RWHPodcast

24_08_31 -Ep.327 - Run With Horses Podcast - Intentionally Equipping For Ministry 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 **(28:00)** This week we are continuing on or journey of developing a discipleship pathway for the church that helps us intentionally be the church. How can we do the work of equipping the church for ministry? Thank you for joining me today! If you are new to the show, you can find our past shows on our website, runwithhorses.net. If you have been enjoying the show, I would appreciate it if you would leave a review wherever you are listening! And as always, your questions, comments and feedback are welcome. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net. And now, on with the show... (27:00) ******* (27:00) Habits – Fellowship Acts 2:40-42 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (23:00) ****** (23:00) MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the MISSION of Jesus as His witnesses TO THE WORLD, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and EQUIP OTHERS to join them on HIS MISSION. The discipleship pathway is an intentional plan to equip others to be on the mission of Jesus. Don’t forget the goals of the pathway. What are the goals of a discipleship pathway? a. self-feeding Christians b. everyday missionaries – everyone on the mission of Jesus c. disciple-makers d. pastors e. new churches f. all members of the church, shepherded well We are still on the THIRD step in the Pathway; EQUIP ENGAGE, CONNECT, EQUIP, RELEASE What is equipping in the church? It is preparing each member of the church to use their talents, gifts, and abilities to carry out the work of the ministry throughout their lives. First, what is the WORK OF THE MINISTRY? The best simple definition I have heard is that it is the work of bringing God’s message to people. We are all called and equipped, as members of the body of Christ, for this ministry. There is a further equipping, seen in Eph. 4 carried out corporately by the church as we build each other up and prepare members for ministry. Church leadership is given the responsibility of leading the way in equipping all members for service and engagement in the mission of Christ. Eph. 4:1-5 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Eph. 4:11-16 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Walk Worthy You are called Attitude matters – humble, loving Relationships Lead - who has God placed around you? Unity is Important The Church is key for maturity – seek, pursue Christ-likeness for everyone We all have gifts the church needs.Use yours to build up the church. The goal is maturity – Christ-likeness, nothing less We build each other up. **Be Intentional. As an Individual, and as a Church.** Pray for growth. Work toward growth. Growth/ Maturity means a life lived on the mission of Jesus. - Sharing the Good News - Teaching biblical truth - Practicing a lifestyle that puts Jesus and His mission first. Purpose and priorities! - Serve others – consider others interests and spiritual needs - Live out the one another’s – you need the church - look for accountability – meet regularly with others who are on mission. - sacrifice of time and resources for the mission – live with eternal values - intentionally thinking about others. In your church, in your community. # Where are these relationships intentionally happening? Sunday School, small groups, homes of motivated disciples who constantly reach out to others to build them up, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. # Pastors – be visionary, help your people see the calling to be actively engaged in disciple making, make sure your church provides training and space to live out that calling! From the pulpit – vision, theology, motivation In the smaller groups – training, skills, encouragement In the smallest groups – support, accountability and personal direction, training as needed. (00:00) END PART 1 ******** (27:00) BEGIN PART 2 (5:00) ********* (5:00) DOCTRINE August – Jesus September – Holy Spirit Jesus Intercessor intercede - to intervene between parties with a view to reconciling differences : mediate Romans 8:31-35 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Hebrews 7:23-25 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. **(1:00)** As a member of God’s family you have a part to play in preparing God’s people for ministry. Prayerfully consider how God wants to use you to build up you church family and strengthen them for service. And stop to think, what is your role in the mission of Jesus to the world? Thanks for joining me again today! If you enjoyed the show you can listen to all the past shows wherever you listen to podcasts. A good place to start is at runwithhorses.net. You can also 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. (00:00)

24_08_24 -Ep.326 - Run With Horses Podcast - A PNG Report 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 This week I have a special guest! My son, Cameron, is back from a missions trip to PNG and I thought we could see what he has learned before he is off to Bible College. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! Thank you for joining me today! If you are new to the show, you can find our past shows on our website, runwithhorses.net. If you have been enjoying the show, I would appreciate it if you would leave a review wherever you are listening! And as always, your questions, comments and feedback are welcome. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net. And now, on with the show... Habits - Giving Finances Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 16But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Self 2 Corinthians 8:1 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: 2that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. 3For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 4imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. DOCTRINE August – Jesus September – Holy Spirit The Death of Jesus Propitiation – to satisfy the wrath of God against sin. 1 John 4:10 - In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Reconciliation - having fellowship and peace with God where once there was enmity. Romans 5:10-11 - For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Redemption - the work of Christ on our behalf, whereby he purchases us, he ransoms us, at the price of his own life, securing our deliverance from the bondage and condemnation of sin. 1 Peter 1:18-19 - knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. The work that Jesus did on the cross, restoring our relationship with God and placing us into His family also gave us a mission and purpose in life. Cameron’s trip to PNG is part of that mission. You relationship with people in your community is also part of that mission. How are you intentionally living that mission out this week? Thanks for joining me again today! If you enjoyed the show you can listen to all the past shows wherever you listen to podcasts. A good place to start is at runwithhorses.net. You can also 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.

24_08_17 -Ep.325 - Run With Horses Podcast - A Church Equipped for the Mission 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 **(28:00)** Last week we began discussing what it means to be a church that equips people for ministry. We considered that it must be relational and built on the foundation of God’s Word. This week we look at the practical aspects of equipping in the church. What does that actually look like in the life of the church? Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! Thank you for joining me today! If you are new to the show, you can find our past shows on our website, runwithhorses.net. I have spent several weeks focusing on a definition of the church and the current discussion about a discipleship pathway is best understood in the context of our broader look at the church. If you have been enjoying the show, I would appreciate it if you would leave a review wherever you are listening! And as always, your questions, comments and feedback are welcome. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net. And now, on with the show... (27:00) ******* (27:00) Habits - Meditating on Scripture Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Psalm 1:1-3 1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. Meditation is like chewing. It is slow and thorough. Write notes about what you see in this passage. Make connections between the various sections. Ask yourself, “What do these words from God say?” “What do they mean?” Place who you are and what you do next to this passage and ask God to examine you. Continue to write your findings.(https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/biblical-meditation/)accessed 08.14.2024 (23:00) ****** (23:00) MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the MISSION of Jesus as His witnesses TO THE WORLD, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and EQUIP OTHERS to join them on HIS MISSION. The discipleship pathway is an intentional plan to equip others to be on the mission of Jesus. Don’t forget the goals of the pathway. What are the goals of a discipleship pathway? a. self-feeding Christians b. everyday missionaries – everyone on the mission of Jesus c. disciple-makers d. pastors e. new churches f. all members of the church, shepherded well We are still on the THIRD step in the Pathway; EQUIP ENGAGE, CONNECT, EQUIP, RELEASE Merriam-Webster definition: 1: to furnish for service or action by appropriate provisioning Ie. equip an army 2: to make ready : prepare What is equipping in the church? It is preparing each member of the church to use their talents, gifts, and abilities to carry out the work of the ministry throughout their lives. It's answering the question. If the church is made of the people and every member is responsible for the work of the ministry, how do we intentionally help each other prepare and carry out that work, inside and outside the four walls. Last week we gave some guidelines. Equipping in it’s best form is Relational. It is fundamentally Speaking the Truth. God's Word and the Holy Spirit supply the Wisdom that we need. But when we ended last week we still had the question, what does that look like in the local church. Equipping for the work of the ministry is actually a part of all that the church does, although we don’t always do it intentionally. Consider our discipleship pathway. • Engage: As the church talks about outreach and community connections, some members are just learning that we SHOULD be thinking about those outside the church. This is the beginning of equipping new members of the church. It shares the mission of Jesus to the world and the part the church plays in carrying it out. • Connect: The church needs to teach foundational Biblical truth to new members as well as those who are considering what it might mean for them to follow Jesus. In this phase the church answers the questions, “What is the church and how do I become part of the church? Consistent Bible teaching during this phase helps put down a firm foundation that a strong Christian life and ministry can be built on. What is the biblical basis for service? • Equip: Laying the foundation of a Biblical life should challenge believers to consider how God has gifted them to serve the church. Equipping often begins in a believers life as a time of discovery. Who am I, How has God designed me and what do I need to live my call as an everyday missionary in the world? During the early life of a new believer, it is helpful to help them think through both corporate aspects of ministry in the church and the individual ministry that every believer has. Equipping here helps answer the questions, “What ministry opportunities best fit my gifts and interests?” and “What training or skills could I get to help me serve better?” Spiritual Growth: As a believer grows and connects with people and the ministries of the church, they should begin to get involved and see the need for further growth and skill training. Part of the Equipping ministry of the church is making it clear what training the church offers and how to take advantage of it. Training that the church recommends from other organizations, counseling centers, bible college, etc. are also kept available as part of helping every member grow in life and service. Equipping is answering the question, “How do I get ongoing training for ministry? “ • Release: Once individuals are fully engaged in the mission, both in edifying the church and in reaching out in the community, Equipping takes the form of helping workers sustain a life of purpose and ministry through the challenges that life brings. Ongoing support, counseling, refreshment through deep relationships and the ministry of God’s Word help the church to sustain ministry and grow spiritually. Practically, Where and How does the church do all of this? 1. The Scriptural Foundation is taught through weekly sermons and Sunday school lessons. This is the part most churches do well. We are good at teaching Biblical truth. The theology behind what we do is taught week after week through expository messages that help us understand who God is and what He is doing in the world through His church. 2. Small groups are a place where a lot of equipping happens organically. In the midst of conversations and life challenges we have opportunities to help each other grow and learn to live out our faith in relationships. Leaders and hosts of small groups play a big part in the equipping ministry of the church as they model healthy, Jesus-centered relationships to the group. Here we talk about how our theology works itself out in our daily lives. Encouragement to act soon what we believe. Practical guidance on how to carry out ministry in the community and comfort when we struggle. 3. Individual relationships in the church are often a space where equipping takes place although some individuals are more intentional about it than others. 4. General ministry training and skill development (for SS teachers, deacons, sound booth workers, etc) are carried out either on an individual, as needed basis, or on a yearly schedule with a group. Depending on the focus this can range from a classroom setting to a more informal gathering where issues are talked through and modeled. 5. Specific ministry training is usually handled in a small group or individually as needed. Staff and pastoral training, etc. (00:00) END PART 1 ******** (27:00) BEGIN PART 2 (5:00) ********* (5:00) DOCTRINE August – Jesus September – Holy Spirit The Humility of Jesus Philippians 2:1-9 1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. **(1:00)** Next week we will continue exploring how we, as a local church can work to equip each other for the work of the ministry. Practically, there are decisions we make about what, when and where that affects our ability to be disciple of Jesus who are equipping other disciples of Jesus. When the church meets together and has discussion about what we do, we have to consider how we can best do the work of equipping people for ministry if we want to see spiritual growth in the church. There is a limit to how much we can grow without active engagement in the mission of Jesus. Thanks for joining me again today! If you enjoyed the show you can listen to all the past shows wherever you listen to podcasts. A good place to start is at runwithhorses.net. You can also 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. (00:00)

24_08_10 -Ep.324 - Run With Horses Podcast - Equipping the Church for Ministry 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 **(28:00)** Last week we focused on the connection we have with Jesus and the church. This week we continue along those lines and consider how the church can be intentional about helping people build their relationship with Jesus and His family. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! Thank you for joining me today! If you are new to the show, you may want to check out our website, runwithhorses.net, and listen to some of the past shows to catch up. I have spent several shows focusing on a simple definition of the church and the current discussion we are having about a discipleship pathway is best understood in the context of the church. If you have been enjoying the show, I would appreciate it if you would leave a review wherever you are listening! And as always, your questions, comments and feedback are welcome. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net. And now, on with the show... (27:00) ******* (27:00) Habits - Serving John 13:2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 1 Corinthians 10:24 24Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. Philippians 2:1-4 1Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (23:00) ****** (23:00) MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the MISSION of Jesus as His witnesses TO THE WORLD, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and EQUIP OTHERS to join them on HIS MISSION. The discipleship pathway is an intentional plan to equip others to be on the mission of Jesus. Don’t forget the goals of the pathway. What are the goals of a discipleship pathway? a. self-feeding Christians b. everyday missionaries – everyone on the mission of Jesus c. disciple-makers d. pastors e. new churches f. all members of the church, shepherded well We are on the THIRD step in the Pathway; EQUIP ENGAGE, CONNECT, EQUIP, RELEASE Merriam-Webster definition: 1: to furnish for service or action by appropriate provisioning Ie. equip an army 2: to make ready : prepare What is equipping in the church? It is preparing each member of the church to use their talents, gifts, and abilities to carry out the work of the ministry throughout their lives. It involves specific skills, like playing the piano, as well as learning to use your gifting more intentionally, like the gift of encouragement. It's an ongoing process in the church, something we are always to be doing. It's answering the question. If the church is made of the people and every member is responsible for the work of the ministry, how do we intentionally help each other prepare and carry out that work, inside and outside the four walls. What skills and training do we need? What encouragement and motivation? Not just information. Most people need more than facts to engage in meaningful Gospel ministry. A 9Marks article entitled, What Should ‘Equipping’ Christians Look Like?, sees four basic approaches to the topic, most of which affirm the general teaching of the New Testament. REF - https://www.9marks.org/article/what-should-equipping-christians-look-like/ Now this article answers some of the questions we may have about equipping in the church. First, it is Relational. No surprise since disciple making is essentially one on one equipping and it relies on a relationship. Second, It is founded on Speaking the Truth. Third, God's Word and the Holy Spirit supply the Wisdom that we need. The question remains, what does that look like in the local church. (00:00) END PART 1 ******** (27:00) BEGIN PART 2 (5:00) ********* (5:00) DOCTRINE August – Jesus September – Holy Spirit Jesus is our Great High Priest Hebrews 4:14-16 Hebrews 9:6-10 **(1:00)** Next week we will continue exploring how we, as a local church can work to equip each other for the work of the ministry. Practically, there are decisions we make about what, when and where that affects our ability to be disciple of Jesus who are equipping other disciples of Jesus. When the church meets together and has discussion about what we do, we have to consider how we can best do the work of equipping people for ministry if we want to see spiritual growth in the church. There is a limit to how much we can grow without active engagement in the mission of Jesus. Thanks for joining me again today! If you enjoyed the show you can listen to all the past shows wherever you listen to podcasts. A good place to start is at runwithhorses.net. You can also 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. (00:00)

24_08_03 -Ep.323 - Run With Horses Podcast - Connect – United with Jesus and His Family 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 **(28:00)** Last week we focused on the connection we have with Jesus and the church. This week we continue along those lines and consider how the church can be intentional about helping people build their relationship with Jesus and His family. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! Thank you for joining me today! If you are new to the show, you may want to check out our website, runwithhorses.net, and listen to some of the past shows to catch up. I have spent several shows focusing on a simple definition of the church and the current discussion we are having about a discipleship pathway is best understood in the context of the church. If you have been enjoying the show, I would appreciate it if you would leave a review wherever you are listening! And as always, your questions, comments and feedback are welcome. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net. And now, on with the show... (27:00) ******* (27:00) Habits - **Community** Acts 2:41-47 - > 41Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Romans 12:4-5 - >4For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Ephesians 2:19-22 - >19Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (23:00) ****** (23:00) MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the MISSION of Jesus as His witnesses TO THE WORLD, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and EQUIP OTHERS to join them on HIS MISSION. The discipleship pathway is an intentional plan to equip others to be on the mission of Jesus. Don’t forget the goals of the pathway. Clear goals are important. What are the goals of a discipleship pathway? a. self-feeding Christians b. everyday missionaries – everyone on the mission of Jesus c. disciple-makers d. pastors e. new churches f. all members of the church, shepherded well We are still on the SECOND step in the Pathway; ENGAGE, CONNECT, EQUIP, RELEASE The church's role in connecting people to Jesus. What can the church do intentionally to help people connect their life, values, and purpose to Jesus? 1. Biblical teaching and preaching - the Bible is the foundation a. Our identity in Christ- >ACCEPTED I Am God’s Child- John 1:12 I Am United with the Lord- 1 Corinthians 6:17 I Am Chosen and Adopted- Ephesians 2:3-8 I Am Complete in Jesus- John 4:1-45 I Have Direct Access to God Through Jesus- Hebrews 14:14-16 >SECURE I Am Free from Condemnation- Romans 8:1-2 and John 8:1-12 God Is at Work in My Life for His Glory and My Good- Romans 8:28 >SIGNIFICANT I Am Connected to Jesus as My Source of Life- John 15:5 I Have Been Called to Bear Fruit- John 15:16 I Am Seated with Jesus in Heaven- Ephesians 2:6 I Am God’s Workmanship- Ephesians 2:10 I Can Approach God with Freedom and Confidence- Ephesians 3:12 REF (https://rootedministry.com/how-im-teaching-students-to-ground-their-identity-in-christ/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw5Ky1BhAgEiwA5jGujmbR95PXgQowc5t6NcSS8cXzKPrMbmAxT2k7yGq0Hb6T1fTk9EHcyhoC_E4QAvD_BwE) b. The character and mind of Christ Philippians 2 - 5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. c. The mission of Christ Matthew 28:18-20 - Be and Make Disciples (followers of Jesus) d. Healthy relationships aa. United in Christ bb. New family Answer the question, what does each believer need to grow to become more like Jesus and to embrace the mission of Jesus as their own? 2. Equipping and Training a. Spiritual gifts Romans 12:6-8 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 b. Spiritual disciplines >1. Prayer At least 25 times in the Gospels, we read of Jesus praying. According to Luke 5:16, Jesus prayed often by himself. In other words, He made a habit of it. >2. Fasting At the onset of His public ministry, Jesus took 40 days to fast in the wilderness. While it made His body weak, His spirit grew stronger. >3. Public Worship Luke 4:16 says that “on the Sabbath day [Jesus] went into the synagogue, as was his custom.” >4. Bible Reading Studying Scripture was an important part of Jesus’ life. In fact, by age 12, He was already as biblically literate as the leading teachers (Luke 2:41-47). >5. Solitude and Silence Jesus regularly ministered in front of large crowds. But He also made a habit of getting away from time to time (Luke 5:16). In fact, He even encouraged His disciples to get away to a quiet place and rest (Mark 6:31). >6. Service In Mark 10:45, Jesus said His goal in coming to earth was not to be served but to serve others and to give His life for our benefit. REF (https://influencemagazine.com/practice/seven-spiritual-practices-of-jesus) c. Practical ministry skills Answer the question, what training or skills does each believer need to carry out their role in the church and on the mission? (00:00) END PART 1 ******** (27:00) BEGIN PART 2 3. Introduction to Personal Ministry a. Where has God placed you? Our individual stories are part of a much bigger Story. Ultimately, this Story is not about us, but about Him. God works in unexpected, unexplainable ways to accomplish His purposes. God sovereignly and purposefully ordains and orchestrates the circumstances of our lives. What we see now is not the whole story. We can trust Him to write the story of those we love. The challenges we face may be a part of God writing someone else’s story. Those who trust in Him will never be disappointed. You can trust God to write your story… REF (https://openthebible.org/article/10-things-to-remember-about-gods-providence-in-our-lives/) All this also makes a difference when we consider: b. Who has God put in your life? > Home > Work/ School > Community – The Art of Neighboring > Church Encourage everyone to see the relationships around them and bring Jesus into them. 4. Corporate Ministry a. How do we intentionally serve each other? One Another's of the NT Love one another (John 13:34 - This command occurs at least 16 times) Be devoted to one another (Romans 12:10) Honor one another above yourselves (Romans 12:10) Live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16) Build up one another (Romans 14:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:11) Be likeminded towards one another (Romans 15:5) Accept one another (Romans 15:7) Admonish one another (Romans 15:14; Colossians 3:16) Greet one another (Romans 16:16) Care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25) Serve one another (Galatians 5:13) Bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2) Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:2, 32; Colossians 3:13) Be patient with one another (Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:13) Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15, 25) Be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32) Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19) Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21, 1 Peter 5:5) Consider others better than yourselves (Philippians 2:3) Look to the interests of one another (Philippians 2:4) Bear with one another (Colossians 3:13) Teach one another (Colossians 3:16) Comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18) Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11) Exhort one another (Hebrews 3:13) Stir up [provoke, stimulate] one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24) Show hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9) Employ the gifts that God has given us for the benefit of one another (1 Peter 4:10) Clothe yourselves with humility towards one another (1 Peter 5:5) Pray for one another (James 5:16) Confess your faults to one another (James 5:16) b. How do my gifts build up the body of Christ? You are part of something bigger than than yourself! > Intro to church ministries > Prayer service, prayer focus > One Another’s of NT > Intro to Small Groups - you can learn to help others grow, in individual relationships and in small groups or family units. Help everyone ask and answer the question, what is my role in the local body of Christ? How does my church need my gifts? (5:00) ********* (5:00) DOCTRINE August – Jesus September – Holy Spirit Jesus - God Incarnate Merriam-Webster: Incarnation - the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ "..at one point in time and space, God entered the world, in the person of Jesus Christ, as He had never done before or since. ...the doctrine of the incarnation means that God is in the world and at work there." - Millard J. Erickson Hebrews 4:14- 16 - 14Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. He knows us and our need. He can relate to us. He is the perfect one to represent us, as God He is able, as man He understand our need. Hebrews 9:11-14 - 11But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? He is the perfect High Priest who alone can offer the perfect sacrifice for our sins. **(1:00)** How is your church doing at helping new believers connect with Jesus in a real and meaningful way? Are relationships in the church growing and strong, able to handle the trials that always come our way? If we are too be intentional disciples of Jesus it is important that we make a genuine effort to live out the purpose of the church together. Thanks for joining me again today! If you enjoyed the show you can listen to all the past shows wherever you listen to podcasts. A good place to start is at runwithhorses.net. You can also 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. (00:00)

24_07_27 -Ep.322 - Run With Horses Podcast - Connect – The Second Step in the Discipleship Pathway 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 (28:00) Last week we focused on why must we ENGAGE with our community if we truly are the church. This week we consider how important it is that we are connected together as one body united. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! Thank you for joining me today! If you are new to the show, you may want to check out our website, runwithhorses.net, and listen to some of the past shows to catch up. I have spent several shows focusing on a simple definition of the church and the current discussion we are having about a discipleship pathway is best understood in the context of the church. If you have been enjoying the show, I would appreciate it if you would leave a review wherever you are listening! And as always, your questions, comments and feedback are welcome. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net. And now, on with the show... (27:00) ******* (27:00) HABITS - Bible Reading There are many habits that will help you on the road toward Christ-likeness but the habit of reading the Bible is one of the absolute most important ones you must constantly build into your life. Why? How else can you know what it means to be like Jesus? The NT is key to growing in your understanding of the life of Jesus. As you see how He lived, talked and related to people, it should greatly influence how you live. Your goal is to have the same attitude and intentions that He has toward God the Father and other people. How do you do it? First, there is no wrong way to begin. If you don’t have a bible reading habit now, start one. Start simple, keep it short, but begin to build the habit of consistently reading God’s Word. A common complaint is that the Bible is hard to understand, and that is true if you haven’t grown up in the church or spent much time in the Bible. The Bible is a book that takes some time to really grasp. It covers thousands of years and every part of life through history, poetry, letters and straight teaching. But if you apply some effort you will get it and it is worth it! Start by getting a reading plan or making one yourself. Stick to the NT until you have read it through twice. If you need a simple plan, start with Mark, then read Acts and continue through the NT. Start easy and read a chapter a day or a few verses a day with the goal of building up to a chapter. Have a pen and notebook handy and write down the key ideas of the chapter. Put it in your own words and think about what you need to do in response. If you don’t understand something, write down your questions, but maintain the habit of reading every day. It will reward you in time as you begin to see the big picture. (23:00) ****** (23:00) Time for a quick review: What is as DISCIPLESHIP PATHWAY? Simply put, an intentional plan to help followers of Jesus grow toward Christ-likeness. That word intentional is key. MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the MISSION of Jesus as His witnesses TO THE WORLD, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and EQUIP OTHERS to join them on HIS MISSION. The discipleship pathway is an intentional plan to equip others to be on the mission of Jesus. Don’t forget the goals of the pathway. Clear goals are important. What are the goals of a discipleship pathway? a. self-feeding Christians b. everyday missionaries – everyone on the mission of Jesus c. disciple-makers d. pastors e. new churches f. all members of the church, shepherded well We are focusing on the SECOND step in the Pathway; ENGAGE, CONNECT, EQUIP, RELEASE As someone grows in their understanding of who Jesus is and begins to follow Him, they need to develop a solid connection to Him that allows them to abide in Him. It’s important to really know Him. John 15:4 John 14:15 How do we come to know and love Jesus? In His Word and in His people, the church. We need a strong connection to Jesus. We need a strong connection to His church. The Second Step of the Discipleship Pathway focuses on helping us make those strong connections to Jesus and His church. This is the TOGETHER in our definition of the church. The CONNECT step includes Foundations of the Christian Life that help us grow in our relationship with Jesus and His church. a. prayer – building the habit of talking to God - praying for His church, His people - learning to pray for His mission b. Bible A. reading the Bible B. studying the Bible C. memorizing the Bible D. meditating on the Bible E. Learning to live out His commands c. community – the church is really important to Jesus. It has to be important to us! A. fellowship B. service – serving one anther and the community, together C. mutual edification D. the one and others of the New Testament E. Joining the church on the mission of Jesus, more on this later d. disciple-making foundations – part of knowing and obeying His commands A. be intentional B. be relational C. expect reproduction e. simple journaling – thinking deeply about His Word and how you should respond to Him (00:00) END PART 1 ******** (27:00) BEGIN PART 2 In all of these the goal is knowing and loving Jesus more and developing a deeper connection with Him and His church as we carry out his mission in the world. We begin to connect to His mission from the moment we accept Jesus as Savior. A new believer is an example of the reconciliation that God is working in the world. God has a clear purpose for our lives and the fact is that His mission is central to His purpose for each of us. How do you learn about His mission? In His Word and as we grow in our relationship with His church. We carry out His mission with His church, as His church! Personal Evaluation and Spiritual Development This is seeing God at work, preparing me for ministry. Everyone has a part in the mission of Jesus. We often talk about it is using the words – ministry and mission. Some view ministry as our service to each other inside the church, and mission our service to those outside the church. I’m not sure I see the division quite like that but clearly we have a responsibility and opportunity to engage with people who are part of our local church and those who are not a part of it. Pauls says we engage with those outside the church as ambassadors for Christ, carrying His message of reconciliation to the world. How do you find out about your part in ministry and how do you know your gifting? A personal evaluation can cover many avenues and provide a starting place although it can’t answer all your questions. Ultimately you will learn how you best serve as you serve. Jump in and volunteer to help and ask for guidance from mature believer in your church. To begin, here are some areas to prayerfully consider as you think though how God has made you and what role you have in his church and mission. a. the DISC profile. Who am I, relationally? - how do I behave in various situations around different kinds of people. You can learn, grow and adjust and get better are relating to everyone. b. spiritual gifts inventory. Who am I, in service? - ask your pastor if there is a spiritual gifts inventory that he uses - remember that this can’t tell you what your gifts are but it can’t give you some direction as you think and pray through it. - many of your gifts will be discovered and build upon as you serve and begin to get involved in Christ’s mission c. hobby, interest, skill set. Who am I, in my current and future ability? - you already know a lot about many different things. From cooking to carpentry, people bring some skills to the table when they come to Christ. - I recommend making a list of everything you know and can do, along with things you already have a desire to learn, and prayerfully give each one to God. d. training. A. Past, what I have now. - education and practical skills B. Future, what I want or need. - as doors open for ministry and service, you may see the need for more training. e. experience. - God uses all you are to make you a fitting tool for helping others A. Work B. Ministry C. Life f. Pursue spiritual growth - be intentional - seek out people who are actively growing to talk with - assume God wants to use you! What all this means is that we need to be intentional about our relationships and seeking out people who will challenge us to live like Jesus. It also means pursuing opportunities to learn about God’s Word. It also means looking for opportunities to join His church on His mission. Next time we want to consider the role that the church has in helping people connect to Jesus and to each other. As always, it takes being intentional and putting our theology into actions! (5:00) ********* (5:00) DOCTRINE July - God – Omnipresent, Holy, Righteous and Just August – Jesus September – Holy Spirit God is Righteous and Just Deut. 32:3-4 Romans 3:21-26 God always does what is right. He Himself is the standard for what is right. God is always all that He ought to be as God. He is always consistent with His own character. (1:00) How connected are you with the church? How can you help others connect to Jesus and His family? In both cases, the love of God is a driving force that compels us toward Him and others as we join Him on His mission. It can be difficult but there is nothing in life that is as worth the effort as pursuing Jesus and following Him. Thanks for joining me again today! Stop and say a prayer for your church family today! 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. (00:00)

24_07_20 -Ep.321 - Run With Horses Podcast - Engage – The Church in the Community 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 (28:00) Last week I introduced the word ENGAGE as representing the first step a discipleship pathway for the church. Today I want to anchor it more fully in our working definition of the church. Why must we ENGAGE with our community if we truly are the church? Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! I don't say it enough but I am really thankful you are with me on this journey of pursuing Jesus and His mission. I have been told, repeatedly, that I need to do a better job of getting the word out about this show. I do believe what we are talking about is valuable, at least to some people, but I need your help to find them. If you have enjoyed the show, leave a review wherever you find the podcast and more importantly, tell someone else to have a listen. (27:00) ******* (27:00) HABITS – Prayer Part of the life of a disciple is developing the habits that help you follow Jesus well. Prayer is a key part of that life and an essential habit to develop. 1 Thess. 5:16-18 – 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. • Make a commitment: Commit to praying and understand its importance • Schedule time: Schedule prayer into your daily routine as well as be prepared to pray wherever and whenever • Find a place: Choose a regular place to pray and minimize distractions, but practice praying in the chaos too! • Ask for help: Ask God to help you pray and transform your heart • Pray with others: Pray together, pray with and for each other • Pray while exercising: Divide your workout into prayer periods • Read the Bible: Use Bible passages and verses as a foundation for your prayers, Paul’s prayers are awesome! • Other tips: Keep a prayer diary, find a regular prayer partner, and give thanks for the privilege of prayer (23:00) ****** (23:00) Time for a quick review: What is as DISCIPLESHIP PATHWAY? Simply put, an intentional plan to help followers of Jesus grow toward Christ-likeness. That word intentional is key. MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the MISSION of Jesus as His witnesses TO THE WORLD, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and EQUIP OTHERS to join them on HIS MISSION. The discipleship pathway is an intentional plan to equip others to be on the mission of Jesus. Don’t forget the goals of the pathway. Clear goals are important. What are the goals of a discipleship pathway? a. self-feeding Christians b. everyday missionaries – everyone on the mission of Jesus c. disciple-makers d. pastors e. new churches f. all members of the church, shepherded well We are focusing on the first step in the Pathway; ENGAGE, then CONNECT, EQUIP, RELEASE ENGAGE - Actions by the Church, outside the four walls primarily. * Community Engagement Be part of what is happening in the neighborhood, community. Pastor here on the town council. Local clubs – art, sports, civic. There are a lot of people who want to make your community a better place, help them do that. * Relationship Building Look for opportunities to go beyond the community event or club. Invite people into your life. Supper, hobbies, coffee, etc. * Evangelism Live your faith in front of your friends. Let them know you pray for them. Ask them what you can pray for! Share answers to prayer in your own life. Share a meaningful verse you have been memorizing or meditating on recently. Let them know your faith is genuine by your conversation and life choices. After a short break we will be back to consider why it is so important that we get out and interact with our community. (00:00) END PART 1 ******** (27:00) BEGIN PART 2 Why is this so critical? The world no longer looks to the church for answers about anything. We need mature believers to take a Christian worldview into the marketplace and engage in the crucial conversations that people are having. Who do people look to when they have questions? Their network of relationships, their friends. How do you get to be one of them? # Reference: https://www.str.org/w/what-do-non-christians-think-of-christians-and-christianity- QUOTE,” The aim of the interview is not for students to actually do apologetics. I just want them to become more comfortable talking with non-Christians and to establish a habit of asking questions and listening attentively. I also want them to see firsthand how and where the ideas that we discuss in the classroom are at work in the lives of people they know. Here are the required questions: How would you describe your personal spiritual beliefs? Do you believe God exists? If so, why, and what do you believe God is like? If not, why? What has your exposure to Christianity been? As best as you can, describe what you think Christianity teaches. Who do you believe Jesus was and why? What do you think about the Bible? What is your honest perception of Christians? What are your top reasons for not believing the Christian faith is true? Do you have any objections to Christianity? If so, what? Is there anything that could persuade you that Christianity is true? If so, what? If not, why?” # These questions can start conversations with your friends and neighbors that they need to have with a mature follower of Jesus. The question is, are we consistently producing mature followers of Jesus? Where and how does the church train, encourage, motivate, support, and equip the individual to go out and be actively engaged in the community. Equipping by the Church- support and training for engagement 1. Gospel Foundations 2. First Steps in Gospel Ministry (5:00) ********* (5:00) DOCTRINE July – God – Omnipresent, Holy, Righteous and Just August – Jesus September – Holy Spirit Today we want to pause and consider that God is Holy. Merriam-Webster - : exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness. A biblical definition: The Hebrew word for “holy” literally means “separate” or “set apart.” Holiness is talking about His absolute purity. God is unstained by sin and evil. He is perfect in every way, and perfectly good all the time. Completely separate from sin. 1 Samuel 2:2 - “No one is holy like the Lord, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. 1 John 1:5 - This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. Isaiah 59:2 - But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. 1 Peter 2:13-16 – 13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” (1:00) Thanks for joining me again today! Stop and say a prayer for your church family today! 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. (00:00)

24_07_06 -Ep.320 - Run With Horses Podcast - Engage – Part One of the Discipleship Pathway 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 Last week we began talking about a discipleship pathway for the church. Today we begin to break it down and consider the first step. What does it mean to Engage with your community? Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! ******* HABITS - Thanksgiving The Discipleship pathway is intended to help a church be intentional about helping people take steps toward Christ-likeness. However, individually each one of us has the same responsibility and opportunity to pursue that growth ourself. One thing that you can do personally to support a life of pursuing Jesus is work to develp new habits that make it easier to move forward. Today I want to focus on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a habit that we all can and should develop and ingrain in our lives. 1 Thess. 5:16-18, How? Make it easy and give yourself reminders. Memorize this verse or others like it. One step at a time. This is a good place to start. ****** A quick review: What is as discipleship pathway? Simply put, an intentional plan to help followers of Jesus grow toward Christ-likeness. That word intentional is key. MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and EQUIP OTHERS to join them on His mission. The discipleship pathway is an intentional plan to equip others to be on the mission of Jesus. Don’t forget the goals of the pathway. Clear goals are important. What are the goals of a discipleship pathway? a. self-feeding Christians b. everyday missionaries c. disciple-makers d. pastors e. new churches f. all members of the church, shepherded well First step in the Pathway. ENGAGE, then CONNECT, EQUIP, RELEASE ENGAGE - Everything is covered with the clear expectation of Intentional Engagement by all members of the church. Actions by the Church, outside the four walls primarily. * Community Engagement Where and how are we involved in the community? How does the church family encourage and support community activities and projects? * Relationship Building We seem to have lost the ability to build realtionships! What does it take to make a new friend? Time and conversation. Galatians 5:22-23, 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control. * Evangelism – Gospel Conversations - built on relationships. Not a rote prepackaged gospel conversation, although there is a time and place for those, but bringing your friends into your relationship with Jesus and sharing hwo the Gospel has impacted your life. * Pre-Salvation – following up with those God is working in. - Gospel review – How well do they understand what Jesus did on the cross? - Christian Life Basics – How do you build a relationship with Jesus? > Prayer > Bible Reading > Church Family - Church Family – get to know relationally, invite your unbelieving friends into your church family network of friends > Importance of– > Purpose of – introduce the mission of Jesus Equipping by the Church- support and training for engagement 1. Gospel Foundations. - grounded in God’s Word and His work in our life a. salvation and faith – review and talk about your own life change comfortably b. Jesus' finished work on the cross and the implications of that work, what Jesus did in and through you. c. our new identity and all that means for life, who we are has changed and impacts everything! 2. First Steps in Gospel Ministry a. my testimony – your story connected with God’s story b. Three Circles gospel presentation c. The Bridge gospel presentation ********* DOCTRINE July – God August – Jesus September – Holy Spirit God is Omnipresent Jeremiah 23:23-24, Psalm 139:7-10, Thanks for joining me again today! Stop and say a prayer for your church family today! 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.

24_07_06 -Ep.319 - Run With Horses Podcast - Beginning A Discipleship Pathway 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 I have spent some time looking at the a definition of the church recently, today we begin thinking about what it means to live this out as a church. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! A quick review: MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission. Why do we need this kind of essential definition of the church? Clear vision – who we are and what we do Unity Clear purpose – what do we need to focus on, How do we accomplish our purpose Goals and Strategic planning, Intentionality Church planting – more and faster Mission So what does it look like to be a member of something like this? What is my role? How am I supposed to act and what should I do? The church IS it’s members. Every member needs clarity of vision and purpose. The church is a group of people who are intentionally and increasingly moving along a path toward becoming like Jesus. So, are you a good church member? How about a good disciple of Jesus? What can you do to help your church as you all grow in Christ-likeness and pursue Him and His mission together? These are all questions we have asked in the past. Now, let’s begin to develop some answers. A church needs a discipleship pathway. What do I mean by that? Some define it as a disciple making strategy for the church. Navigators has called it “a sequenced plan to move disciples from one stage of growth to the next.” REF: https://navigatorschurchministries.org/2023/07/21/growing-disciples-the-discipleship-pathway/ What you should take away from any definition is that it is intentional, some thought has been put into it, and it has the goal of helping people grow toward Christ-likeness. Clear goals are important. What are the goals of a discipleship pathway? a. self-feeding Christians b. everyday missionaries c. disciple-makers d. pastors e. new churches f. all members of the church, shepherded well

24_06_29 -Ep.318 - Run With Horses Podcast - Life is a Journey 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

24_06_22 -Ep.317 - Run With Horses Podcast - Becoming A Responsible Adult 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 I have spent some time looking at the a definition of the church recently, today I want to consider what it means to be a good member of the church. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! A quick reminder: MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission. So what does it look like to be a member of something like this? What is my role? How am I supposed to act and what should I do? The church IS it’s members so what we do makes the church what it is to some extent. The Church Member is a Disciple of Jesus *Arrange their life to be with Jesus *Intentionally pursue the character of Jesus *Increasingly love what Jesus loves *Are committed to the mission of Jesus because of their devotion to Jesus Knows the mission of the church Prays for church and it’s leaders Understands the value of their presence Pursues peace and unity in the church family Has healthy relationships with unbelievers Teachable Humble Patient An encourager Is a theologian Is a growing disciple maker Builds up others Think about ministry and how to do it better Work hard We over me. Lives for others. Understands difference between preferences and Biblical principles.

24_06_08 -Ep.315 - Run With Horses Podcast - Are Short-Term Missions Trips Worth It? 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 I have just returned from a 3 week trip to Japan taking two groups, one from a Bible college and one from a church. I’m often asked if these trips are worth it, today, let’s explore that question! Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! Mission trips are by definition focused on the mission of Jesus, but are they really? How do short term trips fit into the bigger picture of what it means to be the church? MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission. Goals of short term trips: Some examples: https://ministry127.com/missions/4-goals-for-a-short-term-missions-trip https://leadership.lifeway.com/2019/06/26/three-objectives-for-a-short-term-missions-trip/ https://www.youthpastortheologian.com/blog/are-short-term-missions-trips-worth-it 1. Work Projects 2. Support missionary in relationship building 3. Encourage local churches and missionaries 4. Recruit new workers for the harvest 5. Inform and recruit prayer partnerships 6. Give both the church going and the churches receiving a better vision of the Universal church. Why do short term missions trips sometimes have a bad reputation? 1. Vacation for rich Americans 2. Fulfilling for team, meaningless for nationals. 3. No clear purpose. 4. Team unprepared. 5. Waste of missionary time. GRIT Doing it Well: https://missionguide.global/articles/missionexcellence https://www.imb.org/2017/05/18/5-things-consider-church-plans-short-term-mission-trip/ 1. Have clear goals that fit in with the missionary or national church pastor’s long-term vision and strategy. 2.Take time to train and prepare the team to be servants in all areas of life. 3. Use the opportunity to equip the team in new ways that will benefit the sending church when they return. New training opportunities. 4. Support disciple making in both the sending and receiving churches. 5. Plan ongoing evaluations and debrief, get the receiving church’s evaluation. 6. Pray! 7. Choose the right people for the team Thanks for joining me again today! Stop and say a prayer for your church family today! 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.

24_06_01 Run With Horses Podcast - Progressing on the Mission of Jesus I hope to return to looking at our definition of church soon but as I am traveling and don't have access to my notes at the moment, I am going to take a parallel path that should lead into the next topic, and Today, that topic is the mission of Jesus. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive a a follower of Jesus. It may be a long road but it shouldn't be a lonely road because we get to travel it together with the body of Christ, His beautiful church! Thanks for letting me be part of your journey. MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission. The next official part of the definition of church that we will look at is the mission of Jesus. It may be jumping the gun a little but I want to spend some time today going over some simple steps that you can take to grow in your direct involvement in the mission of Jesus. I think 2 Corinthians 5: 17-20 and Matthew 28:18-20 give a good summary of the mission for now. First 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Throw in Ephesians 4: 11-16 and you have a good idea of the mission of Jesus and the work of the ministry that Jesus called us to. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. But practically what are the things that you can do to directly grow in your involvement in the mission? 0. Pray! For your spiritual growth, for your personal ministry, for gospel workers, for your church, for the lost in your sphere of influence. 1. Remember your testimony. Go through again what Jesus did on your behalf on the Cross and the changes that He worked in your life. Not the point of today's show but a quick partial reminder: forgiveness of sin, reconciliation with God, adoption into God's family, eternal life, received the righteousness of Jesus, etc, etc. Be encouraged! This is what Jesus did for you! 2. Remember the Gospel that secured those benefits for you. Jesus did it through His perfect life, sacrificial death on the Cross and resurrection on the third day. Review 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 3. Write out your personal testimony of salvation and spiritual growth with the gospel as a centerpiece. Your story is really all about Jesus. Tell His story. 4. Memorize 2 simple gospel presentations as touchstones to come back to when you share the gospel. It's not a rote memory presentation but a place to return if you get lost and a road map to make sure you hit the key points. Need a recommendation? Three Circles - https://multiplyingdisciples. The Bridge - https://www.navigators.org/ 5. Practice journaling as a way to stay consistent in God's Word and help you remember the things God is teaching you. Seems like someone I know wrote a book about this. : ) And whatayaknow I just happen to have the Amazon link! https://a.co/d/4ixVVL6 6. Learn how to lead a basic evangelistic Bible study. ABWE has the Good Soil Project to help. https://www.goodsoil.com/blog/ A Discovery Bible Study is also a great method of leading a simple Bible study that everyone should know and be able to use. There are lots of resources if you search online for them but it is basically reading God's Word together and asking some basic questions. There are recommended passages to use for going through the Big Message of the Bible. https://discipleship.org/blog/ 7. Get comfortable leading a small group of believers. Lots of formats, lots of things you could focus on but as long as Jesus is the center and we are focused on living lives as obedient disciples of Jesus there is value. Keep the eyes of the group focused on Jesus and the heart of the group aligned with His desire to see all lost come to repentance and all believers come to maturity. How can each one of use help the others be reproducing disciple of Jesus? These are each things you can pursue yourself and with a group. We should seek after God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. There is nothing more worthwhile than spending our lives pursuing Jesus and obedience to His calling to make disciples. Thanks for joining me today! What steps can you take this week to move a little closer to Jesus in your thoughts, attitudes and actions? Who can you take with you on the journey? Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a note on the RWH Facebook page, I'd love to hear from you! Whatever you do, don't stop, keep running!

24_05_25 -Ep.313 - Run With Horses Podcast - Growing Through Caregiving 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 Last Week I spoke with Chloe and Hope, this week we talk to Susan about the lessons she is learning as a caregiver. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! Thanks for joining me again today! Stop and say a prayer for your church family today! 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.

24_05_18 -Ep.312 - Run With Horses Podcast - Chloe and Hope 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

24_05_11-Ep.311 - Run With Horses Podcast - Notes from the National Disciple Makers Forum 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 Last week we talked about the National Disciple Makers Forum and today we continue as I go through my notes and share some of what I learned along the way. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! The question we all answer every day is how do WE live this HERE, NOW. The answer says a lot about our view of God and His place in our lives. A life that is focused on Intentional, Relational Disciple Making that is Centered on Jesus is a life of worship. And what a journey He takes us on when we follow Him! Thanks for joining me again today! Stop and say a prayer for your church family today! 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.

23_05_04 -Ep.310 - Run With Horses Podcast A review of the National Disciple Makers Forum 2024 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

23_04_20 -Ep.309 - Run With Horses Podcast - It’s all about Jesus 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 Last week we talked about how Jesus is our focus. As a disciple, you become like the one you follow and we follow Jesus. Today we consider how we worship Jesus as we follow Him. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! We are working on what it might look like to live out my working definition of church by going through the definition a word at a time. Today we turn to worship. MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission. Worship – Merriam-Webster 1: to honor or show reverence for as a divine being or supernatural power 2: to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion ****https://wheatmyermusic.com/on-christian-worship-old-testament-vocabulary/ The two most common Old Testament Hebrew words commonly translated as “worship” are shachah and abad. Vine’s Expository Dictionary defines shachah as meaning “to worship, prostrate oneself, bow down.” It occurs more than 170 times in the OT and is the principle Hebrew word translated into English as “worship.” To bow is to express complete surrender to the mercy of the second person to be used as they willed. Vine’s defines abad as meaning “to serve, cultivate, enslave, work.” It is very common throughout the OT (nearly 300 instances) but is only occasionally translated as “worship” (about 15 times). Rather, its most frequent English translation is “to serve” where it refers to all manner of ordinary labor. To conclude, when we read the word “worship” in the Old Testament we should always see within it the essence of bowing, an aroma of surrender and service, of saying, “here I am, use me as you will.” To borrow a line from Issac Watts, when the Old Testament says worship, it is saying, “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.” **** shachah Gen 18:2 - Gen 22:5 - abad Gen 2:15 - Deut. 10:12-13 - Key Points from OT worship – It involves HUMILITY and SERVICE. NT worship John 4: 19-24 - 1 1 Peter 1:4-5 - Romans 12: 1-2 - 12:1 - latreia: service, sacred service - Usage: service rendered to God, perhaps simply: worship Hebrews 13: 15-16 - Let’s go back to our definition of the church for a minute. MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission. Last week I said that We follow Jesus, because He is God and Savior and because He is doing something. Jesus offers us a part in His mission as His witnesses. There is no greater work we can give our lives to. We follow Jesus because outside of Him our lives have no purpose. Once you truly understand who Jesus is and what He offers you, there is no choice to be made. We follow Jesus because of Who He IS and what He is doing. And that is also the reason we worship Him. He IS God. What is your response to Jesus? Will you follow when the journey gets hard? Making intentional, serious efforts to obey the commands of Jesus will result in your spiritual growth and the building up of the church. Intentional obedience to the commands of Jesus will connect you directly to Jesus and His mission. More importantly intentional obedience to the commands of Jesus, trying to do what HE said, is at the heart of our worship. It takes HUMILITY to follow someone else. When we serve Him we proclaim Him as Lord of our lives and glorify Him in the worship of our actions. It doesn’t matter how much you know about Jesus if you aren’t practically engaged in following Jesus. The question we all answer every day is how do WE live this HERE, NOW. The answer says a lot about our view of God and His place in our lives. A life that is focused on Intentional, Relational Disciple Making that is Centered on Jesus is a life of worship. And what a journey He takes us on when we follow Him! Thanks for joining me again today! Stop and say a prayer for your church family today! 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.

23_04_20 -Ep.308 - Run With Horses Podcast - It’s all about Jesus 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 Last week we talked about what it means to follow Jesus. The cliff notes version, do what He says. This week we move on to the next part, it’s really simple and it’s all about Jesus. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! We are working on what it might look like to live out my working definition of church by going through the definition a word at a time. We are looking at Jesus today. MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission. Last week we considered that we are His followers. Jesus is the “another” of the M-W definitions! Follower – Merriam-Webster a : one in the service of another : retainer b : one that follows the opinions or teachings of another c : one that imitates another **** So we follow and obey Jesus but Why? Who is Jesus? Here is a starter list for you. ***** Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. ***** Why would Lewis say this about Jesus? The Bible claims Jesus is God. Isaiah 9:6 Hebrews 1:8 Titus 2:13 - John 1:1 Jesus is Savior of the World. Acts 5:31 1 John 4:14 Philippians 3:20 Jesus is a Miracle Worker. Some of Jesus’ Miracles Turned water into wine (John 2:1–11) Healed a paralytic (Mark 2:1–12) Healed a withered hand (Mark 3:1–3) Calmed a storm (Mark 4:35–41) Healed a servant from afar (Luke 7:1–10) Revived a dead man (Luke 7:11–17) Healed a man with leprosy (Matthew 8:2–4) Healed a bleeding woman (Luke 8:43–48) Healed a man born blind (John 9:1–12) Fed the multitude (Matthew 14:13–21) Walked on water (Matthew 14:22–33) Cast out demons (Matthew 17:14–21) Healed a man with a severed ear (Luke 22:50–51) Resurrected himself (Mark 16:1–7) Let’s go back to our definition of the church for a minute. MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission. We follow Jesus. Because He is God and Savior and because He is doing something. We all want our lives to matter. We want to do something important. Jesus offers us a part in His mission as His witnesses. There is no greater work we can give our lives to. We follow Jesus because outside of Him our lives have no purpose. Once you truly understand who Jesus is and what He offers you, there is no choice to be made. His disciple understood that and made the choice to follow Him. John 6:67 What is your answer? Will you follow when the way is tough? Let’s be honest, the way can be tough as part of His church family. Relationships can be painful even among believers. But I don’t believe you can live out obedience to the commands of Jesus outside His church. Making intentional, serious efforts to obey the commands of Jesus will result in your spiritual growth and the building up of the church. Intentional obedience to the commands of Jesus will connect you directly to Jesus and His mission. It doesn’t matter how much you know about Jesus if you aren’t practically engaged in following Jesus. The question is how do WE live this HERE, NOW. A life that is Intentional, Relational, and Centered on Jesus. Thanks for joining me again today! Stop and say a prayer for your church family today! 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.

23_04_13 -Ep.307 - Run With Horses Podcast - Following Jesus 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 Last week we began tearing apart my working definition of the church by looking at the together aspect of the Church. Today we consider the next part, found in the word followers. What does it mean to follow Jesus? That’s the topic of the day! Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! Let’s continue to dig into what it might look like to live out my working definition of church. MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission. We talked about the importance of relationships in the church last week. This week is really a continuation of that idea, but with an emphasis on the relationship that we have with Jesus. We are His followers. Follower – Merriam-Webster a : one in the service of another : retainer b : one that follows the opinions or teachings of another c : one that imitates another I like those three points. In service of another – Follow teachings of another – Imitate another They seem to match up pretty well with what the bible says about following Jesus. I don’t believe you can live out obedience to the commands of Jesus outside His church. Making intentional efforts to obey the commands of Jesus will result in your spiritual growth and the building up of the church. Intentional obedience to the commands of Jesus will connect you directly to Jesus and His mission. It doesn’t matter how much you know if you aren’t practically engaged in following Jesus. The question is how do WE live this HERE, NOW. A life that is Intentional, Relational, and Centered on Jesus. Thanks for joining me again today! Stop and say a prayer for your church family today! 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 Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! Let’s begin to dig into what it might look like to live out my working definition of church. MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of followers of Jesus who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission. I. Relationship We are a group of people on the same journey following the same tour guide. Group - a number of individuals assembled together or having some unifying relationship. Merriam-Webster A. Can’t do it alone! We all need help bearing out burdens. We are united in Christ. B. Ministry requires a connection Relationships matter. One another’s, accountability, encouragement. The mission of Jesus is a church responsibility. C. God’s Word commands it. Heb. 10:25 – do not neglect. D. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is relational The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:20-21) E. We are equipped by each other. Eph. 4 Christians gather together. We are joined into one body with Jesus as the head. We need each other. 1. We are in this together. The “one another’s” require a community. 2. We all have gifts the church needs. You can’t be who you are meant to be without the church family. 3. The mission requires us all to do our part. The work that Jesus left the church is too big to be done alone. 4. Everyone needs encouragement sometime. Be an encourager, be encouraged.

23_03_30 -Ep.305 - Run With Horses Podcast – Multiplication in the Essential 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 Go forth and multiply! It is the last command that Jesus left with His disciples and one of the main concerns of the church today. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! Last week we looked at maturity the essential church. The main point is that we have to be changing if we are maturing and becoming more like Jesus. He is working a wonderful transformation in our lives. Quick review: MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of Jesus’ disciples who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission. It is my view that this process embracing the mission of Jesus and becoming a disciple maker is an important part of how God transforms you. We started session one with the topic SEEDS: What’s our Disciple Making DNA? • Matthew 4:19: "Follow me," Jesus declared, "and I will make you fishers of men." Jesus doesn't just call disciples, He equips them to make more disciples. We moved on to session two with the topic TREES: What is your vision of Maturity? • Hebrews 5:11-14 11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. • Stages of Spiritual Growth – Dead, Infant, Child, Young Adult, Parents, Grandparents And Today we are ready for Session 3: Forests: How Do We Multiply? • Big Idea: Multiplication is the result of putting disciple making into practice. Disciple making is contagious! As we mature as disciple makers, we equip others to do the same, resulting in a multiplication effect: the growth of the local church and planting new churches near and far. **** Starting an Evangelistic Bible Study • Make a list and pray for it ◦ Make your list of who you want to talk with and pray for them • Find a partner and make a plan ◦ Try to find a partner to do this with, and make a plan for the next few steps • Schedule it and reach out to people ◦ Come up with a schedule for your meet-ups, make contacts with people using the conversations checklist and invite them to the meetup. • Start meeting and improve it over time ◦ Start meeting and keep it going, improving what you started and making it better. It doesn’t need to be perfect right away–or ever really! • Be faithful and try to be fruitful ◦ Just faithfully keep meeting with people and having conversations, and pray that there is fruit of people growing closer to Jesus. Your job is faithfulness and intending to be fruitful, but God provides the fruit. • Be consistent ◦ Consistently keep having intentional conversations and a regularly scheduled and communicated meeting, and that consistency will over time be part of your success. 6 Questions for Leading a Bible Study THANKS - What are you thankful for? CHALLENGE - What challenges are you facing? → PRAY for challenges → READ & RETELL passage GOD - What does this passage tell us about God? PEOPLE - What does this passage tell us about People? DO - What should I do in response to this passage? SHARE - Who should I share it with this week? ****** Thanks for joining me again today! How is your church doing at fulfilling it’s biblical purpose? 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.

23_03_23 -Ep.304 - Run With Horses Podcast – Spiritual Maturity in the Essential 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 How do you know if you are growing? Today we focus on identifying spiritual maturity in the Essential Church. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! Last week we looked at an overview of disciple making as part of the fundamental DNA of the essential church. Today we consider maturity, particularly the idea of spiritual transformation. We have to be changing if we are maturing and becoming more like Jesus. Quick review: MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of Jesus’ disciples who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission. It is my view that this process of accepting the mission of Jesus and becoming a disciple maker is at least part of what God uses to transform you. Think about the questions we are left with after thinking through the definition of church. How do you worship God? Spirit and Truth gives some guidance. Truth should lead us to look at the Bible for answers. What does the life of a living sacrifice look like? Humility is there. What is sacrifice? Probably want to look at the OT for some insight. How do we get together? When, where, how often, what do we do? The NT gives some idea of the big picture, Acts and Paul’s letters need to be investigated. What is the mission of Jesus? The Gospels give His words directly, Acts gives the early churches application of them. What is the Gospel and how do we best communicate it in our location to the people around us? Back to the NT. How do we make disciples in our context? What are Jesus commands? How do we edify others? Who is responsible to do this? Struggling with these Questions in your particular context forces you to consider what God says about each issue and what is left to adjust for your time and place. Struggling to Live what you believe is the context for lasting spiritual growth and transformation as we all learn to trust Him more. We started session one with the topic SEEDS: What’s our Disciple Making DNA? We move on to session two with the topic: TREES: What is your vision of Maturity? ****** Thanks for joining me again today! How is your church doing at fulfilling it’s biblical purpose? 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.

23_03_16 -Ep.303 - Run With Horses Podcast – Disciple Making in the Essential 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 make the shift from defining what the essential church IS to considering what the church does in more detail. It will be no surprise for regular listeners to know that we will begin with Disciple Making in the Essential Church. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! I have been thinking about the idea of Essential Ecclesiology for awhile now. Last week we concluded with my working definition of the essential church. MY WORKING DEFINITION OF CHURCH A CHURCH is a group of Jesus’ disciples who worship Him in spirit and truth, humbly offering their lives as living sacrifices, together living out the mission of Jesus as His witnesses to the world, by sharing the gospel and making disciples through teaching obedience to His commands as they edify and equip others to join them on His mission. There are definitely things that are only implied and not spelled out. There are definitely questions a church will need to answer for itself based on its local context and culture. Specifically, What do you not see in this definition? There is not much to tell HOW to do these things. Let’s make a list. How do you worship God? Spirit and Truth gives some guidance. Truth should lead us to look at the Bible for answers. What does the life of a living sacrifice look like? Humility is there. What is sacrifice? Probably want to look at the OT for some insight. How do we get together? When, where, how often, what do we do? The NT gives some idea of the big picture, Acts and Paul’s letters need to be investigated. What is the mission of Jesus? The Gospels give His words directly, Acts gives the early churches application of them. What is the Gospel and how do we best communicate it in our location to the people around us? Back to the NT. How do we make disciples in our context? What are Jesus commands? How do we edify others? Who is responsible to do this? I believe that disciple making is at the center of what it means to be the church. Many have produced catechisms to help teach the foundational truths of God’s Word. What is the chief end of man is the way one talks about our purpose. The answer, the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. ("Glorify" does not mean make glorious. It means [to] reflect or display as glorious. Other words you could use for "end" are "goal" or "purpose". - John Piper) HOW do we glorify God? Primarily by humble obedience to His commands. You cannot glorify God and do your own thing! Disciple Making is at the center of what it means to be a follower of Jesus so a simple connection would be to say that we best glorify God when we are most engaged in his mission of reconciliation through relational disciple making. I will be at a retreat this weekend focusing on discipleship, it’s perfect timing so I will start today going over some of the material I am preparing for the retreat. We start session one with the topic SEEDS: What’s our Disciple Making DNA? What is DNA? ****** Thanks for joining me again today! How is your church doing at fulfilling it’s biblical purpose? 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.