Faith

The apostle Paul clearly spells out the way Jesus ransoms us in this life in his letter to the people who are caught up in The Way when he says; "It is by grace we are saved through faith, and this not of ourselves, it is a gift of God, not by works, so that no man can boast." 

Ephesians 2:8-9 

The discipleship journey is a life lived by faith in Jesus Christ. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews says this; "without faith it is impossible to please God." Hebrews 11:6  Faith (trusting in God, all that He is, all that we are in Him) is foundational for disciples of Jesus. Faith empowers us to respond to Jesus' call to, "Come follow me."  Faith and following produce actions. We are not left alone in initiating this action. When we place our faith in Jesus, we receive the promised Holy Spirit and are filled with the supernatural power to be transformed.

Are you a disciple? Becoming a disciple must begin by faith; faith in Jesus Christ. 

Faith definition: Faith is choosing to believe the Bible is true regardless of my emotions, circumstances or cultural trends. 

Discipleship Story

I have been really exploring discipleship lately. My quest is to uncover the essence of "disciple making". The chairs in the picture represent the relational aspect of "disciple making" that one cannot ignore. Jesus walked along the dusty roads, sat on hillsides and in synagogues, stopped for a drink of water at the local water hole and wandered into the lives of people wherever he journeyed. He got "face to face" with people.

So when He tells us to "go and make disicples" I think He is telling us to move out into another's life. This seems consistent with all of his teachings; getting life's focus off of self and out to others, giving instead of receiving, etc.

As Bill Hull states in his book, Choose the Life, "Christ was a man for others. He claimed it and lived it." The son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many. Matt. 20:28

The face to face time he calls us to in the command to "go" (Matt. 28:18-20) is not an option for Christ followers. Have you placed your faith in Christ? Are you following Him? Are you ready to turn your chair to face another? Look around, God is stirring the heart of someone for you to meet with this week.

Launch Executed

A launch team of dads, daughters, sons and other men successfully launched a new aerospace adventure here on San Juan Island. Rockets were blasting off at a rapid pace, soaring beautifully into the crystal clear skies above. We had fun and left the field crying for more.

It looks like another launch date will be on the horizon very soon. It was difficult to discern who was having more fun, the senior aerospace engineers or their apprentices.




Launch commander Jeff prepares the first rocket for launch.



Senior advisers Jeff and Roger work with Gavin to fine tune launch preparations.




Senior launch adviser Bill retrieves his rocket from a perilous landing near the trees. Whew!


The word for the day for me was FUN! It was great to see the hearts of men joining together for just plain fun. We were all excited to see and cheer on each other during the launches. The challenge of recovering rockets who went askew on their flight path was fun for everyone.



Gavin and Brett load up with rocket fuel.



Launch director Paul guards the ignition switch.

What are men to do?

So, my son, throw yourself into this work for Christ. Pass on what you heard from me—the whole congregation saying Amen!—to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others. When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did. A soldier on duty doesn’t get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders. An athlete who refuses to play by the rules will never get anywhere. It’s the diligent farmer who gets the produce. Think it over. God will make it all plain.

Peterson, E. H. 2003. The Message

This is from the apostle Paul's second letter to Timothy, a young man who Paul regarded as a son. Timothy loved Jesus Christ. Notice the encouragement Timothy receives from Paul in this letter. How would you respond if this letter and its encouragement were written to you? What specifics do you come away with for your journey? Come join a group of men who seek to apply the encouragement and truth we receive from Scripture to become more like Christ. First meeting is Tuesday Sept. 25th at Vic Woodward's home.

Winning at Work and Home

We are going to launch into our 2nd year of Men's Fraternity in a big way on Sat. Sept. 22nd. Men, young and older will gather together for some "blast off" fun, sending their model rockets into the stratosphere. We will kick off the morning with a pancake breakfast and head out to a gravel pit for some earth shattering launches.

Then later in the month...

On Tuesday evening Sept. 25th we will launch into our second year of Men's Fraternity with the focus on Winning at Work and Home. Join me in prayer for the men that God will bring to this sweet time of fellowship centered on the encouragement and challenge that comes from His truth. If you are interested in joining us please send me a note in the comment box and I'll give you a call.

Quest Completed ?

I think around 12 men completed the Quest for Authentic Manhood last April. It was a joy to join them in the journey of discovering who we are, and who God is molding us to be to His glory. We all came away better men, with life changing experiences to add to the story God is writing through our lives.

There was a healing touch from the Holy Spirit that empowered men during this study. God continues to do healing work in our hearts. He is releasing us into the men He wants us to be and presenting opportunities to minister to other men.

I think for me the Quest is ongoing as I follow Jesus. I need to be reminded to: reject passivity, accept responsibility, lead courageously and expect God's greater reward.

There is more to come! Stay tuned!

Together with the mat

I was reading in Luke 5:17-20 where "some men" joined together by faith, carried a paralyzed friend on a mat to see Jesus. They had heard of miracles and were moved by faith to take action to help their friend. The Scripture doesn't tell us how many men, but it must have taken more than a few to overcome the obstacles, "crowds" who came to see Jesus, and persevere in getting to the roof where they lowered their friend down to the Messiah.

What strikes me is that these guys joined together and what joined them was their faith in Jesus. The went shoulder to shoulder, pressing on, in strength and encouragement. They needed each other, because alone they wouldn't have been able to get their friend to the Great Physician.

We are no different in the times we live in today. We need each other in this journey with Jesus. We gather in faith to pursue knowing Jesus more deeply and living more fully.

Let's press on together to complete The Quest for Authentic Manhood, growing closer to the Savior and encouraging each other step by step, shoulder to shoulder.

Read Luke 5:17-26 when you get a chance. See you this week!

New beginnings

Little did I know 30 years ago that my son Damon and my college
roomate Carl "Cooz" Couser's son Noah, would be in each others wedding ceremonies. Also, neither Carl or I had a relationship with Christ in the college years, yet both of our sons turned to trust in Jesus in their pre-teen years. Both of our boys put Christ in the center of their marriage ceremonies and He was glorified.

On December 30th in Missoula, MT, we celebrated Noah and Megan Couser's covenant with God. What a blessed evening. Carl and I would confess to you that we are not perfect Dad's but we did our best in " bringing them up in the training and instruction of our Lord". Ephesians 6:4
God is faithful to complete the good work He has begun in Damon and Noah!

As we embark on the second half of "The Quest for Authentic Manhood", we will learn more about our Lord's instructions to us and receive encouragement in the journey.

Now is the time to invite a friend, co-worker and bring your teenage sons. Our next Wednesday meetings are Jan. 17th, 6:00 a.m and 6:00 p.m. See you soon!