We finally finished watching Season 1 of The Chosen, and I still highly recommend it. If you haven’t seen it, just download the app for your tablet and phone and start watching! Here’s a good description:

The filmmaker was intent on creating The Chosen to be faithful to Scripture. In fact, three biblical consultants…a Catholic, a Jew, and an Evangelical…were engaged in the development and production process. The result is what the show’s Catholic consultant, Holy Cross Father David Guffey, described as an Ignatian meditation on the Gospels. – From a church’s website

“An Ignatian meditation on the Gospels:” Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, believed, as do I, in putting yourself into the Gospel stories, trying to imagine what the people (real people in real places) were thinking and feeling.

The Chosen does this very well and sometimes with subtle humor that makes the lesson stick. For example, we might brush right over Jesus’ calling Matthew, the tax collector. The Chosen spends seven episodes showing us Matthew in his work as a wealthy tax collector that everyone hated. Here’s the succinct biblical description of his calling:

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. (Matthew 9.9, ESV)

The Chosen captures the disciples’ dumbfounded reactions, culminating in this exchange with Simon Peter:

Simon: “I don’t get it.”
Jesus: “You didn’t get it when I chose you either.”
Simon: “That was different. I’m not a tax collector.”
Jesus: “Get used to different.” (Text from The Chosen, Volume 1 by Jerry Jenkins, the novelized version of the video series)

Get used to different. That’ll preach. I’ll share another vignette on this theme tomorrow.

The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, “Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” (Luke 7.34, ESV)

Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Matthew 9.14 – 17, NKJV)

I wrote about GRIT disciple-making on Thursday, and yesterday I noted that when some people hear “disciple-making,” they hear “evangelism.” Hence yesterday’s story from the life of Navigator founder Dawson Trotman that “evangelism is not enough.”

Today, I want to tell another classic Dawson Trotman story illustrating what GRIT is about. Please recall that I said GRIT stands for disciple-making that is:

• Generational
• Relational
• Intentional
• Transformational

Dawson was in San Diego, investing in the lives of sailors, one of whom was Les Spencer. Dawson met at least weekly with Les, teaching him how to have daily time with God, how to memorize scripture, how to share the gospel, how to do Bible study, how to pray, etc. After about three months, Les brought another sailor, whom Les had led to Christ. Excitedly, he told Dawson, “Dawson, this is Joe! He’s just become a Christian. Teach him what you taught me!” And Dawson’s response was simply,

You teach him. – Dawson Trotman to Les Spencer

Dawson went on to say, “If you can’t teach him what I taught you, then I have failed.” Folks, that’s what we mean by generational disciple-making.

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2.1, 2, NIV)

Yesterday I wrote about GRIT Disciple-making and mentioned that I had learned something about that presentation at Spring Canyon a few weeks ago. I was working through applications of my five presentations with the high school and college staff of Spring Canyon, and when we got to the one on GRIT, I realized that when I said “disciple-making” they heard “evangelism.” For kids that have grown up in conservative churches, this is understandable. They’ve been encouraged to “do evangelism,” but many have never seen relational disciple-making modeled, so despite what I thought were clear explanations, they weren’t making the distinction.

Perhaps when I talk about GRIT in the future, I will tell two stories from the history of The Navigators’ founder, Dawson Trotman. The first, which I’ll tell today, illustrates the principle: Evangelism is not enough. The second, which I’ll share tomorrow, gives a little insight into what relational disciple-making looks like. The first story goes like this:

Dawson Trotman, the energetic founder of The Navigators, was not raised in a Christian home, coming to faith in his early 20s. He became an ardent evangelist, sharing the gospel message prolifically. Once he picked up a hitchhiker who swore as he got into Dawson’s car, complaining how hard it was to get a ride. Dawson gave him a gospel tract to read, and as they talked, Dawson said, “Haven’t we met before?” “I don’t think so!” But they had. About a year earlier, Dawson had picked up this same hitchhiker, shared the gospel with him, and the young fellow “prayed the prayer.” Dawson blessed him and sent him on his way. One year later there was no change in his life.

Dawson wondered what was wrong. After all, doesn’t Philippians 1.6 say,

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Why, Dawson wondered, was “it” not working? Finally, he looked at the context:

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1.3 – 11, ESV)

Dawson realized that the promise of verse 6 was surrounded by vital activities: Paul prayed for the Philippians, and he had a personal relationship with them. This event changed the course of Dawson’s life. He understood that “evangelism” as he understood it was not enough. One needed to care for the new believer much like one would care for a newborn infant. We’ll look tomorrow at what that care looked like.

But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. (1 Thessalonians 2.7, 8, ESV)

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28.18 – 20, emphasis mine)

Yesterday I republished a blog from January 2017. I actually found it when I was looking for this one. I hadn’t realized that I have not written about GRIT disciple-making since I started the daily blog. I’ve written all about the concept but not in this form. Tomorrow and Saturday I want to share something I learned about this GRIT presentation at Spring Canyon a couple of weeks ago. OK, Bob, what is GRIT?

I am coming to understand that true GRIT is the essence of disciple-making: the process of helping people follow Jesus.

GRIT is an acronym. Effective disciple-making must be:

Generational
Relational
Intentional
Transformational

Jesus’ strategy with the disciples was Relational. 

Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Matthew 4.19)

[Jesus] appointed twelve that they might be with him… (Mark 3.13)

Jesus also was Intentional and his goal was Transformational. “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

And of course, making the disciples into fishers of men was a Generational strategy. The generational piece is critical. We must teach in such a way that people can pass it on. That’s what Paul wrote to Timothy in his very last letter.

The things you’ve heard from me commit to faithful men who shall teach others also. (2 Timothy 2.2)

Consider Hebrews 7.23. The context is how Jesus is superior to the Old Testament priests, but here’s a simple (and, I think, slightly humorous) truth:

There were many of those priests since death prevented them from continuing in office.

That’s as good a reason as any to invest in the lives of others! Each of us is here for a limited time only.

GRIT helps us remember the characteristics and is itself a characteristic of the kind of effort required. Daniel Pink makes the following statement about “mastery” in his book Drive, and I think it applies well to relational disciple-making:

Mastery is a Pain. Mastery takes effort over a long period of time, is often not much fun, requires lots of mundane practice, and takes grit…The determination to work over a long period of time without seeing much short-term improvement is required. (Emphasis mine)

The problem is that we all want shortcuts. Jesus chose to work in-depth with just 12 men. We want to do it faster. Can’t we just put 1,000 people in a room and lecture them for one hour a week? Can’t we just develop sure-fire materials that will get the job done? The short answer is, no, not any more than one can teach people to play the piano by taking them to concerts or giving them a book. It takes a teacher (R) who guides the student to the appropriate exercises (I) which, when practiced over time, result in skill (T). The teacher herself went through that same process (G).

Contrasting the big ineffective splash versus doing small things that really matter, Greg McKeown in Essentialism: The Deliberate Pursuit of Less writes:

Instead of trying to accomplish it all—and all at once…start small and celebrate progress. Instead of going for the big, flashy wins that don’t really matter, pursue small and simple wins in areas that are essential.

Paul has all the elements of GRIT in 2 Timothy 2.1, 2.

Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (T). And the things you’ve heard from me among many witnesses (R), commit to faithful people (I) who will teach others also (G).

I started this blog – The Ewellogy – way back in January 2014, but I only wrote a few blogs a year until I started the daily blog on January 6, 2019. I just ran across a blog that I first published on January 9, 2017, long before some of you were regular readers. It’s too good not to publish again even though it’s a little longer than my usual articles now – it’s worth it!

I received the most marvelous testimony of the power of God’s word from a pastor friend of mine, Dr. Mark Johnson. On January 8, 2017, he wrote to his Baltimore congregation:

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the second newsletter of 2017. Some might question the point of emailing a newsletter on a weekly basis to the members and friends of Mt. Olive United Methodist Church. … The fact is, I want you to have the “Daily Bible Reading Plan” in your email each Sunday morning.

I am what some may call a cradle Christian. Maybe you are, too. I started attending worship as an infant and Sunday School as a small child. You probably did, too. When I was 14 or so, I was recruited onto a church committee and at 16 I was a delegate to Annual Conference. You can probably make a similar claim. I, just like you, was baptized, communed, and confirmed. But for me there was still a big void in my life.

One Sunday – I was probably in my early-30s at the time — I was sitting in choir loft on a Sunday morning. It came time in worship for the Gospel reading and we all reached for a Bible. For whatever reason, there was only one Bible in our row. The fellow next to me handed me the Bible and said, “Here, you probably need this more than I do.” I took his remark as a friendly jab, took the Bible and turned to the morning’s lesson. As I began to follow along, I was transfixed. The story spoke right to me and even though the Liturgist stopped reading, I continued. I finished that chapter and went on to the next. I continued reading through the sermon. When I got home, I found my Bible and picked up reading where I left off. I felt like God grabbed my heart and soul and wanted me to know – to be – something.

There are lots of reasons to read the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 teaches “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” There is a lot to consider in those two verses but let’s look at “all scripture is inspired by God” and why that is important.

We might define “inspired” as influenced, motivated or encouraged and might say that a favorite teacher inspired our love of reading. But such a definition of “inspired” does not do justice to what the author, Paul, was getting at when he wrote about the inspiration of scripture. Paul used, and perhaps coined, the term “theopnuestos” which we translate as “inspired.” It is a combination of “theo” (God) and “pnuestos” (breathed). “Pnuestos” is related to the word, “pnuema” which means both wind and Spirit. Paul is telling us that the Bible is “God-breathed”; that is, God’s Holy Spirit flows through the Biblical text to interact with the faithful reader.

That kind of makes the Bible sound like an enchanted object straight out of a Harry Potter book, doesn’t it? Really, the actual physical Bible is just ink, paper, and binding. But the stories, histories, songs, poems, letters and revelations within the Bible have been recognized for thousands of years as authentic and authoritative remembrances of the Holy at work in the lives of faithful, and some not so faithful folks, like you and me. As we read, hear, study, and tell scripture the Holy Spirit moves within us in ways that reveal God’s self to us. As God reveals God’s self to us, and we make our lives open to God, a deep and life-changing relationship is built.

I can point to that Sunday in the choir loft when God grabbed me — heart and soul — as I read the Bible as the day my life changed. My journey with Jesus began when God-breathed scripture connected my life to our living LORD.

This newsletter is first and foremost an invitation through daily Bible reading for your life to be shaped, formed, and illuminated by God. Really, could anything else be more exciting? See you in worship.

Blessings, Pastor Mark

Here’s the rest of the story from my perspective, and I share it with his permission. Fast forward 20 or 30 years, and I taught a simple method for time with God to Pastor Mark and his staff at a church in Colorado Springs. At our next meeting, Mark said, “I was really excited to practice what we had learned, so I got up the next morning and sat down to read Romans with my Bible, journal, commentary, and Greek New Testament. After a couple days of this I realized that’s not what Bob asked us to do. So I put away my Greek New Testament and my commentary and worked through the process: read, reflect, respond, record. And I said to myself, ‘This is insanely simple.’”

It appears that Mark’s seminary tools had temporarily distracted him from the simplicity of taking in the God-breathed Word that he had been so excited about.

Keep it simple, folks. God wants to speak to us. And thank you, Mark, for the stunning reminder of the power of the Word. Your congregation is blessed.

PS Clicking on the method link gets you the short version of a simple method. Or, click on the Join the Adventure tab at the top of this page and order my book! I discuss time with God in detail in the middle section.

But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4.4, ESV)

Last week, I wrote a couple of blogs about my overall good time at Spring Canyon with the young staff – high school and college kids. I’d like to say that I held them spellbound all the time, but that wasn’t the case. There were a few in particular that hardly ever paid attention. Even when I had them in small groups on the last night, one high-schooler was dozing off. I went to him and said, “Son, just give me 30 more minutes, OK?”

I thought about him and others when I ran across this verse in my daily reading:

[Jesus said, ] “So pay careful attention to your hearts as you hear my teaching, for to those who have open hearts, even more revelation will be given to them until it overflows. And for those who do not listen with open hearts, what little light they imagine to have will be taken away.” (Luke 8.18, TPT)

I used to say, “No points for listening only!” But that’s not quite true. It’s “negative points” for listening without an intention to put the teaching into practice.

But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. (Luke 8.15, NIV)

We know the Word is essential – scripture is clear on that, and I write about it frequently. The other day I saw something new, reading in The Passion Translation. Before I share what I saw, let’s remind ourselves:

• The Word is like food.

It was then the devil said to him, “If you are really the Son of God, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread for you.”Jesus replied, “I will not! For it is written in the Scriptures, ‘Life does not come only from eating bread but from God. Life flows from every revelation from his mouth.’” (Luke 4.3, 4, TPT)

• The Word is like water.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5.25 – 27, ESV)

• Here’s the new one: the Word is like air! (And that’s pretty essential!!)

Break open your word within me until revelation-light shines out! Those with open hearts are given insight into your plans. I open my mouth and inhale the word of God because I crave the revelation of your commands. (Psalm 119.130, 131, TPT)

I wrote last Thursday about complacency – about the people who actually lost God’s word. If we really believed the Word was as essential as food, water, and air, we wouldn’t neglect it, would we?

I went out to cut the grass last week, and my electric lawnmower was non-functional. I researched my records and found that I bought it in April 2014 – 7 years ago. So it did well. I went to Lowe’s and bought a replacement for about what I paid for the first one – except the new one has better batteries and is self-propelled, a feature I can use or not as I choose.

Thanks to God for companies that make and continue to improve useful products and for stores that sell them and have them in stock. Thanks also that I have the money to buy a new lawnmower, and the strength to use it.

While I was cutting grass I was re-listening to a book on Audible: The Examen Prayer: Ignatian Wisdom for Our LivesToday by Timothy M. Gallagher. In chapter 3 he writes about what Ignatius of Loyala said about gratitude:

In one of his letters Ignatius explains more at length his thought regarding gratitude. In speaking of what is for him the almost unendurable thought of ingratitude, Ignatius energetically describes—both by negation and by affirmation—the unique power of gratitude in our relationship with God and with each other. He writes:

May the highest grace and the everlasting love of Christ our Lord be our never-failing protection and help. It seems to me, in the light of the divine Goodness, though others may think differently, that ingratitude is one of the things most worthy of detestation before our Creator and Lord, and before all creatures capable of his divine and everlasting glory, out of all the evils and sins which can be imagined. For it is a failure to recognize the good things, the graces, and the gifts received. As such, it is the cause, beginning, and origin of all evils and sins. On the contrary, recognition and gratitude for the good things and gifts received is greatly loved and esteemed both in heaven and on earth.

It would be difficult to express more strongly a sense of the incomparable value of gratitude. – From The Examen Prayer by Timothy Gallagher

The Apostle Paul would agree:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1.18 – 21, ESV, emphasis mine)

The spiral into sin from there is ugly: see Romans 1.18 – 32.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5.18, ESV)

My son David, a huge sports fan, and also living in Atlanta, is always on the lookout for life lessons from sports. He sent me this story, which happened while I was in Spring Canyon and mostly out of touch with the outside world.

It’s about the NBA Eastern Conference final between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks. The ESPN account of game 4, played on June 29, included these snippets:

ATLANTA — When Hawks superstar Trae Young was ruled out 45 minutes before the start of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, it seemed like the end of Atlanta’s hopes of reaching the NBA Finals.

…[Atlanta won the game] by sticking to McMillan’s game plan — namely that no one try to replace Young’s production on his own.

The Hawks took the strategy to heart. Four of the five starters scored in the opening three minutes of the game, forcing the Bucks to call a quick timeout and setting a tone Atlanta would carry throughout.

“I mean, it starts off, you start the game and everyone touches the ball,” Huerter said. “The ball moves side to side. You want everybody to find a rhythm. We don’t need people in transition, pulling up from the logo and offensively going one-on-one the way Trae can. It’s really not anybody [else’s] game on this team. So, we didn’t need people to play like that.

“That message was well-received. Like I said, you start the game off and all five guys score before they have to call a timeout. That really set the tone for the rest of the game, and it wasn’t something that we got away from.” – ESPN

Bucks went on to win the series anyway, but for one game, the Hawks played team ball and won by a large margin, 110 – 88, without their superstar.

As documented by Rodney Stark in The Rise of Christianity and mentioned by Matthew Kelly in The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity, Christianity spread, not mostly by big events but by ordinary people living out the gospel wherever they were. The church at Antioch was founded by unknown laypeople:

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. (Acts 11.19 – 22, ESV)

In Nehemiah 3 we have a list of ordinary and diverse people rebuilding the wall, none of whom were professional wall-builders. Amos the prophet, who wrote a whole book of the Bible was a layman by his own admission:

Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’” (Amos 7.14, 15, ESV)

The LORD wants everyone participating – not just watching.

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2.1, 2, NIV)

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry… (Ephesians 4.11, 12, ESV)

I am always stunned when I read about Josiah, one of the last kings of Judah. Things had been going downhill for a long time, and shortly they will be taken into captivity by the Babylonians.

Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years…He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the LORD. He said: “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the LORD, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair the temple of the LORD—the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple. But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are honest in their dealings.” Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it…Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. (2 Kings 22.1 – 11, NIV, emphasis mine)

How do you lose the Book of the Law? The book containing these clear instructions to future kings:

And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. (Deuteronomy 17.18 – 20, ESV)

The prophet Zephaniah speaks to the issue:

The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah…in the days of Josiah…, king of Judah…At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, “The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.” (Zephaniah 1.1, 12, ESV)

Complacency! Most of us wouldn’t say, “Quit bugging us about reading the Bible and spending time with God! I’m not going to do that. It’s silly.” We don’t say that, but we might as well, judging by the way we act. No intentionality. No urgency.

³²  Now then, my children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways.
³³  Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it.
³⁴  Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.
³⁵  For those who find me find life and receive favor from the LORD.
³⁶  But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death. (Proverbs 8.32 – 36, NIV)

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4.4, NIV)