What would your friends say about the current state of your spiritual life?

How about your mom or your grandmother?

Do you think your small group leader or Sunday school teacher would approve of your growth in Jesus?

What do you think your pastor would say about your spiritual maturity?

Sometimes, we do not grow spiritual depth because we ask the wrong person to give us their evaluation.

When I first entered the ministry in 1993, revivals were already a dying event. The Churches I led once held these annual revival meetings that used to draw large crowds of people. What had at one time lasted for eight days or more was now occurring for 3-4 nights with only a handful of people attending.

I tried to rally the people, and by 1996, I had given up the project as it took more time, energy, and money than the fruit being produced. The Church leadership did not put up a fight with me as they were tired of trying to generate excitement for this as well.

There are numerous reasons these revival meetings died. One of the biggest was the invention of mass media. Even in my early years, people could tune in on Sunday morning TV and see some of the best preachers in America every week. They could flip on their radio while driving around the farm and listen to fantastic preaching. The chance to hear a challenging word from the Bible was available to them every week, not just when the revival speaker came around. Nowadays, we have added all forms of digital media, which make it possible to hear a sermon on any topic at any time of the day or night. 

There are other reasons, like busy schedules, vacation opportunities, every night sports for youth, and endless entertainment options that also led to its demise. No longer were they opportunities for growth and outreach, but they were simply another event to fill Christian’s schedules.

For me, there was another reason I wanted to stop having revivals. I hated people treating faith like it was a one-time event. The speaker would come in and call people to turn to God. Several would get excited. A few would make their confession of faith, repent, and be baptized. Then, when the revival was over, they would disappear from Church. The revival led people to view their faith decision as a one-time, often emotional event. True faith is about a whole life transformation.

In the last couple of years, I have noticed Churches and groups trying to push to bring revivals back. I recently saw a friend of mine posting all about their “Old Time Revival.” For you, that may be exciting as they do generate a feeling of nostalgia. For me, as a Church leader, I am glad they happened, but I would like them to stay dead. Much like 8 track tapes, they served their purpose, and it is time to move on to new forms of outreach.

You are not a leader.

The person said, “No one seems to want my leadership gifts.”

John Maxwell used to say, “You can call yourself a leader, but if no one is following you, you are only taking a walk.”

Leadership is not about a title, taking a position, asserting yourself, or calling yourself a leader. It is about people who see something in you and want to follow what you are doing. Other people want to hear what you have to say, and they see how you sacrifice yourself for others. They observe you making wise choices and how you influence people. And they want to lean in and learn more from you. That is leadership: The ability to influence other people in a way that benefits them.

In the Church, I am not trying to find more leaders. I am trying to identify those who are already leaders and use their influence for the kingdom of God.

After Jesus’ resurrection and shortly before his ascension, he gave his closest followers what we now call “The Great Commission.” It is his marching orders for the Church.

Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

There are three active words in the original Greek: going, baptizing, and teaching. Jesus’ followers are to be going out in the world sharing their faith and helping people become mature disciples. They are also supposed to be baptizing those new followers into the name of the Godhead. Finally, they are teaching those newly baptized disciples to obey everything Jesus taught.

Most Christians tend to land on the last one. We came to Jesus, and now we want to be taught, and we want to be taught more and more. In our desire to know God’s will and a hope of obeying everything, we want to learn every facet of what the Bible teaches. I am not opposed to this type of thinking, as I want people to grow in their knowledge, but it can lead to us living in a Christian bubble where all we do is attend Bible studies, listen to Christian teaching, read Christian books, and spend time with other believers.   

One of the biggest challenges I have with people who have followed Jesus for more than five years is getting them to share their faith with nonbelievers. There seems to be very little interest in going outside of their Christian circle. I mean, honestly, ask yourself, “When was the last time you shared your faith and led someone to become a disciple of Jesus?”

Here is my challenge: for every hour of learning you do the rest of this year, would you equally invest an hour in a person or family who needs to know Jesus? So, if you spend an hour a week at a Bible study, then also spend one hour a week trying to build a bridge with the purpose of sharing your faith. Would you pray for them, invite them out for a meal, bring them into your home, pray with them, and intentionally share the story of the Gospel?

I am happy when someone knows a lot of the Bible, but I am even more joyous when someone comes to know Jesus as their Savior. Faith is a balancing act of learning and sharing.

In the original Karate Kid movie from 1984, we are introduced to Mr. Miyagi. He is a wise older adult who is going to teach Daniel karate in order to defend himself.

In a now iconic series of events, he has Daniel sand the floor, wax the car, paint the fence, and paint his house. Finally, Daniel feels like a slave and wants to get out of the situation. Little does he realize that Mr. Miyagi was using a method to teach him some basic maneuvers. He was having him make a motion over and over to develop his muscles and have a consistent pattern of movement. The shift happens when Mr. Miyagi shows him how it has formed several basic defense strategies for fighting. As it all comes together, it suddenly becomes clear that he is using simple tasks to teach more significant lessons. 

This way of teaching can be used in several disciplines, including spiritual ones.

In discipleship, one of the things I am trying to accomplish with a person is developing daily habits. Going through a book with daily readings forces people to set aside time every day to do spiritual reading. Having a one-year Bible reading group pushes people to read their Bible daily or at least weekly.

I hope that people will not only complete a book or read the Bible one time; it is that they will develop a habit that will stick with them for years to come. The point is not always the task but the mindset and “muscle memory” that is created in the process.

When growing disciples, this pastor uses a little of Mr. Miyagi’s technique. So don’t be disappointed if you do not instantly grow as a believer. Sometimes, your basic movements need to be mastered in order for you to take the next step.  

It happens weekly. I am preaching, and something happens that is a distraction. They come in all forms. Some weeks, it is a cell phone, while other weeks, it is someone going to the bathroom, a child crying, a loud noise, someone walking around, or a hundred different things. In over thirty years of preaching, I think I have seen almost everything while trying to deliver a sermon.

In some senses, it doesn’t usually bother me. I am focused on what I am going to say, and I will be able to get the words out. What bothers me is how it impacts other people. I can watch from the stage as all the eyes look in one direction. The heads will all swivel, and at that moment, I know that no one is hearing what I say. It could be the most valuable piece of information, but it has little impact while everyone is watching little Johnny crying while he dumps his candy on the floor.

What I have come to believe is that our enemy, the devil, will try to use any means necessary to keep the word of the Lord from impacting lives. In fact, in Mark’s account of Jesus’ parable of the soils, he says, “Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.” (Mark 4:15)

Lately, I am starting to approach distractions with less disdain and more prayer. Evil wants to use everything, including Johnny’s candy, to snatch the word of the Lord from people’s lives. Now, each week, in my prayers, I include the worship team and the people running the projection system, but I am also asking God to eliminate distractions from the crowd.

I think any public speaker will tell you how they hate distractions, but instead of complaining, I am using it as an opportunity to pray. I hope you will join me.

Then what happens? What happens after we have confessed our faith, repented of our sins, and been baptized into Jesus? What then?

I explain it by using marriage as an analogy. A wedding is vastly different than a marriage. A wedding is an event. Marriage is a process of becoming one. 

Unfortunately, just like marriage, too many people are focused on the big event and not the long-term commitment.

One pastor friend used to take out a paper calendar. He would tell people, “If you decide to follow Jesus, please understand that impacts every day after. It will impact where you go to college, who you will date, which job you take and where, who you marry, what you will do for fun, and what you will do every Sunday for the rest of your life.”

Following Jesus is more than saying you would like him to save you from your sins. It is daily waking up and saying that you are going to live for him. He is both Savior and Lord.

The park map was laid out with colored walkways. If you start on the red trail, it will lead you back to the parking lot. Start on the blue trail, and you will eventually have to get onto the green trail to get to the parking lot. A dozen trails, all color-coded for where each one would lead you. Every path had a predictable ending.

If only life were so easy. You start heading in one direction, and it is clear exactly where your life will end.

What if it was somewhat predictable?

Would it change our behavior if we knew what would happen if we made certain decisions?

If you knew where these paths led, would you still take them, or would you change?

Some things are clear. When you neglect your spouse emotionally and physically, you will eventually divorce. When a dad is not the leading influencer in his children’s lives, especially girls, they will have long-term issues with self-image. When you say one thing and do another, you lose credibility in the eyes of those around you. When you value everything else over your spiritual life, you will eventually abandon the faith.

Our lives are often quite predictable, which is why counseling and therapy work for so many. The problem is that most of us are convinced that if we are sincere in our efforts, the blue path will go wherever we want, not the one that is already marked out.

Stop lying to yourself and saying, “After this, it will get easier.”

After this season of sports, my kid’s life, my work situation, the holidays, this family transition, or even a season of rest, we are convinced life will be different.

After that current situation, it will be easier to pray, read my Bible, attend a small group, serve in ministry, invite people into my home, or be more generous.

That is a lie you keep telling yourself because it will never be easier. There will always be a new season in which things are a struggle. Time will always be limited.

The difference between people who have a thriving spiritual life and those who don’t is not the number of issues in their lives; it is the willingness to include God in every season they walk through, even the ones where it is difficult to do so.

Instead of being all over the place in your service to the Lord, what if you focused your attention on one or two areas of ministry? Do a few things really well as opposed to lots of things partially.

When I was young, a preacher illustrated it to me with a laser. He would say that light can fill a room, but when it is extremely focused, it can cut through metal.

It is wonderful to attempt several different ministries as you start serving the Lord. When you see an area where you feel gifted and are seeing results, then focus your energies there. Be the best worship leader, children’s teacher, greeter, cook, or whatever you can be for the glory of God.

Determine where God is taking your unique life and skill set and head that way with reckless abandon.