Preacher on the Run…

Life can be complicated. Schedules fill up. Suffering interrupts. Relationships get tense. Finances ebb and flow. It can feel overwhelming with all the areas of life to balance and deal with. But I have a confession to make…I am often the one to blame for the complications. I schedule more things that I have time for. I can be stubborn and stupid in relationships. I spent more money in a month than I had. All of this and more can make life complicated. What can be done to help?

In these situations, there is something we can reach out to for help. This tool is one anyone has available to them. Everyone can provide it for others, no matter where they are or who they are. What is it? An outside perspective. Feedback. Observations from a distance. When we are in the midst of a problem (or jungle of them) it can be hard for us to see a solution. Things are complex, complicated, and convoluted. Complexity breeds complication. The more I have to handle, deal with, or get done the harder things are. Simplicity brings clarity.

One reality in the church that has been overcomplicated is discipleship. We’ve so defined, analyzed, and systematized discipleship that it seems more complex than it is or how Jesus saw it. Michael Kelley seeks to clarify the call to discipleship by stepping in and giving One Word That Simplifies Discipleship. While Kelley’s suggestion is simple, it’s not simplistic. It’s nuanced and adaptive for any and all circumstances. But it takes discernment and wisdom to know how this plays out in each unique situation. Read the article to find out what the word is and how it helps simplify discipleship.

What did you think? Does this word or idea help you think about discipling others? Does it help you see how you can and are discipling people everyday? According to Kelley’s term who is someone you can disciple today? How can you do that best? Don’t forget to be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s Day.

Until Next Time…