ministry training, like how to lead a meeting or plan a strategy for ministry. Teamwork initiatives, Japanese language study, reading assignments, and times of discussion will all help us to challenge our thinking and stimulate mental growth. Weekly challenges in the form of rock climbing, rappelling, airsoft scenarios, and team competitions are designed to take each of us to our personal limits, facing our fears and overcoming them as a team. Following the Way requires new thinking. Tips for mental well-being. Notice how much overlap there is with the other 5 area we are considering. We are not divided beings but unified. All areas of life impact all other areas. 1. Learn to understand and manage your emotions. Name the emotion you feel and identify the root cause if you can. Journaling can help. Don’t let your emotions control your thoughts. 2. Stay connected to others and regularly talk through things with a friend. Strengthens relationship and steadies emotions. Allow you to learn from your mistakes as well as others. 3. Get enough sleep. 4. Exercise! Reduces stress, improves sleep, gets your blood moving and can make you sharper mentally. Great for problem solving. 5. Eat healthy. Impacts your mood, ability to think clearly, tiredness, irritability, etc. 6. Plan things to do that are positive and move you forward. Projects, personal and with family/ friends. Things to try help you grow spiritually, spiritual disciplines,etc. 7. Pray. 1 Thess 5:18 – 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Keep your eyes on Jesus in the midst of every trial. Be thankful and learn to express gratitude daily as a natural response to God daily mercies. Psalm 118:24 - This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Choose Joy! 8. Be a Life-Long Learner. Learn to ask questions. When you meet new people – be curious. Explore the Bible as a traveler to another country, look for the differences and ask WHY? Research – deeper bible study, practical applications – the “How To” Make a list of potential skills that would be useful to you or that you would like to know. Pick one and begin! 9. Choose to give your thoughts direction. Phil. 4:8-9 - 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Don’t let your thought lead you down paths you don’t want to follow. Make choices about what you allow into your mind and be proactive about giving yourself positive things to think about. Choices – books, music, movies, even friendships, will fill your mind with potential avenues your mind will explore. Choose wisely. Exert self-control and discipline. Reference; https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/our-best-mental-health-tips The question we all must ask ourselves is not “Where will I be when I face the most difficult challenge in my life?”, but “Who will I be? Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you.

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we are looking at our spiritual life and introducing five areas where we should be focusing if we want to see consistent progress in our spiritual life. Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as as follower of Jesus. The spiritual battles we face are real. The battles of the future will require you to be growing and trusting God even more than you do today. How can you be the person that you need to be to face the challenges of the future? One way is to apply consistent attention to your Spiritual Health. But your overall spiritual health is affected by more than just your prayer and bible reading. Let’s look at a few areas that need attention for us to be all that God intends for us to be. God brings life to those who were once dead. That life has many aspects. Spiritual Life, Mental Life, Physical Life, Relational Life, and Emotional Life are five important parts of the person God has made you. All of those parts can use attention from us as we follow Jesus. We will be looking at each one separately in the next few shows but today I want us to get an overview and consider the whole person. Let’s look at a few definitions to get started. Spiritual Life – The life lived in Jesus, in communion with God. Basics – prayer, spiritual community, bible knowledge. Or three areas of spirituality – doctrine, affection (love) and experience. Mental Life - Mental life includes emotional, psychological, and social aspects. It is how we think, feel, and act, and determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Includes education. Physical Life – From conception to our last breathe we are physical beings. We don’t have control over much of our physical life but our choices do influence our health and ability. Exercise and diet are key. Relational Life - Humans are interconnected. The family and community play an important role in our lives. Humans are meant to connect with others on a personal and emotional level and strong, fulfilling relationships help people build and maintain emotional health. We need people. Mentors, coworkers, friends. Emotional Life - There are many types of emotional skills (aka emotional intelligence). These skills: like emotion regulation, gratitude, empathy, and kindness — help you relate better to others and yourself. Feelings don’t lead us but they do impact us greatly. Thanks for joining me today. If you have thoughts or questions about your spiritual life, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net I would love to hear from you. Our lives are complicated with all five of these areas interacting in many ways. The good thing to remember is that God is using all of them in the process of sanctification, preparing us for the day we meet Him face to face. Until that great day, keep running!

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast What is my part in building community? -Ep.252 – Run With Horses Podcast Take responsibility for your community. 1. Know your Purpose. Build your community by keeping your purpose in mind and reminding yourself of how your contribution matters. As a leader, provide people with vision and line of sight so they are crystal clear about the broader purpose of the organization and how their work fits into the whole. 2. Help others know that they Belong. Plato said, “The part cannot be well unless the whole is well.” Communities take care of their members and vice versa. Stay in touch with people. Invest time and energy in maintaining your relationships. As a leader, Have frequent meetings with your team so you can coordinate tasks and ensure people are making meaningful connections. Encourage relational ties. 3. Face Challenges well. Strong communities adapt and become stronger as they cope together. Embrace conflict and diversity—working through differences of opinion and making space for civil discourse and the learning that occurs from appreciating multiple points of view. As a leader, support people if they try something new and fail. Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress. If you’re not seeing some mistakes or missteps, your team may not be reaching high enough. *Reference Tracy Brower, PhD https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2020/10/25/how-to-build-community-and-why-it-matters-so-much/?sh=57cd6675751b How to build community in your church. 1. Cultivate and support small groups. The key is to build a time of prayer, a devotion and fellowship into each meeting. 2. Train small group leaders to do the work of pastoral ministry. No pastor, no matter how caring, can provide personal attention to more than a dozen or so people at a time. 3. Be willing to give up expediency. Take time. If we want to build authentic community, sometimes the labor-intensive choice is the best choice. 4. Preach and teach regularly on the importance of caring. Caring means reaching out to new people in meaningful ways, like sharing a meal with them or inviting them on an activity. 5. Set a good example. Be the first to show up at events and the last to leave. It takes time to build community. It takes hard work, vigilance and a commitment to training laypeople to do the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16) *Reference Lisa Price https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Five-Ways-to-Build-Community-in-Your-Church

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we look at the question, “What is “the ministry” of Eph. 4?” Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a disciple of Jesus. Following Jesus means serving others and Ephesians Chapter 4 gives us some imporant insight into what that means and why it is so important. Eph. 4:11 First, who is doing the work of the ministry? Answer – The Saints – Christians! Pastors and teachers are equipping the believers for ministry. Second, What is the purpose of ministry according to Eph. 4? Answer – Edifying the body of Christ Edify – Defined as: a: BUILD; b: ESTABLISH Ministry is helping the church grow to maturity and unity. There is an expectation of growth for the follower of Jesus. Jesus really values unity in His family! 1 Cor. 1:10 John 17:20 Eph. 4:1 A Royal Priesthood 1 Peter 2:9 “In sum, the priests played the significant role of standing guard in God’s house, making sacrifices for God’s people, and instructing the people so that they could enjoy God’s blessings.” David S. Schrock. https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-things-you-should-know-about-priesthood-in-the-bible/ Third, How do we edify each other? Live out the one anothers. Serve Galatians 5:13 Teach Col. 3:16 Bear Burdens/ Care for Galatians 6:2 Fourth, Ministry outside the church. Gospel Paul – Gospel ministry to Gentiles Romans 15:15

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we look at a few more questions that people sometimes have about the church. I am sure we aren’t going to cover every question you have so write norman@runwithhorses.net if you have a question! Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. Life is often a crazy mess but in the middle of the chaos, Jesus offers to meet us with peace that isn’t tied to our circumstances. How great to know that there is more, and better, in store for us in the future! All of us have questions at times. I have more than my share, believe me! The church is one of those groups of people who have drawn a lot of attention through the years, and rightly so. Often for good reasons, and just as often for bad ones. Either way the church has been a big part of history. I am not a historian and tend to look more at today than the past. Preparing for tomorrow always seems like a better use of my time than complaining about the past. If you are looking for a deep dive into church history, you are in the wrong place, at least for today. If you are thinking about the church and your place in it, maybe, just maybe, you are in the right place. Who is the church for, just Christians? Church membership is limited to those who have placed their faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Attendance is open to all in most churches for most meetings. Is church attendance required if I am a Christian? The answer is No! We have freedom in Christ and there are few requirements for Christians, we are not under the law. However, while no one will hunt you down for not attending church, Jesus is building His church and does want you to be part of it. We are told not to avoid getting together but to use our gifts to build up His church. Are politics important in church life? They should not be! Politics only are of value in the here and now. If we really believe that we should be working for eternity, politics have a very minor place. Not to say completely irrelevant, just minor. Should I go back if I have been hurt by church? Yes, but . . . Why is it so hard to find a healthy church? Good question! Real answer. Sin. Teaches Bible, Promotes loving relationships, is focused on being and making disciples, The Gospel is celebrated, etc

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we are answering a few commonly asked questions about the church. Welcome to Run with Horses. My name in Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a follower of Jesus. None of us live life perfectly, but if Jesus is at the center of our relationships, we definitely live life better. One thing that is certain in life is that changes are coming! We have had a few changes this week that will cause a few other changes! Susan's mom fell! What is the purpose of the church? evangelism, discipleship, ministry, worship and community What is the churches mission? What specific objective is the church devoted to accomplishing through those purposes? In other words, what is the church trying to do through evangelism, discipleship, ministry, worship and community? Fulfill the Great Commission Matt 28:18-20 - Ministry of Reconciliation, Ambassadors for Christ

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast It has been said that christianity can be summed up in one word – relationships. Today we look at the relationships that make up the church. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a disciple of Jesus. You have a lot of choices to make every day. Thanks for including me in your journey of following Jesus. Recently I have been thinking about the church and particularly the relationships that make it up. Regularly I have seen news and info about church relationships that are broken on an almost weekly basis. From pastors and leaders in the church to ,members who are behaving badly, we seem to be struggling to get along and to act like Jesus with each other. It is really a matter of spiritual growth and maturity at it’s core. Our sin nature aggressively drives us from God and unfortunately wins many of the daily battles. The result is that the church, instead of being the beautiful bride of Christ, is a soiled mess that looks almost identical to the world. The world expects the church to be different and is either surprised and disappointed or overjoyed when it is not. Our relationships don’t look like God intends for them to look. And the problem begins with the primary relationship that we have, our relationship with God Himself. Our relationship with God is possible because of the blood of Jesus, applied to our lives, removing our sin, providing us with the righteousness of Jesus Himself. The result of receiving such an underserved gift should be a heart overflowing with Thanksgiving. That thankful heart lifts up the name of Jesus and praises the God from whom all blessings flow. Worship is a natural outflow of the Thankful heart. A heart turned to God glorifies Him through heartfelt obedience and pursuit of holiness. We long to be like Him when we see Him as He is! This heart, in tune with God, pursuing His righteousness and holiness, is filled with a peace and joy that cannot be explained outside of the work of Jesus. It is incredibly calming to know that God is in control. To know Him is to know His love, His grace, as well as His patience and long-suffering. A true relationship with God requires for us to KNOW Him, not just know ABOUT Him. Paul challenges Timothy to pursue godliness and righteousness. We are invited to pursue God in all His glory. He invites us into His presence. A genuine relationship with God changes us in many ways but one of the most important is the way in which it changes our relationship with other people. Our relationship with the church, like our relationship with God Himself, is only healthy or even possible in Christ. The church is a special group of people who are united by a special bond through the power of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately this bond doesn’t prevent us from sinning against each other time and time again! A relationship that should be marked by a deep and abiding love, is severely tested by our selfishness and focus on our own desires. The world looks at the church expecting to see a kindness and grace that is missing in their own lives but instead see a mess that looks a lot like the one they are in. Why is it this way? In part, many in the church struggle to really know God personally. While weekly sermons give information in abundance, a genuine relationship with the True and Living God is more difficult to find. So we struggle. And we take that struggle to the world. Our relationship with the world, rather than being marked by grace and loving truth, is always tainted by our own sin and make more difficult because we struggle to see God as He is and see His hand at work in the world. And we really struggle to BE His hands at work in the world. Rather than bringing grace and truth to the world and seeing Him change people into His image, we go into the world and take on the characteristics of the world rather than our Savior. How do we change that? 1. Release control of your life to God. He bought you with a price! What does it mean to live His life? If you aren’t wrestling with that question, you might not be living the life God intends. It’s not easy though. God isn’t making cookies so there is no cookie cutter approach to following Jesus. My guess is Peter and Matthew were vastly different in their personalities, gifts and ministry. You and I will be different too. 2. Pursue Jesus. Really seek to get to know Him. This is the path to righteousness, godliness and holiness. To really KNOW Jesus. Not just about Him. Are you wrestling with how to know Him better? You should be, it is one of life’s greatest joys and journeys! 3. The humility of Jesus asks us to consider others better than ourselves. We are asked to submit to one another. Are you wrestling with how to do that in your home, in your church, and in your community? You should be. It does not come naturally for sinful hearts. I will stop at these three for today. They are all huge if you take them seriously and really attempt to live them out. Jesus didn’t call us to an easy life. He called us to a meaningful one. You choose every day how you will live. Choose real value that lasts. Choose to follow Jesus and learn from Him. Choose to help His family be what it can be. Thanks for joining me today. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net with your questions or comments or just to say hi. I would love to hear from you. My prayer is that you reflect the glory of God into the world around you every day. The journey is worth the effort, keep running!

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast When we were kids and went to mom to complain, she would sometimes say, "Into each life a little rain must fall." Although it is true it wasn't usually what we wanted to hear. What we wanted was an instant solution to our very immediate problem. We don't really grow out of that temptation to run to someone bigger, God in our case as adults, and complain about our situation hoping for an instant fix. And God often responds just like mom. Sorry, you have to go through this one. But unlike mom, God is working in the trial to accomplish something that can't be done without the trial. Check this out. "Without the right kind of fire regimes, some trees simply can’t reproduce, and overall forest health can be negatively affected." https://www.nationalforests.org/our-forests/your-national-forests-magazine/how-trees-survive-and-thrive-after-a-fire#:~:text=As%20opposed%20to%20serotinous%20cones,a%20fire%2C%20for%20several%20years. Some seeds have a hard outer shell that needs to go through the heat in order to germinate. Others require severe cold. On the other side of the trial is new life. I personally believe that some of the gifts that God gives us require fire to be release to us. That fiery trial is a spiritual proving ground. How does that work? In the same way that a seed covering is changed by the heat or cold. The trial in our life changes us in fundamental ways that make us more sensitive to God's work in our life. The fire helps us orient toward God in a new way. The heat softens the seed covering so that it knows it is time to grow. The trial breaks through spiritual hardness and God's Spirit lets us know that it is time to grow! The trial is never fun but it is always profitable. Our problem is that we don't see what God is doing so we don't always see the growth until years later when we have had time to process the expierience through the more mature eyes of our future self. When we look back at our struggles, we often see how much we have grown because of the struggle. Many people have a new ministry because of their struggle. 2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation. vs.6 If we are afflicted, it is for you! There is a purpose to all of our trials. Fire in your life leads to growth in yourself and others! So don't give up. You may not see the purpose today. You may not know who will benefit from your trials down the road, but God does. I know we don't process the struggles in our life this way as we are going through them. But when you come out the other side; and you will come out the other side. You will think about it, process it and begin to deal with the ashes and burnt material in your life. That is the time to remember that new growth comes from the fire. Seeds are now prepared to germinate and bring new growth and eventually fruit. It won't be easy and probably won't be soon, but one day, just maybe, you will be in a position to thank God for the fire. Thanks for joining me today! If you have come through a fire and recognized God's hand at work once you looked back, I would love to hear your story. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net and let me rejoice with you! If you are in the fire now, feel free to write and I will pray for God's gracious hand to guide you though the trial. May God bless you as you seek Him during this time. But whatever you do, don't stop pursuing Him!

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today I am challenging you to evaluate your life and do one thing to defeat inertia and get your spiritual life moving. Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a disciple of Jesus. It is not always easy to follow Him in this life, but it is always worth it. Thanks for including me on your journey. Most people at least occasionally get stuck. Maybe it is a rut that you can't get out of or maybe it feels more like a wall that you can't seem to get around, over or through! Either way, for some reason you can't seem to move forward. It can be a problem in your career but it is an even more critical problem when it is in your spiritual life. A stagnant spiritual life will affect your career, your relationships at work and your relationships at home not to mention your relationships with God and His family! When you are stuck, it is a sign that something needs to change. There is an expectation in Scripture that we will be growing. We have talked about it before many times. We begin our spiritual life as infants and children but we shouldn't expect to stay that way! God intends for us to move from the milk of the Word to the Meat, doing the Will of the Father. I have mentioned the definition of insanity before, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. IF you are stuck in your spiritual life, I say it again, something needs to change! God intends for you to be making progress along the path. He provides the resources needed, the power for change through the Holy Spirit and the promise the He will be with you every step of the way. But HE has also chosen to give us a certain responsibility in this life to put in some effort. Where are you applying effort to your spiritual life now? How is it going? Feeling stuck? Ready to change? IF that is you today. I want to encourage you to take one step. Be willing to make ONE change in ONE area of life. Often taking the first step is key to unlocking the door to further growth. I know I often find it hard to get moving but once I am doing better in one area, the success seems to pull me to put in more efforts in other areas. What is ONE thing you can work on today? If you are genuinely stuck and aren't even sure where to begin thinking about making any changes, maybe this list will help. It is not exhaustive and you certainly can't jump in and make changes in every area at once but I truly believe that if you take one or two things and make prayerful efforts to move the needle in your spiritual life, God will meet you there and you will see fruit. A little caveat. I am making some assumptions with this list. I am assuming that you are already having a meaningful time in the Bible daily and that your prayer life is in order. I am also assuming that you are part of a group of Christ-followers who are regularly meeting for fellowship, encouragement, and time together in God's Word. If any of these are NOT true of you. Start there! Exercise Read a book Do that thing you have been dreading Take a break from social media Take a break from TV, Internet, Radio, MP3's, etc. Call a friend you haven't talked to in awhile, be intentional about Spiritual conversation Start a journal of your spiritual life Start a prayer journal Get up 15 minutes early and spend the time with God Do a spiritual evaluation, what areas are in good shape and what areas need some attention? Evaluate your prayer life, Bible reading, church relationships, service to others, opportunities for the Gospel, Disciple making relationships, etc Take one of the spiritual disciplines and add it to your life over the next month. Need a refresher list? Here are a few to consider! Solitude, Silence, Journaling, Meditation, Memorization, Fasting, Service -The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard