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

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

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we are thinking about the church and who is responsible for it. Welcome to Run With Horses! My Name is Norman and m goal is to help you grow as a disciple of Jesus. He invites you to follow Him and there is no choice you can make that is more worthwhile. After a summer of travel and never ending upheaval in our lives, we may have the end of this stage in sight. Part of that transition is working on an office for me to use as a home base for the next year or so. I am in the space I will be using today and it is mostly empty and very large so if you hear an echo, it si the natural reverb of a large space, much like an empty warehouse. But it is a blessing to have access to it so I am not complaining. A room is in the planning stages and a generous supporter is working to make it happen as soon as the next few weeks. More info to come! The church is something we talk often about and today I wanted to cover a few of the basics. What is the church? A group of believers. Saved by grace through Faith. Romans 15: 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Colossians 4: 15Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house. Ephesians 1:22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Acts 20:28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. - NKJV Jesus Builds His Church. - Matthew 16:18 - On this Rock I will build MY church. Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples,“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. The church, as the hands and feet of Jesus in the world today, has an important role to play. Gospel witness, Equipping of more workers ( the process of disciple making), bring worship of the True and Living God to every corner of the globe and every street in every village. What is your part? Not always easy but always worth it! Thanks for joining me today! Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net with your questions, comments or just to let me know you are listening. Keep your eyes on the prize and keep running after 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 When we were kids and went to mom to complain, she would sometimes say, "Into each life a little rain must fall." Although it is true it wasn't usually what we wanted to hear. What we wanted was an instant solution to our very immediate problem. We don't really grow out of that temptation to run to someone bigger, God in our case as adults, and complain about our situation hoping for an instant fix. And God often responds just like mom. Sorry, you have to go through this one. But unlike mom, God is working in the trial to accomplish something that can't be done without the trial. Check this out. "Without the right kind of fire regimes, some trees simply can’t reproduce, and overall forest health can be negatively affected." https://www.nationalforests.org/our-forests/your-national-forests-magazine/how-trees-survive-and-thrive-after-a-fire#:~:text=As%20opposed%20to%20serotinous%20cones,a%20fire%2C%20for%20several%20years. Some seeds have a hard outer shell that needs to go through the heat in order to germinate. Others require severe cold. On the other side of the trial is new life. I personally believe that some of the gifts that God gives us require fire to be release to us. That fiery trial is a spiritual proving ground. How does that work? In the same way that a seed covering is changed by the heat or cold. The trial in our life changes us in fundamental ways that make us more sensitive to God's work in our life. The fire helps us orient toward God in a new way. The heat softens the seed covering so that it knows it is time to grow. The trial breaks through spiritual hardness and God's Spirit lets us know that it is time to grow! The trial is never fun but it is always profitable. Our problem is that we don't see what God is doing so we don't always see the growth until years later when we have had time to process the expierience through the more mature eyes of our future self. When we look back at our struggles, we often see how much we have grown because of the struggle. Many people have a new ministry because of their struggle. 2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation. vs.6 If we are afflicted, it is for you! There is a purpose to all of our trials. Fire in your life leads to growth in yourself and others! So don't give up. You may not see the purpose today. You may not know who will benefit from your trials down the road, but God does. I know we don't process the struggles in our life this way as we are going through them. But when you come out the other side; and you will come out the other side. You will think about it, process it and begin to deal with the ashes and burnt material in your life. That is the time to remember that new growth comes from the fire. Seeds are now prepared to germinate and bring new growth and eventually fruit. It won't be easy and probably won't be soon, but one day, just maybe, you will be in a position to thank God for the fire. Thanks for joining me today! If you have come through a fire and recognized God's hand at work once you looked back, I would love to hear your story. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net and let me rejoice with you! If you are in the fire now, feel free to write and I will pray for God's gracious hand to guide you though the trial. May God bless you as you seek Him during this time. But whatever you do, don't stop pursuing Him!

Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we are going over some questions that unbelievers sometimes have about religion in general and Christianity specifically. Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a follower of Jesus. The choices you make every day define you as a person and help you make spiritual progress or make it more difficult. Thanks for making the choice to include me on your spiritual journey. If you are a follower of Jesus, you are probably at least occasionally asked a question or two about your faith. Sometimes by well intentioned friends who just want to know more about what you believe, other times by people who just want to tear you down. Today we will look at a few questions that you might have already been asked or might want to think about for the future. 1. What religion do you believe in? 2. Do you believe in God or another deity? 3. When did you choose your faith? 4. What is your idea of whatGod looks like? 5. Is there a heaven? 6. Is there a hell? 7. What doesheaven look like? 8. What does hell look like? 9. Why should someone start believing in God? 10. What should a believerdo before they die? 11. Does your past play a role when joining a religion? 12. Does someone need to attend church to be spiritual? 13. What’s the difference between being spiritual and being religious? 14. Did you have to change your life before you started following a religion? 15. How often does someoneneed to say “amen?” 16. Should someone start attending a church if he or she doesn't believe in God? 17. Can someone believe in God but not attend church? 18. Should someone read a Bible before he or she starts believing in a religion? 19. What’s the best part of going to church? 20. What benefits can someone get from going to church? Thanks for joining me today! If you have questions or would like to make a suggestion for future shows, send me an email atnorman@runwithhorses.netor look for the Run With Horses podcast on facebook and leave a message. We all have questions. Keep asking and keep looking to God for answers. 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 am challenging you to evaluate your life and do one thing to defeat inertia and get your spiritual life moving. Welcome to Run With Horses. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a disciple of Jesus. It is not always easy to follow Him in this life, but it is always worth it. Thanks for including me on your journey. Most people at least occasionally get stuck. Maybe it is a rut that you can't get out of or maybe it feels more like a wall that you can't seem to get around, over or through! Either way, for some reason you can't seem to move forward. It can be a problem in your career but it is an even more critical problem when it is in your spiritual life. A stagnant spiritual life will affect your career, your relationships at work and your relationships at home not to mention your relationships with God and His family! When you are stuck, it is a sign that something needs to change. There is an expectation in Scripture that we will be growing. We have talked about it before many times. We begin our spiritual life as infants and children but we shouldn't expect to stay that way! God intends for us to move from the milk of the Word to the Meat, doing the Will of the Father. I have mentioned the definition of insanity before, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. IF you are stuck in your spiritual life, I say it again, something needs to change! God intends for you to be making progress along the path. He provides the resources needed, the power for change through the Holy Spirit and the promise the He will be with you every step of the way. But HE has also chosen to give us a certain responsibility in this life to put in some effort. Where are you applying effort to your spiritual life now? How is it going? Feeling stuck? Ready to change? IF that is you today. I want to encourage you to take one step. Be willing to make ONE change in ONE area of life. Often taking the first step is key to unlocking the door to further growth. I know I often find it hard to get moving but once I am doing better in one area, the success seems to pull me to put in more efforts in other areas. What is ONE thing you can work on today? If you are genuinely stuck and aren't even sure where to begin thinking about making any changes, maybe this list will help. It is not exhaustive and you certainly can't jump in and make changes in every area at once but I truly believe that if you take one or two things and make prayerful efforts to move the needle in your spiritual life, God will meet you there and you will see fruit. A little caveat. I am making some assumptions with this list. I am assuming that you are already having a meaningful time in the Bible daily and that your prayer life is in order. I am also assuming that you are part of a group of Christ-followers who are regularly meeting for fellowship, encouragement, and time together in God's Word. If any of these are NOT true of you. Start there! Exercise Read a book Do that thing you have been dreading Take a break from social media Take a break from TV, Internet, Radio, MP3's, etc. Call a friend you haven't talked to in awhile, be intentional about Spiritual conversation Start a journal of your spiritual life Start a prayer journal Get up 15 minutes early and spend the time with God Do a spiritual evaluation, what areas are in good shape and what areas need some attention? Evaluate your prayer life, Bible reading, church relationships, service to others, opportunities for the Gospel, Disciple making relationships, etc Take one of the spiritual disciplines and add it to your life over the next month. Need a refresher list? Here are a few to consider! Solitude, Silence, Journaling, Meditation, Memorization, Fasting, Service -The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard

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 It seems to me that the discussion of entitlements and rights is very much wrapped up in the discussion of pride and humility. Our pride causes us to believe that we deserve something because of who we are. Humility helps us to give up our rights for the sake of someone else. All of us have an ongoing struggle in our hearts between pride and humility. It also seems to me that it's wrapped up in the idea of loss. We are afraid that we will lose something if we don't get what we believe we deserve. If we aren't treated as we think we deserve we will lose honor or respect. If we aren't taking care of as we believe we deserve we may not have the comfort or safety that we desire. The problem is, God never promised us comfort, or safety, or honor, or recognition for anything that we can do or have done. What is your heart answer when you think about the question, "What do you really want?" For most of us and probably all of us the answer is not God. What we want is focused on our creature comforts, our human desires , and mostly on this life, here and now. We want to have a comfortable house, a nice car, a tasty meal and a lifestyle that we feel we deserve. It seems a far cry from following Jesus, who said that the Son of Man has no place to lay his head, and asks us to deny ourself, take up our cross, and follow him. I'm not sure where we get the idea of safety, comfort and all of these material goods as part of that package. Maybe it was in the fine print? Why is there such a disconnect between what the Bible teaches and what we say we believe and how we think and live? I think it's the whispering of the serpent in the garden in our ear, telling us that we deserve more. The idea of sacrifice and service to others requires too much. Too much effort, too much sacrifice. We shouldn't have to give up our rights, our comforts, our safety, just because Jesus ask us to follow him. Spiritual warfare is for others, sacrifice is for others, service is for others. Certainly we understand that the cause of Christ is important, that the world needs to hear the message of the gospel, but that's something that someone else is responsible for, not me. Because thinking of others is so foreign to us, we can only only see what we want. Our hearts desires control us and drive us. Life is about us. And is life is about us, obviously we deserve a certain kind of treatment. We feel that we deserve certain things just because we exist, but that's not true. What we deserve is to be eternally separated from God. Fortunately God has reached out and given us so much that we don't deserve. Everything we have is a gift from him. If we understand that we can live a life of Thanksgiving. Humility takes the place of pride, service and sacrifice seem reasonable in light of all we have received. We will have the ability to joyfully approach each day. To fully follow Jesus means to give up our rights (not hard since we don't have any), accept his gifts, and join Him on a journey of Faith. You have to give up the right to your time. It is important to understand that you have been given time and energy and a certain degree of health and now you are a steward of all you have received. You were an ignorant steward without Christ, but in Christ, you know what a gift you have. A weight of responsibility is lifted, you no longer have to "succeed", whatever that means. You only have to follow Jesus and use His resources to accomplish His purposes. He will succeed. You have to give up the right to your relationships. Your relationships are given to you by God although we don't often think if them that way. Your ability to have a relationship is given to you by God. It is part of being made in the image of God. God is relational. He communicates. He desires fellowship. You don't have the right to have enough, whatever that means. Instead of relying on enough, whether that's time, health or money, we learn to trust God to supply our needs. We don't have a right to have our needs met. But we often have the joy of having our needs met by an awesome God. Along the way He fulfills needs that we didn't know we had. Needs for worship. Needs to know our Creator. We live in a society that doesn't value humility or self-sacrifice. But we serve a God who not only values it but modeled it for us in the life of Jesus. While most people search for significance and temporary fame in this life. Jesus leads to a path of eternal significance and true value that doesn't fade like the newest Youtube sensation. Youtube fame may be measured in the approval of millions of people. Real value is found in the approval of ONE. It is found following a path that few take. A path of humility and service. A path of sacrifice. But on this path we meet others who travel with us. Family, united by a bond stronger than DNA, national pride, or culture. We are united by blood. The blood that was shed to remove the barrier of sin and give us access to our heavenly Father. We are united in a family that will be together for eternity. Each member loved and appreciated. We live is a world that values rights. But I relinquish my rights and claim a promise. The promise of Jesus to never leave me nor forsake me. The promise that His completed work on the cross is sufficient. The promise that His resurrection will be my resurrection one day. The promise that He who started a good work in me will complete it. I have chosen the ancient path. I want to live with my focus on the footprints of Jesus, leading me home. And I accept the challenge to deny myself, give up whatever rights I have and follow Him. Will you go with me? Thanks for joining me today. You can always write to norman@runwithhorses.net with questions or comments or suggestions for future topics. All past shows are available at www.runwithhorses.net or rwh.podbean.com and on most platforms where you listen to podcasts. Keep your eyes on Jesus and never stop 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 our discussion on How to Invest in someone by exploring some of the options for both one to one and small group meetings. Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a follower of Jesus. There are a lot of ways you could spend your time so thanks for including me on your journey. We have covered, lightly, Why you should be investing in people as you make disciples. And we covered Who you should invest in, answering the question about how to select a person to disciple. And finally we covered How you should invest in someone, considering the big picture of Character Development, General Spiritual Growth and Ministry Skills. Today I want to give some examples of a format for meeting someone as well as some thoughts on materials you might want to use. First, there are three big categories to consider. 1. Using Book - study guide, book for men, etc Shepherding a Child's Heart, Running Scared, etc 2. Going through a Book of the Bible - Mark, Nehemiah, etc 3. Studying a Topic - parenting, fear, etc There is no wrong answer for which one should I choose! Over time you will likely use all of these depending on the people involved and the needs that arise. So pick one to get started and feel free to change midstream if it is not working for your group right now. For a format, I recommend keeping it simple. Here is an example for a 1 hour meeting. 15 minutes - Start with fellowship. Catch up on the week and how things are going. Often a prayer request is first revealed or at least hinted at here. 15 minutes - Prayer. I like to put prayer early because it is too easy to leave it out if we keep it till the end. Sharing a prayer request and a praise or one thing God has taught you recently or even the One Verse One Thought One Minute from Simple Journaling are all great ways to give this time a little structure as well as put some sor fo limit on it. 30 minutes - Bible and Book discussion - It helps if everyone has read the passage or chapter ahead of time. Other than referring to key verses or sections in the book, there is no need to read the passage again during the meeting if time is an issue. This is a super simple format. It can be expanded to fit longer time by adding things like sharing memory verses, reading the Bible passage together, etc. For another possible format consider doing a Discovery Bible Study. This is an example modeled on www.dbsguide.org. 1. Get Real - Community/ Fellowship To begin the study, each person answers these questions: What are you thankful for? What is causing you stress? Who needs our help? How can this group help them? 2. Look Back - A review (on session 2 and following) Retell story from the previous meeting. What did you do differently because of this story? Who did you tell and what was the reaction? 3. Read & Re-tell - Focus on understanding what the bible says. One person reads the Bible passage out loud, and the rest follow along. Someone else retells the passage by memory, if possible. Others can fill in what is missing. 4. Look - A deeper look at what the passage is teaching. Read the passage again. Discuss what this passage says about God, Jesus or his plan. 5. Look again - A more specific look at the implications of the passage for us. Read the passage once more Discuss what this passage says about humans. 6. Personal Application -Stop and consider what the passage says to me. According to this study, what am I doing well? What do I need to change? 7. Who else? Who needs to hear this story? How can I tell them? Who can I invite to study the Bible? What do I like about this format? No teacher required! If you don't feel comfortable teaching you can still lead a bible study that aims to look at Scripture and simple explore what it says. No stress required. What do I not like about this format? No teacher required! There is the potential for one person derailing the whole discussion and trying to teach their opinion about a passage rather than letting the bible speak for itself. The larger the group and the more likely this is to be a probably with a less than forceful leader. But you can use this one on one or in a small group with 3-4 friends and it has the potential to be very profitable for everyone. I think the risks are worth it! There is no wrong format for a bible study or discipleship meeting. The only failure is the failure to try. Pick a format and try it, if it doesn't work, modify it until it does work. This is something you can do! Thanks for joining me today! Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net and let me know how your bible study goes. Keep investing in others and keep pursuing Jesus yourself. It is often difficult but it is always worth it! 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 Where is your wall? Today on Run With Horses we are looking at Nehemiah's project to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. I think there is a good challenge there for us to think about today. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrice as a Disciple of Jesus. There are a lot of things you could do with your life but none are more important than the call of Jesus to follow Him and be a disciple maker. Thanks for including me on your journey. I have always been encouraged and challenged by the book of Nehemiah. There are so many lessons that we can learn from how Nehemiah approached the problems in Jerusalem. Quick review for those who haven't been there in awhile. The children of Israel are slowly returning from exile in Babylon. The book of Ezra covers this same time period and gives a more detailed look at the spiritual side of things. Nehemiah is initially focused on the physical wall and civil responsibilities. Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king when he got the news about Jerusalem that changed his life. Nehemiah 1:3 And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in theprovincearethere in great distress andreproach.The wall of Jerusalemisalso broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” This greatly distressed Nehemiah, he received permission to go to work on the problems. Our focus today, the wall needed to be rebuilt. First Nehemiah did some reconnaissance. Nehemiah 2:11 So Icame to Jerusalem and was there three days.12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode.13 And I went out by nightthrough the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the Refuse Gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which werebroken down and its gates which were burned with fire. Nehemiah gathered the leaders of Jerusalem. Nehemiah 2:17 Then I said to them, “You see the distress that wearein, how Jerusalemlieswaste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer bea reproach.”18 And I told them ofthe hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then theyset their hands tothisgoodwork.

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 where our goal is to encourage you to pursue Jesus with all of your heart, soul, mind and stength. My name is Norman and I really want to see you Thrive as a disciple of Jesus. It can be a hard road sometimes but I truly believe it is worth it. Thanks for including me on your journey. So you are stepping out and wanting to be intentional about helping someone around you grow in their spiritual life. Awesome! But hold on you say, where do I begin? Today I will give you some pointers to help you get started and hopefully make it a little less stressful if you are concerned or a little more structured if you aren't sure how to begin. As a possibly too long introduction, let me start by saying the relationship is important so taking the time to build a solid relational foundation is worth the time it takes. Some of us are hyper focused and can be too quick to pass over the relationship building to get right to the heart of the discussion. But that may keep us from seeing real progress and growth in our own life as well as the life of those we are investing in if we don't have a foundation to build on. Particularly when the discussion appoaches heart issues and areas that are more central to our image of ourself. Get to know the person you are working with well. Work, hobbies, family relationships, salvation testimony, etc. Lunch, fishing, anything is fine for your first few times meeting. Once you build a basic foundation, talking about anything and everything along the way, you are ready to move on to more intentional conversations focused on spiritual growth. There are three big topics you may want to talk though as you get started to help set some expectations and let you know where you might want to head in the future. One - general character and spiritual life A few questions to ask. 1. Is there any one area in life that you know of now where God is asking you to grow? 2. What trials and temptations are you facing now? 3. How is your character? Are you seeking to grow as a person? Two - Spiritual Growth 1. Where do you find yourself resisting God now? 2. Are you practicing any spiritual disciplines now, what spiritual disciplines do you need to develop? 3. What actions have you taken recently to make spiritual growth a priority in your life? Three - Ministry Skills 1. What new ministry skills should you think about developing? 2. In what area should you be reading or studying more? 3. What can you do to improve in ministry right now? Thanks for joining me today! You can find links to past shows at www.runwithhorses.net. Write me and let me know what you are doing to invest in others today, your questions and comments are always welcome.

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 select a person to pour your life into? They are always a lot of people around you who you could choose, so how do you find the right person that's worth the time and energy and effort that it's going to take to invest in them. Faithful Availability A Learner Willingness on their part. Where do you find this person? Always keep your eyes open and look around you for those who are ready for next steps. Those who are asking questions. Those who show up early and pitch in to help. Newer believers, younger believers People who are going through or have recently been though a transition, often see the need to grow. Listen, who is talking about wanting to or needing to grow. Be willing to meet them more than half-way. You make the offer. Not as a teacher but as a fellow traveler on the path toward Jesus. Let's go together!

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 on Run With Horses, Susan shares a little about her CNA training and a few lessons we can apply to the spiritual life. Welcome to Run With Horses, My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Thrive as a Follower of Jesus. I don't believe that there is anything more thrilling or fulfilling than joining Jesus on His mission to the world. Thanks for including me in your journey. Yesterday I was talking to Susan about her CNA training as we took our evening walk and we came up with some areas that overlap with the goal of being a disciple of Jesus in community with others. She mentioned that they are learning skills that they need to be able to apply to get their certification as a CNA and you use dummies and practice with each other to learn the details of what to do in class, but then you don't always think about it when you show up at the nursing home. The nurses have to remind you, hey, you actually need to do this stuff you learned in class here. The different context throws you off somehow, you know the skill but don't have it connected to a practical situation yet. * So, there's a simile between learning a skill and practicing it in a certain context versus being able to use it in real life, under real circumstances. Being in this CNA class, I'm learning educational stuff like knowledge of this is what we do, this is why we do it, and then we get a chance to actually practice it in the classroom, on each other, feeding each other, doing certain skills, and trying to remember all the steps. But then when we go to clinicals, and we actually are in a nursing home, I've found that all my training just kind of goes out the window because that's not how they do it in real life. Or I'm not used to that setting so then I kind of forget. And after we come together and we have sort of a debriefing, I realize oh I'm still supposed to do those same steps in the real world as I've learned in my class. Just trying to figure out what that's like. And I kind of see that as a similarity between the Christian walk and being a disciple. I mean because there's a lot of things we learn from the Bible -- truths, doctrines, what you're supposed to do, what you're supposed to look like -- and you can practice some of those things or watch other people do it and learn all these kinds of skills. But then in real life when you're in a situation, a lot of those things get left in the dust. You don't even think about how that training and how those truths are supposed to relate now here in this context * We have small groups or a discipleship relationship with other people to fill in the gaps between understanding theory and application. These relationships give a context where you can discuss these things in a low pressure environment. Part of the purpose is debriefing. "Hey, I was in this situation and I totally didn't think about God. How can I bring God into my thinking, into my practice, in everyday life?" It's like that as we grow spiritually. We learn the theory in sermons, books and reading the Bible, but small groups really help us to make it concrete. We learn that we need to live out those things and we get our questions answered. We have other people who are walking along doing it too. Thanks for joining us today! Write us at norman@runwithhorses.net for questions or comments we can read on the show. Life is an adventure of faith and following Jesus. It is a marathon not a sprint, so 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 on run with horses we're considering why you should invest in other people. We have spent some time in the past few shows thinking about our priorities and how we spend our lives. There are lots of things you can invest in but I don't think there's anything that will give you the return of investment that you will get when you invest in people. You can invest in the stock market ,you can invest in your career ,you can invest in your hobbies, you can invest in yourself, but when you invest in other people you change lives and you make a difference for eternity. There is nothing that compares to investing in someone else's life and seeing real life change take place. Do you want to live a life of value and purpose that makes a difference here and now and an eternity? Then I suggest you look at the people around you and consider how you can use your gifts, talents, and abilities to help them grow in Christ likeness. It will be life changing not only for them but also for you. I believe that there is very little that changes you as much as investing in someone else. You are forced to get outside of your own head, to stop thinking about your own problems, and you really have to consider where someone else is and what they need more than yourself. When you do that you change at a very deep personal level. Our goal is to walk worthy of Christ. 1 Thess 2: 11 as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a fatherdoeshis own children,12 that you would walk worthy of Godwho calls you into His own kingdom and glory. In the past few shows we've spent some time thinking about our priorities and how we spend our lives. But as we think about how we spend our lives, I don't think there's anything more valuable or important than investing in other people. When you think about what will give you meaning at the end of your life, when you consider your priorities as a follower of Jesus, when you think about your values, if you are a follower of Jesus, I think they will best be represented by really encouraging and investing in other people. So what does it mean to invest in other people? Go back to 1 Thess. 2, I think this is part of it. Paul is writing to the Thessalonian church, and he says that he did several things. We exhorted you, we comforted you, and we charged every one of you as a father does his own children. So he's doing three things. He encouraged and comforted and challenged them to follow Christ well, to walk worthy. And along the way that they would put effort in to following Jesus. Not just "hey do well," try your best," or "be encouraged" - but he challenged them for something very specific: That they would walk worthy of God. That they would recognize that God has called them; He's called them to something great; He challenges them to actually apply real effort into following Jesus. God has called YOU into His Kingdom! He has blessed YOU with every spiritual blessing! He is relating to YOU as a Father relates to His children! He invites YOU take part in HIS ministry! Let us now walk worthy of THAT! He goes on later in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 11 and says: "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another just as you are also doing." So he again repeats the idea that we need to be comforting each other, but he's also saying edify, build each other up. You want to invest in each other so that all reach maturity, so that you're all built up, so that in the future you're all stronger than you are today. That's part of his vision for the people he's working with - that they grow, they mature, and that they become more like Jesus. The writer of Hebrews has some similar things to say in Hebrews chapter 3 verse 12 and 13: "Beware lest there be in any of you with an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." So be careful that you don't get pulled away by your own desires; by unbelief; by the distraction of the world and all those things. But instead of being pulled away - and to make sure that YOU'RE not pulled away - exhort one another daily! Every day look for opportunities to encourage and challenge and exhort and build up and edify one another. It says: "While it is called 'Today,' lest any of YOU be hardened through deceitfulness." We live in a world where our life really pulls us away from God. And one reason why it's worth investing in each other; really being involved in each others' lives is because it helps us walk this path better; follow Jesus better; more consistently. We all have distractions! We all have days when we're going to do poorly! But if we are exhorting one another...walking together...encouraging EACH OTHER...if we're living this life together IN COMMUNITY then it's easier for us continue on without being distracted or pulled away! Proverbs 27:17 is a very familiar passage which says: "As iron sharpens iron, so iron sharpens the countenance of his friend." And it speaks to the idea that we serve a valuable role in each others' lives. We help each other be better because we invest; because we contribute; because we intentionally put in the effort to build up, to sharpen each other. That's what biblical friends do. Think about an axe: When it's sharp, it works better! If we're investing in someone else's life, then WE'RE helping THEM be better! And that's really our goal as disciples and disciple makers! I would say it's really important that we invest in others because the result of not investing in others is often selfishness. You know, if you don't invest and think about others...it usually means you're primarily thinking about yourself. You only have a couple options: You are working towards something - contributing effort and time and energy - either for yourself or for someone else. The life I think is well lived is a life that's lived meaningfully investing IN SOMEONE ELSE! I think THAT'S where the greatest joy is! It's where the greatest satisfaction is! A lot of personal issues...personal things that we fear or worry about or are concerned about seem much less important when WE'RE investing IN SOMEONE ELSE! When WE'RE seeking NOT OUR OWN GOOD but THE GOOD OF SOMEONE ELSE! When WE'RE seeking TO SEE THEM CHANGED...TO SEE THEM GROW... That energy...that focus keeps us from dwelling on our own issues. Our own issues become too big in our eyes when were completely focused ON them. When were thinking ONLY ABOUT this problem THAT WE HAVE, IT becomes SO BIG, THERE SEEMS NO WAY AROUND IT! But when YOU look at someone else’s life – one reason why WE NEED EACH OTHER – you can see THEIR PROBLEM IN GOD AND THE PERSON, YOU’RE NOT QUITE SO EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO IT…SO YOU’RE IN A BETTER PLACE TO see the real picture and offer needed HELP! That’s also true when YOU’RE the one that needs help. You need people who are investing IN YOU…who are looking at YOUR issues and helping you see that, “Hey! God's still there! The problem is not as big as it seems like when you're in the middle of the mess!” So we NEED each other! That's an important part of the spiritual life that we can never get away from. Check out runwithhorses.net for show notes and past shows. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net if you have comments or questions. Join our facebook community and tell a friend if you have found this show helpful! Keep Running!

Cameron recently returned from a medical missions trip to Bolivia with some thoughts and lessons to share.

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 INTRO Today on Run With Horses, I am continuing my discussion from last time on living a life that is worthwhile. We need to count the cost, but it is always worth it to follow Jesus. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Run Your Race Well, not just Surviving but Thriving as a Disciple of Jesus! There are a LOT of things you could do with your life, but I don’t think anything compares with following Jesus and joining Him on His mission of bringing Hope to the nations. Thanks for including me in your journey! On the last show I asked two important questions, First, What is your life worth? You are spending your time on something. Is it something worthwhile? Second, What is 1 thing worth giving the next 5 years of your life to accomplish? I want to challenge you to live an Intentional life. If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time. But I’m not sure that Jesus really intended for us to live that way. Look at Luke 14: 25-33 My take is that Jesus is calling us to an intentional life and we need to consider what it will take to live it. John 8:12 I’m pretty sure that is a good thing! Jesus wants us to join Him on His mission, and He wants us to kow that it is a lifetime commitment that will cost us. But it is worth it! So if you are tracking with me, you are considering what your life is worth, and thinking about what is worth your life. Maybe you are already committed to following Jesus and have a clear picture of the tower you are building and have your sleeves rolled up as you put in the effort to see God’s work in your life and through your life accomplished. If so, Awesome! Let me know what God is doing in your life, I would love to rejoice with you and pray for you as you live a life of eternal meaning and purpose! Reach out and encourage those around you to join you and keep on keeping on! But I know many feel stuck in a run and want to make some steps of faith. The tower they began working on years ago is still just a foundation that has sand blown across it and weeds starting to creep in along the edge. The busyness of life and the distractions of the world make it easy to leave the hard work of building a spiritual tower for another vague time in the future when “things settle down”. Hey, no judgment here, I have been there. But it’s not OK to stay there. God really is doing something in your life and He wants to make you a better you, and give you a bigger purpose than just making it to the end of the week unscathed. God never hides the fact that He has great plans for us. See Ephesians 2:1-10. As you pray about what God is doing in your life and seriously answer the question about what is worth spending the next five years of your life to accomplish, remember that God already knows and has planned the good works for you. And He has prepared you for those good works! There is no reason to fear or turn away, God Himself has promised to go with you and give you His strength to accomplish His purpose in and through you. Maybe the old Nike slogan, Just Do IT, would be appropriate here. We often hesitate and loose momentum or even sink into the mire of earthly things and get stuck in our spiritual life. And that carries over to all aspects of life. You can’t be the best YOU without being tied to God’s mission on earth and your part in it. He gave you gifts for a purpose and without using them, you are always out of step with your eternal purpose. Know that you are created with a purpose and embrace God’s call on your life. But, count the cost. The work God has called you to will cost you. And it will be worth it. As you look toward the future and consider how to invest the life that God has given you, along with all of your gifts, talents, abilities, and resources; consider how you can be intentional along the way. I believe God has given us intellect for a reason, Use it to plan out a path forward that is in line with His mission, uses your gifts, and builds up His church. Evaluate yourself and consider adding new skills to your list. What will help you be a more effective servant along the way? Similar question, Who should you be traveling with? As you build a spiritual tower and are counting the cost, consider how Nehemiah rode around the city walls evaluating and only then did he reach out and invite others into the work God had laid on his heart. He presented a clear plan of action and challenged everyone to do their part for the Glory of God. Who can you challenge to go with you as you intentionally pursue a life in Jesus’ footsteps? OUTRO Thanks for joining me today! Check out runwithhorses.net for show notes and past shows. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net if you have comments or questions. Join our facebook community and tell a friend if you have found this show helpful! 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 INTRO Today on Run With Horses, we consider the value of a life. You are trading your time for something, is I worth it? My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Run Your Race Well, not just Surviving but Thriving as a Disciple of Jesus! There are a LOT of things you could do with your life, but I don’t think anything compares with following Jesus and joining Him on His mission of bringing Hope to the nations. Thanks for including me in your journey! Hey I have a question for you! What is the one thing that has encouraged you the most as you follow Jesus and grow as a disciple maker? I really want to know, please send me an email at norman@runwithhorses.net with your answer. I hope to do a show using some of your responses in the future so get in touch and let me know what has been an encouragement to you along the way. I know we all need it and it comes in many forms and through many people. What or who has encouraged you? I have had a busy few weeks, months actually, with big changes in where I am, what I am doing and how I am able to spend my time. As I think through my options and consider how God is working in me, I have been considering the question, What is worth spending a life on? Many options: career, family, pursuit of leisure activities, to become skilled at something, fame, etc. Certainly the world gives you lots of ideas to pursue! In some ways the actual value of your life is the sum of all the activities that make up your life. What are you doing with the time you have? Have you ever wondered if it is worth it? All the time, some people say, and yet they aren’t willing to do anything different to change things. Here is my real question and challenge for the day. What is 1 thing worth giving the next 5 years of your life to accomplish? Your whole life is too big too think about. You change over time as your experiences influence you. But you do need to plan out a course of action that will give you direction in the neat future. You do have a plan for your future don’t you? ; ) For those who are lost already, here is my summary of life planning. You need to see the big picture. You and Eternity. This life definitely has meaning both in the here and now and in eternity. Your choices matter. Big picture – where are you headed? What gives your life meaning and purpose? God needs to be front and center here and you want your life to be attached to what He has said is important. Once you have the BIG Picture clear in your mind, you can begin to consider your direction in life. You have a standard to refer to along the way and to guide you as you make decisions. Are my choices leading me closer to the goal or further away? Are my choices consistent with what I say I believe or do they call me a liar? Consistent choices lead you somewhere over time. Hopefully nearer to the heart of God! With that BIG Picture as the context. I want to repeat my question from earlier. What is 1 thing worth giving the next 5 years of your life to accomplish? What is a here and now, this life challenge that is worth the time and effort it will take to see the needle move? Maybe it makes more sense to ask it this way. If you were serious about following Jesus daily for the next 5 years what would you do? What choices would you make differently than you do now? How would you evaluate your progress? Success? Who would you want with you on the journey? I think too often we spend all our time focusing on the details of today without stepping back to consider the BIG Picture of what God wants to do in and through us. We fail to make the changes that would move us closer to Him and keep us on His pathway. Ministry becomes an afterthought it we think about it at all. Service is for others, we are too busy. What would it take to change that for you? Is it your desire to follow Jesus with your heart, soul, mind and strength? What is keeping you from it? Do the people you talk to day after day motivate you to love God more and serve people more or are they helping you stay distracted and focused on your own plans and desires? In light of eternity, in light of the call of Jesus for you to take up your cross and follow Him, What is ONE thing that is worth giving the next 5 years to accomplish? What moves you closer to Him and His mission of reconciliation? Jesus has called you. Your life is the answer. What does it say? OUTRO Thanks for joining me today! Check out runwithhorses.net for show notes and past shows. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net if you have comments or questions. Join our facebook community and tell a friend if you have found this show helpful! 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 INTRO Today on Run With Horses, today we look at some things you can be doing now to prepare for ministry in the future. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Run Your Race Well, not just Surviving but Thriving as a Disciple of Jesus! There are a LOT of things you could do with your life, but I don’t think anything compares with following Jesus and joining Him on His mission of bringing Hope to the nations. Thanks for including me in your journey! Five Foundations for Ministry As a Christian following Jesus, contemplating the role of ministry in your life is essential. Regardless of whether you aspire to become a deacon, pastor, church planter, missionary or Sunday school teacher, it's vital that you grow consistently along the journey. Accepting these roles means embracing change in your life. Here are Five areas to consider as you build a foundation for future service. First is Character Development; strive to emulate Christ’s character by getting to know Him and His teachings and allowing Him to transform you. We are changed by the people we hand around with. Spend a lot of time in God’s Word and it changes you. You see your selfish desires more clearly and desire true humility and godliness. Spend time with God in prayer, study His Word and make a special place in your life for fellow believers. Traits to develop? Compassion, Forgiveness, Humility, Patience, Gentleness, etc. Really the fruit of the Spirit should mark your life. Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Second are Core Values: It’s essential that your core values align with Jesus. You need to learn what Jesus prioritized during His time on earth. You should develop the same priorities and consistently live out these priorities in all your choices. Your life is a series of small choices that reveal what you really care about. Your priorities form an integral part of your foundation as a Christian leader. Make sure they align with God’s priorities. Jesus valued Obedience to the Father, Peace, Relationships, Faith, A commitment to the ministry of Reconciliation, God’s Glory and the list goes on. Read the Gospels to see how Jesus spent His time and energy, and even His Life. Third are Competencies or Skills: Identify the necessary skills for your chosen ministry path and devise strategies on how to acquire them. Engage with those already serving in such roles to gain insights on what skills you can be working on now. Every role has different requirements. As you grow spiritually you will gain new insight into ministry as well as new skills that will help you serve better. Public speaking, teaching, leading a small group effectively, leading music, or even using the churches riding lawnmower. These are all skills that might benefit you as you pursue God’s call on you life and make yourself available to serve. The Fourth area revolves around Experience: If you aim to become a Sunday School teacher or Deacon for instance, prior participation Sunday School and church business meetings provides at least a small foundation to build on when you consider stepping into a leadership role. Being part of the church life equips you with practical knowledge which can be utilized when stepping into new roles. I encourage you to volunteer and help out in many different kinds of ministry as you are considering your gifting and role in the body of Christ. Serving in your churches food pantry to going with the youth group on a missions trip. All of these little things add up and help clarify your place in the body when you are looking for ways to serve others. Lastly comes Commitment; Serving others requires sacrificing personal wants for the cause of Christ and his people. A leader of any kind will be demonstrating increased commitment along with increased responsibility. The willingness to make some sacrifices for the good of others is a key factor in choosing leaders. Commit to serving others in small ways now as preparation for greater service later. These five area are all important if you're considering ministry because ultimately being like Jesus entails serving others like He did.

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 INTRO Today on Run With Horses, we look at a question from a listener, the topic? Single missionaries! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Run Your Race Well, not just Surviving but Thriving as a Disciple of Jesus! There are a LOT of things you could do with your life, but I don’t think anything compares with following Jesus and joining Him on His mission of bringing Hope to the nations. Thanks for including me in your journey! THE QUESTION: Is it generally ill-advised for single men to go as missionaries to another country? My logic behind this is that I have seen married couples and families being missionaries abroad, as well as single women, but the only single men I know serving as missionaries abroad are/were engaged when serving. I know single men CAN serve as missionaries abroad, but is it appropriate (SHOULD they?)? I have always assumed that single male missionaries are practically non-existent because the sexual temptations could be too dangerous to risk sending a single guy. Excellent question! To start this article has some good thoughts from a single male missionary. https://omf.org/us/five-pieces-of-advice-for-single-men-looking-to-get-involved-in-missions/ There are a lot of ways to look at this and I am sure my take is not unique or even the best. But here are some thoughts. Short answer, Yes, they should! Now for the long answer. First, God calls all of us to be disciple makers. That means pursuing God first in all areas of life. Anyone considering missions should be an active, growing follower of Jesus. I would really want that person to be involved in a community of believers and have multiple relationships where ongoing accountability is normal. Second, Anyone sensing God’s leading in their lives towards ministry of any kind should be talking to their pastor and the spiritual leaders in their life to get advice and direction. Since I believer God has called all of us to ministry, using our gifts for the building up of the church and serving as ambassadors to the world, This step should include every believer! Third, I believe everyone pursuing ministry would do well to seek out a mentor, or multiple mentors to help them navigate some of the pathways available to them as they train and prepare for the future. One such mentor that might be a challenge to find but who would be valuable for the young man looking at going to the mission field as a single, would be an older single missionary. Statistically single men are much less common than single men on the mission field. Let’s pause in our thoughts on preparing and going as a single man to address the WHY are they so uncommon? No easy answer that I can find! Lot’s of people have asked the question though. Here is an example article by Brooks Buser. https://radical.net/article/where-are-the-men-in-missions/ One quote from the article. “Two-thirds of missionaries are married couples, the other third are single women, the rest are single men.” Single men aren’t going to the mission field, single women are. Buser mentions pornography, student debt and getting married as three common reasons. I have seen all three of those keep people from ministry. But I wonder if a bigger issue is not that we aren’t preparing our young men to follow Jesus. The world calls them to make money, have fun, look for adventure and change the world. I fear that too often the church doesn’t call them at all. If too few of us are answering the call to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Jesus, too few of us are influencing the next generation. The adventure and changing the world rhetoric of the world can’t hold up to the life changing message of Jesus. Talk about a life of value! The mission of reconciliation is an eternal mission that surpasses all else in scope and impact. It is also fun, and filled with adventure but that’s not the point. Why are single men not on the mission field? They aren’t in our churches. They aren’t in our small groups. They aren’t being challenged to give their lives for the greatest mission ever undertaken. If more men are actively engaged in disciple making, I believe the process of spiritual growth would lead more of them to consider missions. Back to getting ready to go as a single missionary. Fourth, A single missionary, male or female, should plan to be intentional about pursuing healthy relationships before leaving and after arriving on the field. Ideally, all single missionaries would be part of a multi-member local team. Two or three families working together with a single or two would provide support and help along the way. Fifth, whether in person or online, a single missionary, as well as married missionaries!, should have people who know them and are part of an accountability and support team. Single missionaries are a valuable part of the missions community and have a lot to give to the work. There are certainly dangers, but that is true for us all. Intentional pursuit of righteousness and a firm connection with the church family go along way to keep all of us on track. Add in a healthy dose of humility and a solid spiritual foundation to keep the focus in the right place. OUTRO Thanks for joining me today! Check out runwithhorses.net for show notes and past shows. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net if you have comments or questions. Join our facebook community and tell a friend if you have found this show helpful! 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 INTRO Today on Run With Horses, we consider our responsibility and God’s plan – That includes stewardship, God’s sovereignty and God’s grace. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Run Your Race Well, not just Surviving but Thriving as a Disciple of Jesus! There are a LOT of things you could do with your life, but I don’t think anything compares with following Jesus and joining Him on His mission of bringing Hope to the nations. Thanks for including me in your journey! I need a better system for keeping track of emails. I have folders but somehow I have too many and they don’t work as well as they should. I need a new system. Any good ideas out there? Let me know! norman@runwithhorses.net Susan and I in the car, talking about life. Stewardship, responsibility and expectations came up. Not using those exact words but the topics were definitely there. Here is an important thought we focused on. Being a good steward does not guarantee you good results. We don’t like that do we! We feel like we earned a good result by making good choices in life. However, your faithfulness doesn’t obligate God to act in a certain way. You can exercise and eat right but still get cancer or die in a car wreck. Does that mean you shouldn’t be a good steward? No! It means God is the ultimate authority and you can only be a good steward of what HE give you. It’s hard to be satisfied with less than we feel we deserve. It’s also true in sharing the gospel. We can pray and share the gospel faithfully and still not see that dearly loved friend or family member turn to Jesus. It’s important to remember the three parts – my part, your part and God’s part. God never fails in his part. And even when we do our part, each person is responsible themselves before God. It’s hard for us to accept that sometimes. Let’s take a sticky subject these days. Politics. Your vote for president doesn’t guarantee he will win or that if he wins he will act as you believe he should. Romans 13 comes to mind here. This is one of the passages we were talking about in the car. How does this phrase strike you? “The authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. It seems to me that we like these kinds of verses when we like the leaders we have. We begin to wonder if God made a mistake somehow when we don’t like them! My part, your part and God’s part. And then there’s Grace. Thankfully grace covers a lot of me failing to do my part well. I am so thankful that Grace covers when my strength is weak and my mind is dull. Like Paul I always want to be confident that His grace is sufficient. And that means His Grace is sufficient for you. Somehow is is harder for us to accept mistakes in other people’s lives than in our own. God’s Grace is sufficient for me but you better watch yourself! Oru critical, judgmental nature pops right out when others stumble. An important part of our spiritual journey is realizing that God’s Grace is sufficient for me, and for you. I have to be a willing vehicle for God’s Grace in your life. Instead of Judging, bringing a helping hand and a word of encouragement knowing that I will need it tomorrow. The spiritual life is never boring! There are always new lessons to learn and new steps of Faith to take as we follow Jesus. Be a good steward of what God gives you, trust Him in the details and give Grace to those around you. 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 INTRO Today on Run With Horses, we are looking at the church, the Bride of Christ. What does a healthy one look like? My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Run Your Race Well, not just Surviving but Thriving as a Disciple of Jesus! There are a LOT of things you could do with your life, but I don’t think anything compares with following Jesus and joining Him on His mission of bringing Hope to the nations. Thanks for including me in your journey! So how do you find a good church to be part of? Not always so easy! In some parts of the world there are few choices so it means sticking with one that may be less than ideal in many cases. In other context, most anywhere in the USA for example, there are too many choices. It is hard to even visit most of them! So where do you begin? I am old fashioned so I always begin with people. Ask someone you know in the area, a fellow believer, to give you recommendations. Ask believers who may be familiar with the area or have family there to give you recommendations. At the least you can rule out some options and put an asterisk by others. I believe Baptist doctrine is intended to be an honest attempt to be Biblical doctrine so Baptist or Baptistic churches will be my first stop. With naming of churches being what it is these days that doesn’t mean Baptist will be in the name! Many Baptist churches, Bible churches, Community churches, and as well as non-denominational churches have similar if not identical doctrinal statements. I would like to see a churches doctrinal statement but the difficulty comes in when you begin visiting churches to see how they live it out. Baptist doctrine does not always equal Biblical practice unfortunately. A church website can tell you who a church is, beliefs and creeds, etc. A website can show you a lot of what a church does, service times, small groups, counseling ministry, etc. A website cannot really let you get to know a church. That takes time with the church, the people who make up the local body. So what do you look for? Mark Dever wrote a book, The 9 Marks of a Healthy Church. The 9 Marks he gives are: 1. Expositional Preaching, 2. Biblical Theology, 3. The Gospel, 4. A Biblical Understanding of Conversion, 5. A Biblical Understanding of Evangelism, 6. A Biblical Understanding of Church Membership, 7. Biblical Church Discipline, 8. Concern for Discipleship and Growth, 9. Biblical Church Leadership. The IMB has an article on the 12 Characteristics of a Healthy Church. https://www.imb.org/2016/08/31/2016083112-characteristics-healthy-church/ The article actually precedes all of these with the word Biblical! I suppose it is good not to assume anything! The 12 Characteristics they list are: Evangelism, Discipleship, Membership, Leadership, Teaching and Preaching, Ordinances, Worship, Prayer, Fellowship, Accountability and Discipline, Giving, Mission All of these are good to think about but they are long lists. I want to emphasize a few specific things. Foundation of God’s Word: The bible is taught and is followed. There should be a real love for God and His word. Jesus is lifted up as the standard for our behavior, attitudes and relationships. God’s Word is lived out by His people. There is a commitment to do what it says. Emphasis on Active Obedience: Hand in hand with the biblical foundation in the teaching is an emphasis on living it out. Practical daily obedience and a willingness to follow Jesus are encouraged and supported. Each person is challenged to be a Berean, actively reading the bible themselves and making personal application. The goal should be for every believer to be a self-feeding Christian who is engaged with others on the mission of Jesus to bring God’s message of reconciliation to the world. Training and Encouragement toward being a Disciple Maker: Following Jesus results in people pouring out their lives for others. Sacrificially giving time and resources to see the Family of God grow in maturity and faith is natural and necessary. Members are motivated, trained and released to serve the church and the community. Focus on Life and Ministry outside of the building: Church life is the life of the people, not the service times printed in the bulletin. Relationships are encouraged, living the “one another’s” is practiced. Small groups are utilized to train leaders, share the gospel, build up new believers and provide ongoing accountability and encouragement for all. The command to Love one another is lived out: Forgiveness, confession, sharing testimonies of God’s grace and the like are common and considered natural. Perfection is not expected, mistakes are. All kinds of people with all kinds of problems are welcomed and embraced with Grace and Love. It’s all good to look for a good church to be a part of. It is a task to take seriously. Just don’t look for a perfect church. It doesn’t exist. Look for a church you can contribute to and help to be the church God intends it to be. Invest in the lives of others in the church. Commit to be a giver to the church. Make ti your goal to build up every member and to make Jesus the center of every relationship. The church is, and will remain, a messy group to be a part of. But God loves His bride and we should too! OUTRO Thanks for joining me today! Check out runwithhorses.net for show notes and past shows. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net if you have comments or questions. Join our facebook community and tell a friend if you have found this show helpful! 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 Spiritual Sacrifice and Serving Others INTRO Today on Run With Horses, we are moving on to stage two of spiritual growth. Thanks for moving forward with me! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Run Your Race Well, not just Surviving but Thriving as a Disciple of Jesus! There are a LOT of things you could do with your life, but I don’t think anything compares with following Jesus and joining Him on His mission of bringing Hope to the nations. Welcome to Run With Horses and Thanks for including me in your journey! Today’s focus – Moving beyond self to thinking about others. Sacrifice and Service as a foundation for Ministry. I have introduced three stages of Spiritual Growth as they relate to your spiritual life and ministry. Today we will cover the second stage, Sacrifice and Service. Let me know if you have questions or comments as we go along! norman@runwithhorses.net The First Stage – Spiritual Identity and Foundations, allowed you to build a foundation. Learning who you are in God’s sight and the basics of the Christian life as you develop good spiritual habits for the future. The Second Stage – Spiritual Sacrifice and Service, builds on that foundation. Where the beginning of the spiritual life necessarily involve a lot of work on yourself, to continue to grow you have to be properly oriented toward others. One of the lessons I learned years ago is that Christianity can be summarized as a web of relationships. Your relationship with God, Your relationship with His family, the Church, and your relationship with the world, people who aren’t yet following Jesus. These relationships with other people are built on a right relationship with God and a clear understanding of what God is doing in the world and your part in it. This foundation is started in Stage One and continues in Stage Two. What are we talking about? Although there is more to it than we will cover today, here are four things that I see us building on the foundation we started when we placed our faith in Jesus. Learning how to relate in a biblical way to others. God loves people! How we treat them, in and out of the church, should reflect God’s love for them. We are His hands and feet in the world, carrying out His mission of reconciliation and using our gifts to build up the body. To do that we have to be growing in the character of Jesus. A selfish unregenerate heart can’t treat people as God wants them treated. The foundational heart change of Stage One gives us the new nature that is directed by the Holy Spirit to genuinely love others and consider their needs. Phil.2:3 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. 2 Cor.5:20 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. 1 Thess. 2:7 But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. 8 So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. Learn and apply the “one another’s” of the NT. The “one another’s” give us a real picture of what the family of God should look like! You can’t live these out without a real relationship. It takes time and proximity to build this kind of close personal involved relationship with other people. Love one another is the most of repeated and is the basis for a lot of the other commands we are to live by. The first and second command are to love the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. These are SIMPLE to understand. But so hard to live out consistently! Romans 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Galatians 5:13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Eph. 4:1 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 long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Eph. 4: 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. God is serious about our relationships! Teach, admonish, encourage, pray for, live in harmony with, build up and in every way LOVE each other. Learn the meaning and value of sacrifice. Matt. 20:25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Sacrifice is putting God’s eternal plan and purpose above my personal desires and goals. Sacrifice is loving others enough to do what is best for them even when it is not in my best interest. Find joy in serving. In this Second Stage of spiritual growth and development we want to answer the question, “What are my spiritual gifts?” As a follower of Jesus, you have been equipped to build up the body of Christ. You have gifts that the church needs. I don’t believe you can mature as a believer without learning to serve others and put your gifts to use. The desire to serve and use your gifts comes from really loving the people God loves and died for. If in Stage One you are learn who God wants you to Be, in Stage Two you are learning to allow Who you are in Christ to flow through you and to impact those around you. If stage one is a classroom, stage two is a construction site with lots of activity! God is building something great in your life. Next time: The Third Stage – Spiritual Maturity and Reproduction What is it? Know and maintain biblical priorities. Maintain healthy spiritual habits and the disciplines that build a strong spiritual life. Intentionally seek out younger people and invest in their spiritual life. Prioritize disciple making activities and relationships. OUTRO Thanks for joining me today! Check out runwithhorses.net for show notes and past shows. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net if you have comments or questions. Join our facebook community and tell a friend if you have found this show helpful! Keep Running! All bible quotations are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.

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 INTRO Today on Run With Horses, we are looking at what to do when your spiritual life is in a rut. My name is Norman and my goal is to help you Run Your Race Well, not just Surviving but Thriving as a Disciple of Jesus! There are a LOT of things you could do with your life, but I don’t think anything compares with following Jesus and joining Him on His mission of bringing Hope to the nations. Thanks for including me in your journey! Have you ever reached a spot in your spiritual life where you felt you just couldn’t manage to make a single step forward? I think it happens to many of us ore often that we would like to admit. In the past few shows we have been looking at the process of spiritual growth and you may feel like you just aren’t making any progress. Today, I want to give you some thoughts about how to get past those roadblocks and get your spiritual life moving again. First, lets examine a few reasons people get bogged down. 1.Sin that hasn’t been dealt with. This is a big one. Gotta deal with sin, ASAP. 2.Unhealthy relationships. The people you hand around with make it easy or hard to follow Jesus. 3.Lazy/ Busy – You know what to do but can’t seem to get it done. This can often be a symptom of misplace priorities. 4.Doubt/ Discouragement – A little mistake or slip here and there can steal your confidence and make you consider your ability more than God’s Grace. 5. Earthly Desires – We all easily get distracted by the things of this world. Promotion at work, the approval of others, new “things” are all competing for the place Jesus demands. Obviously not a complete list. You need to do the personal hard work of examining your own life to determine where you are aligned with God and where you are pursuing something else. Next, lets consider the obvious tools that we need to always be using to build a healthy spiritual life. Here is me, the broken record, telling you that God has given you three things specifically to help you grow. You have heard this hear before and will hear it again! 1. God’s Word - There is no way to really grow without increased time with God which equates to time in His Word. Read the Bible. Meditate on it. Memorize it. Think about it. Talk about it to others. This is foundational to a healthy spiritual life. 2.Holy Spirit – God has given you the Holy Spirit to guide you, help you understand the Bible and to change you from the inside out. When you don’t know what to pray, trust that the Holy Spirit does, and pray! 3. The Church – Hey that church takes lots of hard knocks. It is definitely not perfect, but then, how could it be, it is full of former enemies of God who are still learning what it means to be part of His family! As a resource for spiritual growth the church will include music that points you toward God, books, sermons, podcast and videos that teach, encourage and motivate you to keep on keeping on. Now, lets look at a few tools you should have in your spiritual toolbox to pull out when you need them. Spiritual Disciplines - 1. Disciplines of Abstinence: Solitude: Time away from people, leaving more space for God. Silence: Not speaking and going to a quiet place to clear a space for God to reach us. Fasting: Going without food (or something else like media) for a time. Replacing the food or media with more of God’s Word and Prayer. Sabbath: Intentional rest in God’s person and provision. 2. Disciplines of Engagement: Bible Reading: might include Bible study, Scripture meditation, and praying God’s Word. Worship: Praising God in words, music, or silence. (privately or in community.) Prayer: Talking with God about what we’re experiencing and doing together. Fellowship: Intentionally seeking out believers to encourage and speak with about spiritual things. Service: Humbly serving God by overflowing with his love and compassion to others, especially those in need. (Also tithing and giving.) A great way to “get out of your head”. Finally, lets consider how to make a plan that will give us structure and intentionality as we face our spiritual battles. If possible, identify the main area you are struggling with right now. Are there any obvious reasons or ways to address it? Ask a good Christian friend to help you evaluate your life and current lifestyle. Talking through your choices with a friend who want to see you grow may be the best way to see your own life more clearly. Make sure you have a consistent plan to include the basic activities of the spiritual life in your week, every week. Have a bible reading plan, journal what you are learning, share it with a friend. Pray throughout the day every day and invite God into every activity. Put the church on your calendar, not just the service times but plan to reach out to others throughout the week. Ask your church family to pray for you. Consider the spiritual disciplines and make a space in your life for those you believe would help you given where you are right now. Don’t be afraid to try something you haven’t done before! KEY POINT: Invite a friend to go through this time with you and pray for you as you apply these tools to your life. You are not meant to walk the Christian life alone! That is a recipe for stagnation and a nasty spiritual fall. Most of all, keep it up. Persevere. The reward is worth the struggle. Remember that God promises to be with you in the middle of every trial and He is working in you to complete the work HE started! OUTRO Thanks for joining me today! Check out runwithhorses.net for show notes and past shows. Write me at norman@runwithhorses.net if you have comments or questions. Join our facebook community and tell a friend if you have found this show helpful! Keep Running!