Something vital is missing in the American Church. The church today lacks supernatural power. The church today lacks robust men and women of faith. The church today lacks the ability to produce the kind of people that walk and live out a life of healthy vigorous love that is attractive to Jesus and dangerous to the culture of status quo.
We are not only not changing our culture, we are working hard to adapt to it. As we figure out new programs for making the church attractive to the world, we wear ourselves out with cool slogans and mastered plans for inviting in the uninitiated. But we leave behind the most important passion and priority—the priority of Jesus, that of making disciples that brings glory to God.
Jesus had an intentional strategy. Jesus made the glory of God his heart beat. He took three years and twelve men to produce heavenly-minded troublemakers that would change the world forever. Jesus built men and women to be servant disciples that rocked the known world at the time. It was said of these disciples “Those men who have made trouble all over the world are now here.”[1] What? Jesus built troublemakers?
Jesus made discipleship his priority. In so doing he built a movement of dangerous troublemakers of the kingdom of God. This ragamuffin group of outlaw disciples were not rule keepers but rule breakers who were wholehearted. They were wholeheartedly in love with Jesus. They spent long hours in prayer, listened for God’s voice, and radically obeyed what they heard. They encountered God, fell in love with him, and wanted everyone to know!
After 40 nights of seeking God in prayer, The Road has been planted to be a church that builds wholehearted disciples of Jesus. Our vision is to raise up robust, vigorous, focused men and women who will be dangerous for God and create trouble for Satan.
Our first seminar, “Making Disciples” is upon us. This is our first major step in discipleship training. This Friday night (7-9pm) and Saturday morning (9am-Noon) at Chapel Hills Church we have invited Pastor Rock Bottomly, an expert in personal discipleship to come in and lead us in how to do “D Groups” (Discipleship Groups). Bev Bottomly will also share how she does women D Groups.
Roc and Bev come with a combined sixty years of ministry experience through work with Campus Crusade, Navigators, Focus on the Family Institute, alongside ministry work of planting and pastoring churches. Roc is currently the Senior Pastor of Our Lord’s Community Church in Oklahoma City. Roc is also the author of The Promised Power: experiencing the union of the Word and Spirit.
If you desire to be a dangerous troublemaker, join us for “Making Disciples,” the first seminar of The Road, this Friday night. RSVP at theroadcs@gmail.com.
On the Road,
Steve
[1] GOD’S WORD Translation. 1995 (Ac 17:6). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.
