Teach Your Disciples to Obey the 7 Basic Commands of Christ - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

How wonderful it is to call out to God for the salvation of others. How wonderful to draw near to Him and know God is with us as we pray. For five weeks now you have been praying and fasting in new and different ways. You’ve been asking God for every church planted by the VCP ministry to start another church between now and October 29.  I have seen pictures of some of your prayer meetings.  I have heard some of your prayers shared by voice message on What’s App. And I have rejoiced when you have told stories of church members going out and finding persons of peace. All this brings me great satisfaction. And I know it blesses you as well. Hallelujah!

But what should a new church planter do when he or she finds a person of peace and leads that receptive person to Christ? Of course, the church planter needs to teach the man or woman of peace to share his or her 15 second testimony with other members of the family. But there is something else: Every new believer needs to learn to obey the 7 Basic Command so of Christ.

Jesus’ earthly ministry was filled with love. He showed his merciful love to men with leprosy and sick children, to a woman caught in adultery and to a demon possessed man from another country.  He showed the full extent of his love when he went to the cross and died in your place and my place so we could be reconciled to God. He was crucified, dead, and buried. But the third day he rose from the dead. And just after his resurrection, he gave his followers a new commandment. Jesus told them (and us) to teach the nations to obey everything He had commanded them.

Why does Jesus want every person to obey his teachings?  Because he loves us. When we repent and believe the Good News, we experience his love.  When we express our love to God in worship and love to our neighbor through deeds of service, we experience the peace of God. When we feed on God’s word and draw near to Him in prayer, we experience, in an amazing way, the goodness of God.  When we are baptized our hearts are filled with joy at the kindness of God who save us. The same is true when we eat the bread and drink the wine in remembrance of Jesus sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. When we give we are blessed and so are those who benefit from our gifts. And when we make disciples, we help other experience the full extent of God’s love.  See?  The 7 basic commands of Christ are not burdensome! But when we obey them we experience the love of God in powerful ways.

So, my brother and sister, immediately teach persons of peace to obey the 7 Basic Commands of Christ.  Don’t delay! When you teach these seven basic commands, you will be spreading the love of God to the person of peace and to their whole family!

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #FastAndPray

#7Basic CommandsOfChrist

 

The Gospel With Power - 1 Thessalonians Series

 

Welcome to Multiply, a podcast to encourage church planters, pastors and Christian leaders. I am your host today; Daneille Snowden.

1 Thessalonians is a book written by Paul to also encourage the church of the Thessalonians. In chapter 1 and the first part of verse 5 we read: 

“for our good news [regarding salvation] came to you not only in word, but also in [its inherent] power and in the Holy Spirit and with great conviction [on our part].” The Good News here is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Paul said ‘our good news’ meaning it was shared with him and his friends of which it transformed their lives. 

We’ll begin with the simple fact that the Gospel came to them, this being the truth and power of Jesus, His saving power plus love. The Good News must always be on the forefront of our living life testimony. It continually needs to be shared to others.

Here, we simply witness the ‘cause and effect’ of when the Gospel of Jesus is shared. Halleluiah it’s that real and simple!

Calvin once said regarding the Gospel; “It is the living voice of God, inseparable from its effect, as compared with the empty and lifeless eloquence of men.” 

This gospel message is truly one from the Holy Spirit ‘Whom works within the hearts of the hearers, to convict, to comfort, and to instruct.’ I love the scripture where it is written: “It’s not by might, nor by power, but by MY SPIRIT; says the Lord.” [Zechariah 4:6]

It is by this power of the Gospel that the mind is awakened to truth of its great significance to our life. There is a powerful effect that happens when we share the Gospel in-that:  lives are changed. 

Do you recall when you first heard the Gospel and how Jesus died for you? Think about that time and recall how your mind was consumed and how your heart was opened to Jesus.  I remember hearing it so long ago as a very little girl. The love I understood from Jesus overwhelmed my heart and I wanted Him to live in my heart and be my Lord forever. 

Continue on sharing the GOOD NEWS to others and see the power of this message change lives!

This has been the podcast- Multiply; will you share this with others today? You can locate us on our website: www.vcpencouragement.org, on YouTube at Encouragement for Village Church Planters (Multiply) and Facebook. 1T-05

Thank you and be blessed!

What Does Your Church Need?

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement to Village Church Planters.

Before you became a church planter, before you became a church leader, back when you were a new Christian, did you ever wonder how a pastor knew what he was supposed to do to lead a church?  Did you ever ask yourself, “How do the pastor and the elders know what they should do?  How do they decide about worship and preaching and visitation and small groups?  How do they know what they are supposed to do?

When we are new Christians, most of what we do with our church family is based on tradition.  They worship on Sunday so we worship on Sunday.  They give offerings, so we give offerings.  They sit in rows facing the preacher so we sit in rows facing the preacher.  If traditions are based on sound biblical teaching, if traditions help us obey the commands of Christ, tradition can be very helpful. But the problem with tradition is that tradition just tells us what to do, it does not tell us why we do what we do.

So should pastors just rely on tradition to know what to do?  Or do they have a better guide that helps them know how to lead their churches?

Jesus Christ is Lord of all.  Jesus is the Head of the church.  Pastors and church leaders follow Jesus in order to do his will.  He has made his will known in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and throughout the Bible. Seven of Jesus’ commandments summarize the others and guide us very clearly:

• Repent and believe the Good News.

• Baptize new believers.

• Love God and your neighbor.

• Partake of the Lord’s Supper regularly with other believers.

• Pray and meditate on the Word of God daily.

• Give.  

• Make disciples of Jesus.

The first church, the church in Jerusalem founded by Peter and the other Apostles, is described in Acts 2:37-47. The Jerusalem believers (as a church and as cell groups that met in homes) obeyed Jesus’ commands intentionally.  The Apostles taught the people Jesus’ commands and the people paid attention.  The Jerusalem church loved their neighbors and gave generously to meet their needs. They worshipped God and devoted themselves to prayer. And they made disciples of Jesus. Disciple-making caused their church to grow.

You are a church planter; you have recently started a new church.  What does your church need so it can grow strong and healthy?  Let me encourage you to look at the nine activities of a church described in Acts 2:37-47.  Which one of these activities most needs to be strengthened so your church will not be held back?   Is it prayer, or fellowship?  Is it teaching and obeying the Bible?  Is it evangelism or meaningful participation in the Lord’s Supper?  Is it giving or baptism? Is it training new workers?  Which of these activities described in Acts 2 does you church most need to strengthen so that it can grow healthy?

As a church planter and church leader, you will know what you need to do for your church if you remember and strengthen the nine activities of a church described in Acts 2:37-47. Let me say that again, As a church planter and church leader, you will know what you need to do for your church if you remember and strengthen the nine activities of a church described in Acts 2:37-47.

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?  E3-07

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters  #Acts2 #7CommandsofJesus

What Does Your Second Generation Church Need?

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement to Village Church Planters.

It’s not easy being a church planter.  You know it’s not easy because you have done the hard work of finding persons of peace. You have worked to preach and teach the Gospel. You know that communication is not easy and transformation does not come without a struggle. You know the struggle of getting a place to worship under a roof before rainy season comes. But I’m pretty sure you have also experienced some of the glory of being a church planter.  You have seen people be born again.  You have helped people be delivered from addictions. You have church members who are now free from their bondage to idols. Church planting is not easy, but, because of Jesus, it is glorious.

Now you are facing new challenge.  You have gotten your first generation church started and it is somewhat stable. You first church has begun to practice most, if not all of the nine activities of a church described in Acts 2:37-47.You pray fervently.  You have good fellowship together. Your first church worships the Lord and partakes of the Lord’s Supper.  You and your people evangelize and give generously.  You baptize new believers and you equip workers to serve the Lord.

Now it’s time to help a church member or a person of peace start a second generation church.  But how? What does that second generation church planter need?  And what does his or her new church need?

First of all, the second generation church planter needs you.  He or she needs to know that you believe they can succeed.  He or she needs to know that you are praying for them and for their church.  Second generation church planters need time with you so they can learn from your example.  That means you must go to the village where they are planting a church and help them minister.  It’s not easy. Rainy season stops you. Your own family and your farm need you. Your first generation church wants you to be constantly present.  It’s not easy.  Let me encourage you to relax for a moment, slow down and pray. Trust God to give you time to spend with your second generation church planter.

And when you are with him or her, study Acts 2:37-47 together. Ask, “Which of these nine activities of a church is your congregation already doing?  Which activities of a church have you not yet begun to do?” Then ask this very important question:  “Which of these activities do you want to start doing this month? Do you want to start praying, start having fellowship, start worshipping? Do you want to start applying the Bible, evangelizing, serving the Lord’s Supper, giving tithes and offerings, baptizing or training workers?

Don’t answer these questions for the church planter.  Let him or her answer them.  This may take time.  Be patient. The church planter may have many questions. Answer them.  Then help the second generation church planter decide which activity of a church his or her congregation needs to start doing so that they will grow and develop to be all that God wants them to be.

Once an activity is chosen, ask the church planter how he or she will begin doing that activity and who else will help carry it out.  Have a conversation. Make a plan. Over time, help the second generation church grow and practice the nine activities of a church described in Acts 2:37-47.

It’s not easy. But God has helped you this far. He will help you coach second generation church planters so that they too can plant strong, healthy churches.

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters  #SecondGenerationChurches #Acts2

How To Find A Person Of Peace

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “A Word of Encouragement for Village Church Planters.”   

When Jesus sent his followers out two by two, he expected them to find men and women of peace.  Jesus was confident that his followers would find men and women who were hungry for God and receptive to the message of the Good News. I expect there will be people in your village who are also hungry to know God and who will be receptive to you as you share the Good News of forgiveness and peace with God.  

But church planters always ask, “How can I find persons of peace?  How can I find men and women who are hungry for God?” When you enter a village, it is not obvious who is receptive to your message and who is not. As church planters, we wish we could easily see, simply by looking at people, if they were hungry for God or not hungry for God.  But until we speak, we don’t know how people will respond.   

How do you find persons of peace? By speaking.  Jesus taught us to bring blessing to the homes of villagers.  He told his followers, “Say ‘Peace to this house.’” We find persons of peace by speaking.  And the message we speak must be a message of blessing and Good News. 

  After we greet people with warmth and kindness, we may want to offer to pray for them.  A good way to offer prayer is to ask, “What would you like for God to do for you?”  Listen carefully to the person’s response. Show concern. Tell about the love of God.  Then ask if you can pray with them right there. Keep praying for their request in your home. I have a friend who has identified many persons of peace by this method.  He visits homes. He introduces himself. He offers to pray. He prays for a week for the person’s request: healing, income, restoration of broken relationships, deliverance from addiction.  Then he returns a week later to find out what God has done. At that time he shares God’s plan of salvation. Many people come to Christ and many churches are started. 

Another way to find persons of peace is to tell a story.  You may want to tell your story of salvation in Christ using your 15 second testimony. Or you may want to tell a Bible story like The Parable of the Prodigal Son about the younger brother who returned to his father after wasting his inheritance. When we tell stories about the love of God, we find out who is hungry to know more. Telling Bible stories to see how a villager responds is a great way to find persons of peace. Persons of peace are hungry for God.  When they hear your story, they will want to learn more. When you find a person of peace, invest time in him and her.  At the right moment, invite the person of peace to put their trust in Christ. Then help this responsive person, this person of peace, share the Good News with family members, friends and neighbors. 

My brother, my sister, there are persons of peace in your village. You will find them as you speak blessing, as you pray and as you share Bible stories that proclaim the Good News of the love of God. 

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.  

E1-05_How_to_Find_Persons_of_Peace  

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters  #FindPersonsOfPeace 

#PersonsOfPeace

What Is A Person of Peace

 

Hi there, my name is Dean Davis, and this is a word of encouragement for village church planters.

Jesus gave instructions to 72 of his followers whom he sent out two by two to go to all the towns and villages he was planning to visit. Those instructions, found in Luke 10, form one of the biblical teachings which is most helpful to a church planter as he or she begins ministry.  Jesus’ words recorded in Luke 10 prophetically tell church planters what to do and what to expect when they begin making disciples. The Bible says,

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.  He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” 

Jesus said, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.  Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.  Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you.  Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.”

A lot of people ask, “What is a person of peace?”  A person of peace is a person who is receptive and open.  A person of peace is a person who recognizes their own need for God’s blessing.  Jesus taught that people would open their homes to his followers as they shared a message of peace and blessing. Our Lord taught us that men and women of peace would invite us, his followers, into their homes and into their lives as we shared the Good News about how to have peace with God.

Persons of peace are receptive.  Persons of peace are also hospitable.  They share what they have with those who come to their homes to share the Good News.  They recognize that the peace of God and the Good News of Jesus could be the very thing they have been wanting and waiting for.  Persons of Peace are hungry for God. In their spiritual hunger they share their physical food as they open their homes to the Gospel messenger and to the Good News.

Persons of peace are connected to others in their village.  They introduce the Gospel message and the Gospel messenger to friends, family and neighbors.  Persons of peace build trust between the Gospel messenger and the others in their town.  Because of this, the blessing of God can flow to other people who are healed and redeemed.

As a church planter, I strongly encourage you to read and re-read Luke 10:1-12.  Meditate on it.  Look at it verse by verse.  Learn what a person of peace is. Let the words of Jesus strengthen your faith and grow your boldness. Trust God to lead you to persons of peace.  When you find them, stick with them so that they and their friends and family can follow Jesus as his disciples.  

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.  

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters  #PersonOfPeace

E1-04_What_is_a_Person_of_Peace

If You Love Me You Will Keep My Commandments

 Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “A Word of Encouragement for Village Church Planters.”  

Why do we obey our leaders?  Why do we obey our teachers in school?  Why do we obey an employer or a policeman?  What motivates us to obey those who have authority?

Many people obey because they are afraid.  Fear is the motivation for their obedience.  People are afraid if they do not obey the policeman, he will arrest them and perhaps put them in jail.  Some small children obey their parents because they are afraid.  They think they will be punished if they do not obey, so they do what their parent says. Students in school obey their teacher for fear that if they do not obey, they may be expelled from school or exposed to ridicule and shame.  Fear is a strong motivator.  Many, many people obey those in authority over them because of fear.

We are followers of Jesus.  Jesus is not just our savior, He is our Lord.  As followers of Jesus, why do we obey him?  Are we motivated by fear?  Are we afraid that if we don’t obey him, we will be punished?  What motivates us to obey Jesus?  

Jesus taught his disciples to obey his instructions.  He said to his followers, “If you love me, keep my commands.”  “If you love me, keep my commands.”  When Jesus said this He showed himself to be a very different kind of leader.  The leaders of this world motivate their followers by appealing to fear.  “If you do not do what I say you will be punished. If you do not do what I say, you will be put to shame.” Jesus did not use this tactic.  He said, “If you love me, keep my command.”

So the first question is, “Do you love Jesus? Do you love his teachings? Do you love the way he treated people? Do you love the way He gave himself up to be crucified so that you could be forgiven?  Do you love the way his uses his power and authority to bless others rather than to serve himself?  Do you love Jesus?  If you love Jesus, keep his commandments.  If you love Jesus teach the members of your church to love Him too. Don’t motivate them with fear of punishment or fear of shame.  Motivate them to obey Jesus because Jesus is worthy of their love. When we obey Jesus, we show our love for him. Teach you people to express their love for Jesus by obeying his commands.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.  

• #EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters  #LoveJesus #ObeyJesus

Make Disciples of All Nations

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “A Word of Encouragement for Village Church Planters.”  

As a student in the New Village Church Planting Program, you have learned to tell God’s big story from start to finish.  A critical point in that story comes when God calls Abram. You can read about it in Genesis 12.  God says some amazing things to Abram.  He says, “I will bless you Abram, I will make your name great. You will be a blessing.”  Then God says the most amazing thing of all.  He says to Abram, “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Wow!  God loves the whole world. He wants to bless all peoples on earth. And He has a plan to bless them, starting with Abram.

Abram was a man just like us.  He was loyal to his immediate family and He was loyal to his clan. But it seems quite clear that Abram was as surprised as anyone else to learn that God wanted to bless all peoples on earth.  

God loves people from every tribe.  Every tribe.  He loves people who speak every language. Every language. He loves people from every country.  Every country.  And he wants them to be saved.  He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

So it should not have been very surprising to the 11 disciples when Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations.”  They heard what he said. They remembered his words. But they spent most all of their time evangelizing Jews and only Jews for the first years after Jesus sent the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.  Why didn’t they take the Good News to people of other tribes and other languages?  We don’t know. But we do know that it’s just easier to tell the Good News to people who look like us and talk like us and who eat the same kind of food we eat.

But Jesus says, “Make disciples of all nations.”  Remember that command. And take action. Who are the people in your village who are different?  Maybe they are members of different tribe or maybe they speak a different language or come from a different part of the country.  Pray for them. Ask God to save them.  Ask him to show you how to find persons of peace among those people who are different.

  Remember, God wants to use you to make disciples of all nations.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.  

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters  #AllNations #MakeDisciples

Make Disciples

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “A Word of Encouragement for Village Church Planters.”  

As a Village Church Planter, you are quite familiar with Jesus last command to go and make disciples of all nations. In fact, one of the reasons you became a church planter was because you wanted to obey Jesus by making disciples and by starting churches full of disciples.

The New VCP Program emphasizes that a disciple is an obedient follower of Jesus.  Your training is organized around obeying the seven Basic Commands of Christ and teaching others to obey them as well.  So you have prayed for the village where you are planting a church.  You have made new friends and shared the Good News. You have invited people to repent and put their trust in Christ. I can’t tell you how proud I am of all that you have done.  You are on a good path.  Keep up the good work! 

Now you are teaching new believers to be baptized, you are helping them demonstrate love for God and for their neighbors.  In the same way you teach a small child to feed himself with physical food, you are helping these new believers feed spiritually on God’s word and to pray every day. You are making it possible for them to participate in the Lord’s Supper just like Jesus commanded. And you are teaching them to give generously.  Well done!

When I got to this point in my early church planting experience, I was happy.  I really felt like I was making progress.  But I had a hard time trusting new believers to actually make disciples.  They seemed so young.  They seemed to need to grow so much in faith and in understanding of God’s word.  But Jesus said, “Teach them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”  And one thing he commanded was to make disciples.  So as a church planter it was my job to teach new believers to make disciples. I struggled with that task.  And maybe you have too.

For now, let me just encourage you this way. Remember, you are not the only disciple maker in your new, little church. There are church members who will touch lives that you could never reach.  God wants your church to be full of disciple makers. Don’t be afraid.  Don’t worry.  Just pray.  Tell the Lord that you will obey his command.  Tell him that you will teach others to make disciples. Then watch as He opens doors for you to do just that! Trust Him to fill your church with disciple makers.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.  

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters

Church Planters Make Disciples That Care About Holiness

 

Hello my brother, hello my sister, my name is Dean Davis and this is Multiply, a podcast that provides a word of encouragement for village church planters.

It is not easy to be a good parent.  Being a good parent means hard work starting before the baby is born.  Yes, we must have clothes for the baby and a place for the baby to sleep.  But there is so much more that must be done to raise a child.  Good parents, both fathers and mothers, must constantly teach their children. Good parents teach their children to be helpful and respectful. They teach their kids to work and study and learn and be healthy.  Good parents teach their children to make wise choices.

But there comes a time when children grow up and they go away.  Maybe they go away to take care of the cattle in another place.  Maybe they go away to go to school.  Maybe they go away to work in another place. Maybe they go away when they get married. When our children are not with us, it is up to them to make good choices and wise decisions.  We cannot make the decision for them.

When my children were going away from me for the first time, I found that I prayed for them even more than when they were with me.  Why did I pray so much? Because I wanted them to apply well the lessons I had taught them when they were with me.

The apostle Paul wrote to the people in the church in Colossae.  He did not plant that church, Epaphras did.  But when Paul wrote a letter to the Colossians, Epaphras was with him.  Epaphras was not in Colossae with his disciples.  Here is what Paul said In Colossians 4:12,13 to the believers there about their church planter Epahras:

“Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Epaphras was like a parent who had children who were not with him.  And so, like a parent whose children are far away, Epaphras prayed.  And his prayers were not just simple words like, “God please bless my spiritual children in Colossae. Amen”

 No!  Epaphras wrestled in prayer for his disciples.  To wrestle is to struggle with all your might in order to get the victory.  When Epaphras prayed, he struggled and wrestled and persevered in prayer.  What did he want from God? Epaphras was praying that his disciples would live according to God’s will.  He wanted them to obey Christ and do what is right. He wanted them to make wise decisions every day, every week, every year. He wanted them to be mature in their faith and in their obedience to Christ.  He longed for them to live a holy life, filled with the Holy Spirit without doubting and without turning back.  When Epaphras was in Colossae spreading the Gospel and planting the church surely he, as a good spiritual parent, had taught his disciples to love and honor God, to love their neighbor, and to walk in righteousness. But that was not enough.  Now he wrestled in prayer for them so that they would do the will of God no matter what.

It is not easy to be a parent.  When you chose to become a village church planter, you chose to have spiritual children.  It’s not easy.  Praise the Lord, he longs for your spiritual children to be strong and to live holy lives even more than you do.  When you pray for their maturity, you are praying according to the will of God. So pray for them with faith.  God is with you and he will hear your prayers.

This is Multiply.

If you have found this message to be helpful, please forward it to fellow church planters and disciple-makers who may need encouragement.  Feel free to share it on What’s App, Facebook, and other platforms you use to connect with others.

Be encouraged, God is with us!  EC-25

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #Colossians #WrestleInPrayer

www.vcpencouragement.org

Your Seed Sowing Action Plan Leads to Multiplication

 

Hello my brother; hello my sister, my name is Dean Davis, and this is a word of

encouragement for village church planters.

As you have been learning through training and experience, the four Seed

Sower Tools are a great help to church planters as they work to make disciples

of Jesus Christ.

These tools provide ready answers when the devil tempts us to be passive and

not share the Gospel or make disciples. If the devil tempts us by asking, “Who

do you think you are to go around telling people about Jesus?” we have an

answer from the first tool: “I am a new creation in Christ. Jesus has named me

his ambassador to the world.” If the devil tempts us by saying “You don’t

even know who to talk to about Jesus,” we say. “Be silent devil, I have a

relationship map, I know exactly who I can talk to about King Jesus.” If the

devil tempts us by asking, “Who do you think you are, you can’t speak, you

don’t know what to say, you will just confuse people if you try to talk about

Jesus.” we have a powerful answer, “I have a clear, truthful, powerful 15

second testimony of how Jesus changed my life. And I have the Three Circles

Gospel Presentation that tells how Jesus defeated you by shedding his blood

and rising from the dead. I will use my four Seed Sowing Tools to share the

Good News and you will be silent.”

If the devil tempts us by saying, “Those people you are going to talk to won’t

change their lives, you are just wasting your time,” we say, “Jesus will restore

them to God and we will teach them to obey the seven basic commands of

Christ. I have a plan to walk with them and help them grow strong as disciples

of Christ and you will not stop me. I am a co-laborer with Christ. Be gone,

Satan.”

This is the walk of faith that the Four Seed Sower Tools facilitate. And you

have these tools in your hands.

The fourth tool is the Action plan. If you make a good action plan and then do

what it says, you will multiply fruit in God’s Kingdom. If you define when you

will pray for people on your relationship map and when you will share the

Gospel with them, you will bear fruit. If you use your Action Plan to define

whom you will teach the Seed Sower Tools and whom you will teach the 7 Basic

Commands of Christ, and if you define when you will teach them, you will

multiply your fruitfulness.

If you train others to spread the Good News, they too will bear fruit. We call

this multiplication. When you teach others to use the four Seed Sower Tools

and when you teach others to obey the seven basic commands of Christ, you

will multiply disciples.

The Four Seed Sower Tools are describe in the Train and Multiply booklet

called “Sow the Good Seed.” If you would like to see this booklet, but don’t

know where to find it, ask the person who shared this message with you to

show you the booklet. It is a part of Train and Multiply for Village Church

Planters, Term 1.

God is giving you tools so you can work powerfully to advance his Kingdom.

Let’s give him thanks for his wonderful gift!

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #SeedSowerTools #ActionPlan

www.vcpencouragement.org

Your Seed Sowing Action Plan

 

Hello my brother; hello my sister, my name is Dean Davis, and this is a word of

encouragement for village church planters.

In your village church planting training center, you learned the four Seed Sower

Tools. You learned the reason you should make disciples is based on your

identity in Christ. You have been made new and you are an ambassador for

Christ. This is the first tool. The second tool tells you who to share the Good

News with. You create a relationship map showing people you know who are

far from God. Your relationship map helps you remember to pray for these

people for whom Christ died. The third tool reminds you of what to say. Now

you can share your testimony in 15 seconds and you can share the Good News

using three circles.

But what about the fourth tool? This tool can be a little bit intimidating. It is

an action plan. The fourth tool answers the question “When will I make

disciples?” Some people don’t like to make plans. They just take life as it

comes. They say this is a better, less stressful way to live. But people who do

not make plans do not accomplish much. King Solomon, a man filled with

wisdom from God, had some wise words for people who do not make plans. He

said in Provers 6:6-11:

"Go to the ant, you sluggard;

    consider its ways and be wise!

It has no commander,

    no overseer or ruler,

 yet it stores its provisions in summer

    and gathers its food at harvest.

How long will you lie there, you sluggard?

    When will you get up from your sleep?

 A little sleep, a little slumber,

    a little folding of the hands to rest—

 and poverty will come on you like a thief

    and scarcity like an armed man."

If you want to gather a spiritual harvest, you need to follow the example of the

ant. You need to make plans and take action now. We do not know what the

future holds, so we need to make plans to help people be restored to God now.

The Seed Sower Action plans simply asks four questions: When will you pray for

people on your relationship map? When will you share the Gospel? When will

you teach other people to use the Seed Sower Tools? And, when will you teach

other people to obey the Seven Basic Commands of Christ?

As a church planter, if you make plans each week to carry out each of these

four action steps, and then carry out your plan, you will bring in a great

harvest!

Don’t be afraid to make plans. Make plans in faith and trust God to work through you.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

    If you have found this message to be helpful, please forward it to fellow church

planters and disciple makers who may need encouragement. Feel free to share

it on What’s App, Facebook, and other platforms you use to connect with

others.

Be encouraged, God is with us!

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #SeedSowerTools #ActionPlans

www.vcpencouragement.org 

The Character of a Leader - Integrity

 

This is Chuck Rapp with a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Today, I’d like to begin a series of messages regarding the character of a leader.  Or, we might say, the qualities exemplified in the life of a good and godly leader. 

The foundation for godly character is our love for God and our obedience to Him.  The gospel of John is very clear about this.  Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commands.” (14:15).  Acts 5:32 says that God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him. 

Upon this foundation of obedience to God, I would suggest that the cornerstone, the chief building block of character, is Integrity.  Here is one dictionary definition of Integrity.  “The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.”  I find it both very interesting and significant that this non-biblical dictionary definition places emphasis upon moral principles and moral uprightness. 

What are some of the key areas where Christian leaders need to demonstrate integrity?  I would like to suggest the following three areas, but there are actually many more.  

Leaders must demonstrate integrity in their handling of finances.  Money is often accompanied by temptation.  There are temptations to misuse ministry funds for personal need.  Temptation to distribute ministry funds in ways that bring the expectation of personal favor in return.  In America, we call that “with strings attached”.  1 Timothy 6:10 warns us that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 

Leaders must also demonstrate integrity in family matters, especially in the area of marital fidelity or faithfulness.  Hebrews 13:4 very clearly states this.  “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”  Paul, writing in 1 Timothy 3:2-5 said “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, …. for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church.”  [emphasis added]

Leaders must demonstrate integrity in their speech.  As Christian leaders, we must have integrity - we must have alignment or consistency - between what we say and what we do.  In the Amplified version of the Bible, Ephesians 4:25 tells us “Therefore, rejecting all falsehood [whether lying, defrauding, telling half-truths, spreading rumors, any such as these], speak truth each one with his neighbor…”

I encourage – and pray for you as Christian leaders - live lives of integrity, especially in these three areas. 

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

vcpencouragement.org

What Is A Person of Peace?

 

 What Is A Person of Peace?

Hi there, my name is Dean Davis, and this is a word of encouragement for

village church planters.

Jesus gave instructions to 72 of his followers whom he sent out two by two to

go to all the towns and villages he was planning to visit. Those instructions,

found in Luke 10, form one of the biblical teachings which is most helpful to a

church planter as he or she begins ministry. Jesus’ words recorded in Luke 10 prophetically tell church planters what to do and what to expect when they

begin making disciples. The Bible says, after this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.  He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”

Jesus said, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.  Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.  Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who

promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to

you.  Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker

deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.”

A lot of people ask, “What is a person of peace?” A person of peace is a person who is receptive and open. A person of peace is a person who recognizes their own need for God’s blessing. Jesus taught that people would open their homes to his followers as they shared a message of peace and blessing. Our Lord taught us that men and women of peace would invite us, his followers, into their homes and into their lives as we shared the Good News about how to have peace with God.

Persons of peace are receptive. Persons of peace are also hospitable. They

share what they have with those who come to their homes to share the Good

News. They recognize that the peace of God and the Good News of Jesus could be the very thing they have been wanting and waiting for. Persons of Peace are hungry for God. In their spiritual hunger they share their physical food as they open their homes to the Gospel messenger and to the Good News.

Persons of peace are connected to others in their village. They introduce the

Gospel message and the Gospel messenger to friends, family and neighbors.

Persons of peace build trust between the Gospel messenger and the others in

their town. Because of this, the blessing of God can flow to other people who

are healed and redeemed.

As a church planter, I strongly encourage you to read and re-read Luke 10:1-12.

Meditate on it. Look at it verse by verse. Learn what a person of peace is. Let

the words of Jesus strengthen your faith and grow your boldness. Trust God to

lead you to persons of peace. When you find them, stick with them so that

they and their friends and family can follow Jesus as his disciples.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #PersonOfPeace

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Abiding In Christ Part 2

 Abiding In Christ 

Part 2

This is Chuck Rapp with a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. 

In my last message I shared about the necessity of our abiding in Christ.  We are the branches; He is the vine.  He provides nourishment as well as the strength and stability of the root system. As we receive His sustenance, we do what comes naturally; we produce fruit.   

Here again is John 15:4-8.  “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Notice with me the theme of “fruit” here.  First, Jesus says “fruit” and then a bit later he says “much fruit”.  You see, our purpose is to not just produce fruit, but much fruit.   I would encourage us to consider two aspects regarding much fruit.  Firstly, there is the fruit that we ourselves produce.  This is a good start.  But, in order to produce much fruit, we must engage, equip and empower others.  This is the key to multiplication in Village Church Planting.  This is the responsibility of leaders.

Also, do not confuse work and fruit.  There may be a good deal of work for Christ that is not the fruit of the heavenly vine.  Seek to avoid these distractions; they end up being pruned, thrown into the fire and burned.  1 Corinthians 3:12-14 has more to say about this. 

Lastly, the life of the branch is a life of close communion with, and surrender to, the branch.  We are to abide in Christ 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year.  Our close personal relationship with Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit is an absolute necessity for our daily life. (More on this next time.) 

What does this surrender to the branch look like?  I would suggest that it means that we take the mindset we are completely surrendered to the vine, and the vine can give us as much or as little sap as it chooses. 

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. 

Z Thinking

 Z Thinking

Hi there, my name is Dean Davis, and this is a word of encouragement for village church planters.

When I take a trip to the city, there are many ways to go.  I could go on the major highway or on smaller roads.  The closer I get to the city, the more roads I have to choose from.  There are so many ways to get from my house to the city. But sometimes I leave my house and just go the way I went to the city the last time. I leave without thinking.  This can frustrate my wife if she is traveling with me.  Sometimes when I do this, she asks me a very simple question, She says “Where are you going?’ When I tell her where in the city we are going, a place she knows very well, she often asks me, “If you are going there, why did you turn here?

You know, there is no good answer to that question.

But there is an alternative.  When we travel we can begin with the end in mind. When we begin a trip we can think about where we want to end up.  When we think about that place, we can easily create the path in our mind which will best lead us to that place.  Begin with the end in mind.  This is what we call Z thinking or Zed thinking.  Zed is the last letter in the Roman alphabet. Zed thinking is beginning with the end in mind.

You are a village church planter. What is the destination you want to get to?  How can you get there without taking wrong turns? The best way to get to your destination is to begin with the end in mind. The end you are working for as a co-laborer with Christ is that the Gospel of the Kingdom of God will be preached to all nations.  The end you are trying to get to is that the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  As a village church planter, that should be your goal as well.

So as you plant churches, don’t just think about planting one healthy church in one village. Think about filling your district with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.  Envision a healthy church in every village. Pray for a healthy church in every village. Train workers and send disciple makers to every village in the district so that churches can be born. You have an important part to play in fulfilling the VCP vision of a church in every African village by 2050. Begin with the end in mind.  Practice Z thinking.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. 

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#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters  #ZThinking #BeginWithTheEndInMind

Your Church Members Can Know and Obey The 7 Basic Commands of Christ

 Your Church Members Can Know and Obey The 7 Basic Commands of Christ

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “A Word of Encouragement

for Village Church Planters.”

When I travel, I always observe the crops of the farms I pass by. Are the plants

green? Are they growing taller? Are all the plants about the same height, or

are some plants smaller than others? Are all the plants green, or do some have

yellow leaves? Is the soil dry or moist? I always notice these things when I travel

and see people’s farmland. And I am always happy when I see green, growing

fields. I am happy when I see the crops producing flowers and then fruit. I am

happy because I know that not only the farmer, but many other people will be

blessed by that crop when the harvest comes.

It’s a good thing when all the maize plants in a maize field are green and

growing and maturing together. And it is a good thing when all of the members

of a church are growing in their knowledge of Jesus, in their trust in Christ and

in their obedience to the Lord. We teach new followers of Jesus to obey the

seven basic commands of Christ:

 Repent and believe

 Baptize new believers

 Love God and neighbor

 Partake of the Lord’s supper

 Pray and meditate on God’s word daily

 Give

 Make disciples

I think many new believers focus on doing each commandment once. This is

normal. As followers of Jesus, they have to start somewhere. But these

commands of Jesus are not intended to be done just once. Jesus intends for us

to make obedience to his commands a lifestyle. He expects us to obey them

day after day and year after year.

Let me encourage you as church planter to keep these seven commands of

Jesus constantly in mind. Observe your church members the same way a

farmer observes his crops. Recognize obedience. Rejoice when you see growth.

Remind members to obey the 7 Basic commands of Christ. Make a banner that

lists the commands. Hang it in a prominent place in your church. Compose

songs about these commands of Jesus and sing those songs frequently. Make

reference to the seven basic commands week after week, month after month.

Make specific plans to obey each commandment as a church. By doing so your

A Word of Encouragement for Village Church Planters

church will be full of faithful followers of Jesus. Your church will show its love

for Christ by worshiping Him in spirit and in truth. What a joy that will be!

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

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#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #7CommandsofJesus

Truth and Love

 

Truth and Love

(Ephesians 4:15 and Galatians 6:1) 

This is Chuck Rapp with a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. Today I would like for us to give some thought to the proper balance between “truth and love”. This is a difficult subject for many leaders and an area where – if we are not careful, and prayerful, – we can fail. The apostle Paul instructs us in Ephesians 4:15, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” 

How do we speak the truth, sometimes the hard or difficult truth, while maintaining a spirit of love? It is often easy for us to error on one side of the other in this matter. In my culture in the church, there is a tendency to prefer “love” or “grace” as opposed to difficult truth. There a tendency in these days to refrain from addressing followers’ wrong beliefs, poor behaviors, or ungodly attitudes. Unconfronted and uncorrected, those who follow us fail to become mature in their faith walk. This is a result of leaders’ failure to speak the truth. Also dangerous is the other extreme, failing to wrap our correction in love. When we stray in this direction people feel beaten up and cast aside. They may feel like failures and that they’ve disappointed us and God to the point that they are no longer useful for Kingdom service. 

We want to avoid both of these unhealthy extremes. Briefly, I want to suggest two principles for speaking the truth in love. A goal of restoration – Galatians 6:1 says, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” We speak the truth – gently - to others with the goal to restore and strengthen their relationship with Christ and His body. Do so prayerfully and with humility – before we are “qualified” to speak truth to another we need to ensure that we are living “by the Spirit”. Are we reacting to them in our flesh or in obedience to the instruction of the Holy Spirit? Further, as we just read, we are to restore them “gently”. 

As VCP leaders you have a responsibility to “speak the truth in love” to those whom you lead. I encourage you to be willing to address difficult issues and to correct others when needed. As you do this, wrap your message in love. Have their interest, and most importantly, the interest of Christ’s Kingdom, in mind when you do so. 

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.