RWHPodcast

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: htts://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we are continuing our look at the church and trying to form a simple, coherent definition that covers the basics well without going too far into preferences and without leaving anything out that God intends for us to do or be. I have been thinking about the idea of Minimal or Essential Ecclesiology. Minimal: The least viable form or the least possible to call something a church. What can you remove from your existing church and it still be a church? Essential: If you have nothing else you must at least have this to call it a church. Ecclesiology: doctrine relating to the church The goal is to consider the smallest, most adaptable, most flexible definition of the church. Why? Because we need more churches! And it is hard to begin with the finished, mature product, what can you start with? A seed that contains the DNA of the church at maturity. I believe Acts gives us a good picture of this seed that has all the characteristics of the church that will thrive in any setting. To me that is KEY. The church is God’s people thriving and on mission in every culture and time period. What are the essentials that are consistent in a thriving church in every culture and age? The Essential Church What can you remove from your existing church and it still be a church? If you have nothing else you must at least have this to call it a church. A seed that contains the DNA of the church at maturity. Can you separate what the church IS from what the church DOES? If it doesn’t apply in in all ages, in all cultures and in the persecuted church then it can’t be considered ESSENTIAL. The Church IS: WHO: Baptized Followers of Jesus - Leadership – When and how much is required for a church to be a church? ie. when is a gathering of believers a church and not just a gathering of believers? DO WHAT: Worship a- John 4:24 -in Spirit and Truth b- Rom. 12:1-2 – living sacrifice c- Phil. 2:5-8 -humility and obedience Community/ Fellowship a- Acts 2:42-47 b- Acts 2:41 1 Cor. 11:23-26 - baptism and communion c- Hebrews 10:25 - assumes gathering together is normal Mission a- Acts 8:4 - share the gospel. ie. Acts 1:8 - To BE His witnesses. b- Matthew 28:18-20 -make disciples 1-teaching A-to obey Jesus commands. Not just knowledge. 2-baptizing c- Ephesians 4:11-13 -Equipping the Church for ministry and edifying toward Unity and Maturity, ie. The Image of Jesus 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. What is this definition missing that you believe is necessary to understand the church? 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? ****** 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.

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 We are still looking for a good definition of the essential church. Maybe we will find it 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! I have been asking, “What is the church? Specifically the idea of Minimal or Essential Ecclesiology. Minimal: The least viable form or the least possible to call something a church. What can you remove from your existing church and it still be a church? Essential: If you have nothing else you must at least have this to call it a church. Ecclesiology: doctrine relating to the church The goal is to consider the smallest, most adaptable, most flexible definition of the church. Why? Because we need more churches! You don’t start with the finished product, What do you start with? A seed that contains the DNA of the church at maturity. I have looked at several definitions over the past two weeks and today I will start to narrow it down and will make some decisions about the minimal definition of church. From the past few weeks here are a few key points I will be considering. Can you separate what the church IS from what the church DOES? I think not, so the purpose of the church becomes really important when defining the church. If a church is not at least attempting to fulfill it’s purpose, is it still a 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 continue looking at the essential church. Or the minimal church. Maybe just church. I started last week by asking, “What is the church? Specifically I wanted to look at the idea of Minimal or Essential Ecclesiology. Quick review. Minimal: The least viable form or the least possible to call something a church. What can you remove from your existing church and it still be a church? Essential: If you have nothing else you must at least have this to call it a church. Ecclesiology: doctrine relating to the church The goal is to consider the smallest, most adaptable, most flexible definition of the church. Why? Because the church is intended to be multiplied in any environment. If church planting is really important, and we are going to do it, we need to identify the seed, the core definition of church. You don’t start with the finished product in gardening or in church planting or in disciple making! What do you start with? A seed that contains the DNA of the future life at maturity. Resources: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/chuch-of-shrinking-definition/ https://www.catalystnw.org/Groups/1000103697/Catalyst/Catalyst_Network/Microchurches/Microchurches.aspx#:~:text=Our%20%22definition%20of%20church%22%20(,Jesus%2C%20they%20are%20the%20church. https://www.tampaunderground.com/microchurches https://saturatetheworld.com/2021/01/26/7-marks-of-essential-ecclesiology/ https://www.ruralministry.net/post/ecclesiology-and-the-rural-church Christ Loved the Church by William MacDonald Rediscover Church: Why the body of Christ is essential by Collin Hanson and Jonathan Leeman The Doctrine and Administration of the Church by Paul R Jackson Doctrine of the Church by Dr. Harold L. Wilmington Practical Christian Theology by Floyd H. Barakman Principles and Practices for Baptist Churches by Edward T. Hiscox https://realfaith.com/what-christians-believe/characteristics-church/ Future Church by Will Mancini and Cory Hartman

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 finished up a series of shows that focused on some practical tips and pointer for living an intentional life. We covered our purpose, roadblocks and resources as well as some final thoughts on making clear goals to strive for in our spiritual life. In and through all of that we kept coming back to the big idea of God’s purpose for you. Today I want to begin to look at God’s purpose for you as it relates to the church. We are going to begin our journey by wrestling with the question, What is the church? Specifically I want to look at the idea of Minimal or Essential Ecclesiology. Minimal: relating to or being a minimum: such as a: the least possible a victory won with minimal loss of life b: barely adequate a minimal standard of living c: very small or slight a minimal interest in art The least viable form or the least possible to call something a church. What can you remove from your existing church and it still be a church? Essential: 1: something basic 2: something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable If you have nothing else you must at least have this to call it a church. Ecclesiology: theological doctrine relating to the church The goal is to consider the smallest, most adaptable, most flexible church. Why? Because the church at it’s most basic is in the best form to be multiplied rapidly in any environment. If church planting is really important, and we are going to do it, we need to identify the seed. You don’t start with the finished product in gardening or in church planting or in disciple making! What do you start with? A seed that contains the DNA of the future life at maturity. *** Resource; https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/chuch-of-shrinking-definition/ The Church, it is assumed, is simply plural for Christian. So wherever two or more Christians are gathered to discuss about and live in the way of Jesus, that’s church. The problem with this minimalist ecclesiology is that it confuses definition and function. I have no problem with defining the church as elect people of God, or as the gathered Christian community, or as all those who have put their faith in Jesus. These are pretty standard definitions. But to say the church is the people of God is not the same as saying that wherever the people of God are there you have a church.So as a definition the church may be the people of God, but for God’s people gathered to be a church they must function in certain way. ***** Resource: https://www.catalystnw.org/Groups/1000103697/Catalyst/Catalyst_Network/Microchurches/Microchurches.aspx#:~:text=Our%20%22definition%20of%20church%22%20(,Jesus%2C%20they%20are%20the%20church. Microchurch – Worship, Mission and Community Our "definition of church" (ecclesiology) is simple: When a group of likeminded people band together in sincere worship and genuine community to accomplish a part of the mission of Jesus, they are the church. We believe that small, missional groups are the Most Essential Unit of the Church; and that church organizations exist to serve the smaller, micro-expression…and not the other way around. The Early Church embodied 3 essential, irreducible functions of WORSHIP, COMMUNITY, and MISSION; giving great freedom for people & groups to express them in their own contexts. Resource: https://www.tampaunderground.com/microchurches We affirm microchurch as the most basic expression of the church. Our ecclesiology is simple. When believers work together in sincere worship and genuine community to accomplish part of the mission of God, they are the church. Worship, community, and mission are our ecclesial minimum. *** Resource: https://saturatetheworld.com/2021/01/26/7-marks-of-essential-ecclesiology/ • A church is comprised of believers who gather regularly for discipleship. A church’s goal must be discipleship: seeing people come to know Jesus and be increasingly formed into His likeness and love together. • A church declares the gospel and is shaped by the Spirit and the Scriptures. The good news (Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, kingdom, and return) is the church’s central message, and must be proclaimed both in gatherings and in everyday life. • A church worships God in various ways. A church helps people understand and participate in worship. The Bible describes song and prayer as worship, as well as using our spiritual gifts, serving others, sharing the gospel, giving, celebrating, working hard, resting, and obeying God. Almost everything in life can be worship, if in spirit and truth. • A church serves each other and its mission field(s). Each Christian has gifts, stations in life, and resources which God uses to bless Christians and non-Christians. • A church carries out baptism and communion. Whether defined as “ordinances” or “sacraments” (and while different churches add other acts to these), a church follows Jesus’ example and carries out baptism and communion regularly. • A church defines and trains God-given human leaders. Jesus is the head of His Church. And the New Testament shows us churches led by teams of Biblically-qualified servants, who humbly equip the saints for the work of ministry. *** Resource: https://www.ruralministry.net/post/ecclesiology-and-the-rural-church In the broader context, there is universal agreement that theologically, the church “is the community of all true believers for all time.”[2] However, there is far less agreement regarding the practical view and definition of the church (i.e., how we perceive and understand the word “Church” when it is mentioned). For some, the term church becomes synonymous with the local organization. The church is a building we attend at a specific location. As a physical building and organization, the church becomes defined by its organizational structure, programs, and a shared vision that moves the church organizationally.

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 will look at a simple process to come up with realistic goals that you can work toward in your spiritual life. Actually, the process works for the rest of your life too! Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. There are lots of moving parts to the journey but our foundation is built on Jesus, the solid Rock. Keep your eyes on the prize and keep making steps forward on your spiritual journey. Last Week we looked at Roadblocks and some Resources that you can count on. Whatever the obstacle that you fae in your spiritual life, God already has plan to use it for your good and His glory. Be patient and continue to pursue Him through till the end. Take the daily small steps to follow Jesus where you are and trust Him to do the work in and through you that He wants to accomplish. 1. What do I want to accomplish? God’s purpose for you. Employer’s purpose for you. Your own goals. In each arena of live you may have a different level of control over determining your purpose. Work vs. Home. But God’s purpose for you trumps all others. Luke 14-25-33 – You cannot be Jesus Disciple without committing to Him First. It is a matter of priorities. 2. What’s my starting point? Where am I now? Do I need extra skills, training, information? Honest personal evaluation is often difficult for us. Getting a second opinion here is helpful. DiSC profile, etc. 3. What are potential Roadblocks? What Resources do I have to address them? This is a good time to consult with others about how they see the path ahead. Not just your potential. Take some time to learn about the journey. What have others experiences been like? Talk to people who are doing what you want to do. 4. What are the key steps along the way I can use as markers of progress? How can I be accountable to keep moving? Who can I invite into my process? 5. Build a roadmap. Starting with where you are, include the key steps and needed skills, training along the way. What is a reasonable timeframe? This is where you take all the information you have gathered about yourself and current situation and build a plan to gain the skills and experiences you will need to accomplish your goals. It is a timeline of key steps moving you closer to the goal. 6. Have someone you trust go over your plan with you. Do they have suggestions to improve it? Someone who has done it before. A mature Christian you respect. 7. Do it! At some point you have to start, ready or not. As long as the first steps are clear you can continue working on the pathway while you are moving forward. 8. Take a break and evaluate. Recalibrate and rework the plan as necessary. Learn from mistakes. Keep moving forward. Assume that you will need to make changes along the way. That is not a problem, it is part of the process of refining the vision. God directs us as we are following Him. You often learn things along the way that change your understanding, you grow spiritually and are ready for a greater challenge than you imagined. That is all part of the journey. Enjoy the 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 Today we look at the things that might keep you from being fruitful and doing well in life and then consider what you can do about it. It’s all about roadblocks and resources! Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. There are lots of moving parts to the journey but our foundation is built on Jesus, the solid Rock. Keep your eyes on the prize and keep making steps forward on your spiritual journey. Last week we discussed our roles and I encouraged you to brainstorm some ideas connecting your gifts, talents and abilities with the roles you have in life. How did that go for you? Easy and fun? Challenging? I know for some people, it is rare to step back and consider the big picture in life as we have been doing here. But I promise you it is worth it when you reap the benefits of intentionally joining God in the work He is doing in and through you. Understanding why and how God made you, your purpose and gifting, gives clarity to all you do. This is particularly important considering the number of decisions we all have to make each day. Each choice you make has the potential to bring you closer to Jesus and the rest and peace He offers, or to take you further away. And I know which one I want! And then something happens that makes everything harder. Like when you are on your way home early because a storm is coming and you find a tree across the road. Hit the brakes. Now what? Roadblocks are common when we are trying to follow Jesus and honor Him in every area of life. What are some common barriers? Fear is a big one. Fear of man specifically but fear of the unknown and even fear of success! Fear of change. Doubt is a close cousin to fear. Social pressure. Maybe related to fear of man but not always. The people around you expect you to act a certain way. You have a track record. Sin. Alway buts a damper on things. Makes you question your calling and ability. Laziness. Ouch. Shallow and improper relationships. Misplaced priorities. Aiming for the wrong goals. Not aligning life with Jesus and His mission. Consequences from past mistakes. You may be surprised that I didn’t list time and money as roadblocks. If our goal is toe be like Christ, I don’t believe time and money are issues. Now, how you use your time and money, that is a different story. But generally, with a few exceptions, you have time to do what you want and money doesn’t grow your spiritual life. Time for some reflection. What are the things in your life that have the potential to be roadblocks on your way towards spiritual growth and Christ-likeness? After a short break I will be back to consider our resources to combat those roadblocks. Part 2 What resources do you have to overcome the roadblocks in your life? There are some resources that we all have access to and need to rely on for wisdom and strength. Bible Holy Spirit Prayer Church family – need for closer, more intentional relationships. I can’ t encourage you enough to be part of a community of Jesus followers who are focused on living out His commands and carrying out His mission. Most of the roadblocks we all face in life are best faced together. A Plan – hey, that’s what we are working on! Being intentional about how you live and what you pursue in life leads to constantly addressing problems as they appear. That means many small issues are addressed before they become large ones! There are also resources you may have access to that are unique to you and your situation. Particular people for example. Who is someone God has brought into your life that might be able to shed new light on your situation? I am a big fan of brainstorming. Use it to attack the roadblocks you face in life. First, take advantage of all of the common resources mentioned earlier. Put a priority on God’s Word, Prayer and God’s Family. Whatever else you may need to see the end of the tunnel, it won’t be less than these. With that foundation in place, trusting that the Holy Spirit is working in and through you, take one roadblock that you believe would really make a difference if it was overcome. Pray about it, ask your church family to pray about it. Consider any biblical principles that apply. And then, put some mental muscle to work on the problem. Given who and where you are now, what can you practically do to solve or lesson the problem? Is there anything you can do today to lesson the pressure even a little? Ok, do that first! Next, is there anything you could begin doing that would eventually give you the ability to overcome the current problem? For example: Hate your job? Can you begin training to do something else? Ask yourself, What little steps can I make today that will add up to meaningful change in the future? Do that. Thanks for joining me again today! What is God doing in your life now? How are you focusing on abiding in Christ in the midst of a busy schedule? I’d love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we go back to thinking about how we can be intentional about making spiritual progress in our life. How can we be Intentional and consistent? Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. There are lots of moving parts to the journey but our foundation is built on the solid Rock. Keep your eyes on the prize and keep making steps forward on your spiritual journey. Two weeks ago we looked at priorities and answering the big questions of life. What will you prioritize and pursue in your life? Maybe the question should have been who will you prioritize in your life! Relationship With God Relationship With Spouse Relationship With Children Relationship with the Church Family Relationship with the Unbeliever We moved on to think about how God uniquely made you. What are your gifts and how are they used in the great work that God is doing in the world? Another issue is developing the character of Jesus in your life. And finally, once again, the importance of consistent time in God’s word to know Him and His mission in the world, time in prayer, contemplating God’s work in your life and through your life and then time with God’s family, using your gifts to build up and encourage others along the way. That gets us reviewed and ready for today’s topic. You want to develop a life plan and you start with the Truth presented in the Bible but you have to live it out in the context of your gifts and situation in life. Where do you start? What roles has God given you? Make a list because for most of us there are a few of them! Husband, Father, Neighbor, Brother, Son, Employee, Friend Want to really get some mileage out of this exercise? Write a Job Description for each Role God has given you. What does this role demand from you? How do you do it in light of eternity? What are the requirements for doing this role well? How would you know if you were doing it well? What would a performance evaluation for this job include on the questionnaire? You could stop here and really go a long way toward figuring out how to live a life of purpose and intentionality in line with God’s mission. But wait, there’s more! Let’s dig a little deeper. What is your Identity? Who are you? This is a good time to review your identity in Christ but also time to consider HOW God has made you. What are your gifts and abilities? Interests and Skills? Make a list that includes all of these, are at least many of them. Saint, Ambassador for Christ, Missionary, Artist, Podcaster, Musician, Writer Answering these questions will help you figure out HOW YOU are to live out the roles that God has given you. God given roles are also God prepared roles. You are Hid workmanship and He has prepared the Good Works for you to do. You are created uniquely and gifted to carry out your role in the church and in life in a special way. Don’t apologize for your unique bent, embrace it and use it for god’s glory! OK, Let’ s use all of this information that you have generated to help us figure out what to do. Blue Sky – no bad ideas at this point, put everything down and evaluate latter. Time to put the critical thinker on a break. Start with ideas. Brainstorming how to practically live out the life God has for you. The goal here is to consider all the ways that God could use your talents and abilities in the roles that He has given you. Think outside the box. There is no box for this activity! +MindMap +Brainstorm word associations +Pray constantly, Trust God to work out the details and Live Today, you aren’t promised tomorrow. +Ask for advice from mature believers +Try new things, Don’t be afraid to fail. +Keep the focus on following Jesus. Keep asking yourself the question, what would it look like if I really intended to Do what Jesus said? Thanks for joining me again today! What is God doing in your life now? How are you focusing on abiding in Christ in the midst of a busy schedule? I’d love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today I interview Samule Bornman, author of the book, Of Wizards and Warriors. Tyou can find it and more about him here: https://samuelbornman.com/ https://samuelbornman. https://www.amazon.com/dp/ Thanks for joining me again today! What is God doing in your lifeno? How are you focusing on abiding in Christ in the midst of a busy schedule? I’d love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.

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

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we continue thinking about how we can be intentional about making spiritual progress in our life. What will you consistently do to move forward in your spiritual life? Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. There are lots of moving parts to the journey but our foundation is built on the solid Rock. Keep your eyes on the prize and keep making steps forward on your spiritual journey. Last Week we looked at our main priorities. I listed a few I think are required to be near the top for everyone. They were: Here are a few non-negotiables as I understand them. God must be first. Exodus 20:2-3 – (See Luke 10 Mary and Martha Example, Jesus over serving others.) Character Counts. Romans 5:3-5 – Galatians 5:22-26 – Our Relationships Matter, A Lot. 1 Cor. 6:1-11 – Eph. 2:1-3 – I often think about relationships and how important they are by considering all the different relationship that God has given us. Relationship With God Relationship With Spouse Relationship With Children Relationship with the Church Family Relationship with the Unbeliever I asked the question a few shows ago, What will you prioritize and pursue in your life? You have a lot to think through here. What place does God have in your life? What place should he have? Work in important. How important is it? What comes before work? We will be right break after a short break but first, if you are looking for an interesting and educational podcast to listen to, try this one. Truce Podcast. Truce Podcast – 1.40 length! = 26.20 for first half PART 2 Family, health, community relationships and responsibilities, etc. How do you judge how much time to give each one of these? Ok, you will do something every day. Maybe only spend too much time scrolling through your facebook or Instagram but it’s still something. The big question in life for many of us seems to be , what will I do with my time? After work and taking care of urgent needs, how do you choose what to do with your life? It’s not my intent to get too wrapped up in the big questions today, Why am I here? Etc. But you can’t shy away from those questions if you want to live life well. Assuming we are on the same page and you accept that God is there, He really does care for you and He really is dong something in your life as well as the world around you.. How did God make you unique? What gifts has He given and How do they fit into what God is doing in the world and in your church? Bible reading – learning Who God is and what He is doing Prayer – chewing on how that Truth relates to How HE made me Community – spending time pursuing meaningful relationships that center on Who God is and what He is doing. As you work on your top priorities in life of Pursuing God, developing the character of Christ in your life and building healthy Jesus centered relationships – you should consider what actions you will need to consistently pursue over time to do well at each of these. You want to develop a plan but you have to start with the ideas. Brainstorming how to practically live out the life God has for you. Thanks for joining me again today! What is God doing in your lifeno? How are you focusing on abiding in Christ in the midst of a busy schedule? I’d love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we continue thinking about how we can be intentional about making spiritual progress in our life. What will you consistently do to move forward in your spiritual life? Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. There are lots of moving parts to the journey but our foundation is built on the solid Rock. Keep your eyes on the prize and keep making steps forward on your spiritual journey. Last Week we looked at our main priorities. I listed a few I think are required to be near the top for everyone. They were: Here are a few non-negotiables as I understand them. God must be first. Exodus 20:2-3 – (See Luke 10 Mary and Martha Example, Jesus over serving others.) Character Counts. Romans 5:3-5 – Galatians 5:22-26 – Our Relationships Matter, A Lot. 1 Cor. 6:1-11 – Eph. 2:1-3 – I often think about relationships and how important they are by considering all the different relationship that God has given us. Relationship With God Relationship With Spouse Relationship With Children Relationship with the Church Family Relationship with the Unbeliever I asked the question a few shows ago, What will you prioritize and pursue in your life? You have a lot to think through here. What place does God have in your life? What place should he have? Work in important. How important is it? What comes before work? We will be right break after a short break but first, if you are looking for an interesting and educational podcast to listen to, try this one. Truce Podcast. Truce Podcast – 1.40 length! = 26.20 for first half PART 2 Family, health, community relationships and responsibilities, etc. How do you judge how much time to give each one of these? Ok, you will do something every day. Maybe only spend too much time scrolling through your facebook or Instagram but it’s still something. The big question in life for many of us seems to be , what will I do with my time? After work and taking care of urgent needs, how do you choose what to do with your life? It’s not my intent to get too wrapped up in the big questions today, Why am I here? Etc. But you can’t shy away from those questions if you want to live life well. Assuming we are on the same page and you accept that God is there, He really does care for you and He really is dong something in your life as well as the world around you.. How did God make you unique? What gifts has He given and How do they fit into what God is doing in the world and in your church? Bible reading – learning Who God is and what He is doing Prayer – chewing on how that Truth relates to How HE made me Community – spending time pursuing meaningful relationships that center on Who God is and what He is doing. As you work on your top priorities in life of Pursuing God, developing the character of Christ in your life and building healthy Jesus centered relationships – you should consider what actions you will need to consistently pursue over time to do well at each of these. You want to develop a plan but you have to start with the ideas. Brainstorming how to practically live out the life God has for you. Thanks for joining me again today! What is God doing in your lifeno? How are you focusing on abiding in Christ in the midst of a busy schedule? I’d love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we continue thinking about how we can be intentional about making spiritual progress in our life. What will you consistently do to move forward in your spiritual life? Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. There are lots of moving parts to the journey but our foundation is built on the solid Rock. Keep your eyes on the prize and keep making steps forward on your spiritual journey. Two weeks ago we looked at our purpose comparing Peter Drucker’s Five Magic Questions with what the Bible tells us about our purpose. God’s call for you to be an active disciple maker on His mission of reconciliation is clear. How do you respond to God’s call? What does that mean that you should do with your life? Let’s start to answer that question today! First a quick review since we have been away from the topic for a few weeks. Resources https://andrewsobel.com/article/peter-druckers-five-magic-questions/ ****** Peter Drucker’s Five Magic Questions The management guru Peter Drucker framed his consulting advice around five critical questions. With the answers to these five questions, you could run and grow your business. Here are Drucker’s five questions: 1. What is your mission? 2. Who is your customer? 3. What does your customer value? 4. What results do you seek? 5. What is your plan? The Bible doesn’t tell you exactly what to do each day but God does tell you what is important to Him and what you should value in life. That is a pretty good place to start when you consider your priorities. Matt. 6:33 – Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Luke 10:38-42 – Mary and Martha – busy first or Jesus first? Matt. 22:35-40 – Deut. 6:4-7 - Romans 12:1-2 – 1 Timothy 2:1-2 – 1 Timothy 3:1-7 (to vs 13 with deacons)– Qualifications for Leaders in the church Matt. 28:18-20 – Great commission – Make disciples Two weeks ago we ended with the questions, “What does that look like in your life? How are you living out these truths?” Have you had a chance to think and pray about your answer? Let’s put the question another way. What will you prioritize and pursue in your life? Where do you get your priorities? Answer that one wrong and you will never be on the right path in your life! What does the world say? Media of all kinds, TV, movies, music, SM, magazines, books, billboards, etc. What is the dominant message of the copmmercials we ingest so much of? YOU NEED MORE! STUFF WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY AND FULFILL YOU! After a short break we will look at some biblical advice for our priorities. PART 2 Stephen R. Covey -The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People : “As a longtime student of this fascinating field [of life and time management], I am personally persuaded that the essence of the best thinking in the area of time management can be captured in a single phrase: Organize and execute around priorities.” Here are a few non-negotiables as I understand them. God must be first. Exodus 20:2-3 – (See Luke 10 Mary and Martha Example, Jesus over serving others.) Character Counts. Romans 5:3-5 – Galatians 5:22-26 – Our Relationships Matter, A Lot. 1 Cor. 6:1-11 – Eph. 2:1-3 – Romans 12:9-21 – Phil. 2:1-4 – There are so many places in the bible where God tells us to love each other and care or each other. As part of God’d fanily we are to pursue meaningful relationships with others. A meaningful relationship is one that is centered on Jesus and moving toward Him. So my quick summary of three top priorities. God FIRST. God FIRST in us. God FIRST in our relationships. How is this working out in your life? Next week we will look a little more at priorities and try to get practical. Thanks for joining me again today! What is God doing in your lifeno? How are you focusing on abiding in Christ in the midst of a busy schedule? I’d love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we continue thinking about how we can be intentional about making spiritual progress in our life. What will you consistently do to move forward in your spiritual life? Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. There are lots of moving parts to the journey but our foundation is built on the solid Rock. Keep your eyes on the prize and keep making steps forward on your spiritual journey. Two weeks ago we looked at our purpose comparing Peter Drucker’s Five Magic Questions with what the Bible tells us about our purpose. God’s call for you to be an active disciple maker on His mission of reconciliation is clear. How do you respond to God’s call? What does that mean that you should do with your life? Let’s start to answer that question today! First a quick review since we have been away from the topic for a few weeks. Resources https://andrewsobel.com/article/peter-druckers-five-magic-questions/ ****** Peter Drucker’s Five Magic Questions The management guru Peter Drucker framed his consulting advice around five critical questions. With the answers to these five questions, you could run and grow your business. Here are Drucker’s five questions: 1. What is your mission? 2. Who is your customer? 3. What does your customer value? 4. What results do you seek? 5. What is your plan? The Bible doesn’t tell you exactly what to do each day but God does tell you what is important to Him and what you should value in life. That is a pretty good place to start when you consider your priorities. Matt. 6:33 – Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Luke 10:38-42 – Mary and Martha – busy first or Jesus first? Matt. 22:35-40 – Deut. 6:4-7 - Romans 12:1-2 – 1 Timothy 2:1-2 – 1 Timothy 3:1-7 (to vs 13 with deacons)– Qualifications for Leaders in the church Matt. 28:18-20 – Great commission – Make disciples Two weeks ago we ended with the questions, “What does that look like in your life? How are you living out these truths?” Have you had a chance to think and pray about your answer? Let’s put the question another way. What will you prioritize and pursue in your life? Where do you get your priorities? Answer that one wrong and you will never be on the right path in your life! What does the world say? Media of all kinds, TV, movies, music, SM, magazines, books, billboards, etc. What is the dominant message of the copmmercials we ingest so much of? YOU NEED MORE! STUFF WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY AND FULFILL YOU! After a short break we will look at some biblical advice for our priorities. PART 2 Stephen R. Covey -The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People : “As a longtime student of this fascinating field [of life and time management], I am personally persuaded that the essence of the best thinking in the area of time management can be captured in a single phrase: Organize and execute around priorities.” Here are a few non-negotiables as I understand them. God must be first. Exodus 20:2-3 – (See Luke 10 Mary and Martha Example, Jesus over serving others.) Character Counts. Romans 5:3-5 – Galatians 5:22-26 – Our Relationships Matter, A Lot. 1 Cor. 6:1-11 – Eph. 2:1-3 – Romans 12:9-21 – Phil. 2:1-4 – There are so many places in the bible where God tells us to love each other and care or each other. As part of God’d fanily we are to pursue meaningful relationships with others. A meaningful relationship is one that is centered on Jesus and moving toward Him. So my quick summary of three top priorities. God FIRST. God FIRST in us. God FIRST in our relationships. How is this working out in your life? Next week we will look a little more at priorities and try to get practical. Thanks for joining me again today! What is God doing in your lifeno? How are you focusing on abiding in Christ in the midst of a busy schedule? I’d love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we have a little family review of 2023 and look forward toward 2024. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. What is God doing in your life this holiday season? How are you focusing on abiding in Christ in the midst of a busy schedule? I’d love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we have a little family review of 2023 and look forward toward 2024. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. What is God doing in your life this holiday season? How are you focusing on abiding in Christ in the midst of a busy schedule? I’d love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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