SUMMER 2014
COMPASSION
Loving our neighbors as ourselves
Learning to Treat People Like People
When Compassion Hurts
Discipleship by “Driving Around”
COMPASSION: CARING FAITH IN ACTION
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nd who is my neighbor?”
What is really important to God? It’s a question that’s been asked before. There are two instances in the Gospels (in Matthew and Mark) that record very similar accounts of an expert in Mosaic Law posing this question to Jesus. “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22: 35–40). Jesus’ response quotes Deuteronomy 6:5, reminding the religious leaders of the day that loving God with everything we’ve got has always been the most important thing to God. His response also quotes Leviticus 19:18 to remind them that loving one’s neighbor is equally important. How important? “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” There is, however, another account in the Gospel of Luke that sheds a bit more light on what this ‘loving of our neighbors’ looks like in real life. In this record, the legal expert asks a follow-up question, “But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” (Luke 10:29). Jesus responds with the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan. At the end of His parable, Jesus asks His own follow-up question: “‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’ The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had
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mercy on him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’” (Luke 10:36,37). The parable Jesus told put flesh and bones on the concept of loving your neighbor. It wasn’t just a lofty idea (the Pharisees had plenty of those). The kind of love God was after involved action— selfless action. The Samaritan in Jesus’ story didn’t have an ulterior motive. He didn’t help the injured traveler just so that he could share his philosophy with him. He showed mercy or compassion because it was the right thing to do. His compassion was heartfelt and active. And he reached out to someone who probably made him uncomfortable. This Samaritan—who didn’t know the Law— was fulfilling the Law. He was being a neighbor. Navigators frequently talk about “laboring next door to everywhere”—about reaching out to the people around them wherever they happen to be. What they’re trying to do is to be neighbors to those around them. As you read the stories on the following pages of “neighboring Navigators” we hope you’ll be encouraged to reach out to the people around you as well. Sometimes our acts of compassion and kindness open a door for us to share the Good News of the Gospel. Sometimes they don’t. But what’s important to God is that we love Him with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind—and to love our neighbors as ourselves. And who is your neighbor? The one to whom you can show compassion. D!
Photograph by Sean Sheridan
FOLLOWING JESUS IN TODAY’S WORLD
Compassion in the Tears of Jesus
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s followers of Jesus, we are called to compassion (see 1 Corinthians 12:25-26). If we really desire to be clear reflections of Jesus Christ in our broken world, we will live with mercy and compassion in our hearts, words, and actions. During the final days of Jesus’ life, we see increasing evidence of His compassion for those He came to save. First, we see tender compassion. When Jesus’ good friend Lazarus died, He visited Mary and Martha and Lazarus’ friends. The Scriptures record that the sisters and friends were moved to tears: When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” (John 11:33-36). Jesus felt compassion for those he loved. Second, we see evangelistic compassion. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem for what would be the last time, He paused on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the city, and was caught up with emotion. He considered the many people who would not recognize His coming and the salvation and freedom He was bringing! Jesus said: “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:41-42). Jesus’ heart broke for those who were far from him. Finally, we see sacrificial compassion. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus cries out to God asking to be released from his assigned task, but submits to the will of his Father, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done” (Matthew 26:42). His compassion was more than just empathy. The writer of Hebrews gives this added insight, During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission (Hebrews 5:7). Jesus’ compassion was lived out sacrificially at a dear price. Do you ever wonder what the world’s impression of Jesus and His followers would be if His people wholeheartedly lived out a compassionate love for one another and for those far from God, even at cost to our own lives? Let’s consider the heart of Jesus and do likewise! In His Grip, Doug Nuenke U.S. President, The Navigators
Read more from Doug at blogs.navigators.org/ DougNuenke/Blog
FIELD NOTES
Discipleship by Driving Around by Henry Bouma, Metro Ministry My wife, Jacque, and I had been praying that God would open doors to allow us to connect with kids in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, neighborhood where we live. We regularly open our home to these kids for Bible study, as a place to play basketball or to simply hang out. But who knew that God would lead us into a “ministry of driving around”? One morning, Jacque picked up a young woman from the neighborhood and took her to work. Then at 1:00, she drove a young man and his mother to a doctor’s appointment because they have no vehicle. On the way home the mother asked if Jacque would pick up one of her other kids from school (in the opposite direction). By the time she finally made it home it was around 3:00. But our driving wasn’t done for the day. I arrived home from work around 6:00 just in time to receive a phone call from a young man who needed a ride home from basketball practice because his mother was working. After dropping him at home, I was working around the house when there was a knock at the door. Another young man had walked three miles to our home in the freezing cold because his girlfriend had kicked him out. He asked if I would drive him to his grandmother’s house to spend the night. I did, and then two hours later, he was back at our house because his grandmother had criticized his girlfriend and he didn’t want to stay there. His girlfriend told him he could come back to the apartment, so at 9:30, he and I took off again. On the way we had a great talk about God’s plans for relationships—and how he could have responded differently. A few nights later, Jacque and I had a date night. While we were in the theater I received six calls from a neighborhood teenage boy who was stranded at school and needed a ride. We
put our date on pause and picked him up. On the way to his home, we talked about how young men are supposed to treat young women, and about what it means to be a godly leader in the home (at 16 he is the male head of the house and takes his responsibility very seriously). We resumed our date and later headed for bed around 10:00. Pounding at the door woke us at 11:30. When we opened the door 17-yearold Mohamed stood there with his friend. They’d missed the last bus and asked if we would take them home. On the way, we talked about the last Bible study Mohamed had attended at our house. His friend expressed surprise that I wasn’t mad about being awakened so late, but Mohamed told him, “I knew Henry wouldn’t be mad—he cares about us!” On the way home I thought about our prayer that God would open doors to allow us to connect with kids in our neighborhood. I thanked God for His faithfulness in answering that prayer—but who knew that open door would be on our car? “Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well” (1Thessalonians 2:8). D!
Henry and Jacque Bouma’s car has become a vehicle to reach out to kids in their neighborhood.
For more about The Bouma family visit my.navigators.org/bouma
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FOLLOWING JESUS IN TODAY’S WORLD
FIELD NOTES NOTES Sometimes Compassion Means Stepping Into Someone Else’s Pain by Lorae Kinseth, Communications Department Writer/Editor “The deeply rooted inner trauma of being mentally and physically abused by an alcoholic stepfather during my childhood and teenage years had scarred me with a constant cloud of self-doubt, depression, and confusion,“ says Julia*. “I was moving through life never finding joy in anything.” Then Julia met Navigator Anna Marie Peterson, who invited her to walk through a discipleship and counseling program in her home. “My experience with Anna Marie helped me break some extremely powerful strongholds that had me in bondage all my life,” Julia says. “I couldn’t relate to God because I thought He couldn’t love me like He loved other people because I wasn’t worthy. I now feel His love, His protection, His empowerment and most of all, His peace.” Anna Marie could tell countless stories like this one. Instead of looking away in shock, she steps into the distress and enters the pain. “Family abuse is present in all areas of life,” Anna Marie says. “Every Sunday morning, domestic violence and abuse enter the doors of the church. It’s important to realize that we are in a fallen world.” More than four decades ago, Anna Marie was the victim—beaten and silenced by a family member she was supposed to be able to trust. “I tried to disciple young women, but kept what happened to me a secret because of the shame associated with it,” Anna Marie says. “It’s only been in the last 15 years that I’ve begun to talk about it and work on it through discipleship.” 4 | D I S C I PL E! | S U M M ER 2 014
Working as a Navigator under the umbrella of Church Discipleship Ministry (CDM) and as an advocate with the domestic violence advocacy program within her church denomination, Anna Marie labors on behalf of families who pay the price of forced silence and denial. Things get very personal when she works with individual women in the living room of her home. She guides broken women (no more than four at a time) through 28 three-hour study/discussion sessions that explore the nature and effects of abuse. The sessions also focus on the healing path of facing brokenness, rebuilding intimacy with God, and finding forgiveness. Scripture memory cards for each session remind the women of God’s promises as their wounds begin to heal. “In the midst of crisis, the response most needed by a victim of domestic violence is to be heard, believed, and supported,” Anna Marie says. “These women need practical advice about safety issues, but they also need help understanding their situation from a theological perspective. They need a spiritual advocate. “God is moving among churches across the country,” Anna Marie says. “It is so helpful when I can partner with the church. We can do so much more together.” It’s not a squeaky clean ministry. It’s heart-breaking. It’s next door to everywhere. But so are The Navigators. “I’m looking for lifelong laborers,” Anna Marie says. “That’s what I’m doing—four women at a time.” D! *Julia’s name has been changed to protect her privacy.
For more information visit churchdiscipleshipministry.org
LEARNING TO TREAT PEOPLE
LIKE PEO
We don’t treat people like people very often. Instead, we often treat others as objects. We’re only interested in them for what they can do for us. And sometimes we treat people as projects. There were times in my life when I treated people as objects—even when sharing the Gospel. To be honest, I wasn’t always concerned about what happened in someone’s heart. Instead, I was concerned about “being a witness for Christ.” It didn’t matter if the person I’d talked to understood what I’d shared or if it had any impact on his life. I’d “shared the Gospel.” However, if we have anything but that other person’s very best interests at heart, when we share the Gospel, we are in danger of treating them as something other than what they really are—a person. Sometimes we treat people as projects—part of an objective to be accomplished. We tend to think that the key to completing a project is efficiency. We reason that if we can organize the process, get everything well-defined and mapped out, we’ll be able to “get the job done.” That’s an illusion. My wife and I spent 10 years as Navigator missionaries in Brazil, and for five of those years we didn’t even have a telephone. If we wanted to get even a short message to someone, we’d get in the car, drive across town, and deliver the message face-to-face. Instead of taking three minutes it took us 45 minutes. That’s not very efficient. But when we drove across town to deliver that threeminute message, we’d actually spend more time with the person. Instead of taking three minutes to pass on
PEOPLE
EOPLE
By Jim Petersen
information, we’d spend 20 minutes talking—finding out how that individual was actually doing. That doesn’t happen in a three-minute phone conversation. We were constantly relating to people—not just passing on information. In my early days as a Navigator I trained young men who lived in our home. We did everything “right.” I’d regularly meet oneon-one with each of the young men. We’d do Bible study. I’d check their Scripture memory. I’d ask what was going on in their personal ministry. Then I’d pass on some spiritual lesson to them to help them grow. I hadn’t known any of these men before they moved in with us. They were strangers when they came to our house. And they were strangers when they left. I sensed that something wasn’t quite right, but I didn’t know what it was. After all, we were doing everything “right.” Then, as one of the men was moving out, he said to me, “You don’t love us.” He was right. I was too focused on them as projects rather than people whom God loved personally. The men who lived in my home never really saw me as Jim Petersen. I learned an important lesson. If I’m concerned about myself, or my agenda, I’ll never be able to relate to people.
The apostle Paul understood this. He wrote, “…because our Gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake” (1 Thessalonians 1:5). He also wrote, “Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well” (1 Thessalonians 2:8). These early disciples didn’t just get information from Paul, they got to see what kind of person he was. How do we treat people like people? We need to treat them the way God treats us. We tend to judge them. But God treats us with mercy—with compassion. Should I treat the people around me with anything less? The judgments we hold against others destroys our ability to relate to them. The apostle Paul provides a key to reaching others—to treating people like people. “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became
weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:20–22). As you read that, think: Who adjusted to whom? We’re sometimes uncomfortable around the people we’re trying to reach. We want them to change to make us comfortable. But Paul suggests that it’s the one bearing the Good News who remains uncomfortable. He adjusts to the lifestyle and the mentality of the person he’s trying to reach. Everything that a man does—all his immorality, all of his sin—is only the symptom of his alienation from God. And no wise doctor treats symptoms. We need to accept people as they are. That’s what Jesus did with the woman at the well. He didn’t condemn her. He accepted her. He made her feel comfortable with Him. Then He told her, to “go and sin no more.” We have to learn how to do that. D! Adapted from Jim Petersen’s message The Essence of Love in Discipleship Library.
For more information visit discipleshiplibrary.com
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BESIDE BETHESDA: A CONVERSATION WITH
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JONI EARECKSON T I wondered how in the world a loving God could refuse the prayers of a paralytic. Why would He deny a sincere request for healing?
It can be hard to show compassion to others when we struggle to understand and experience God’s compassion ourselves. Joni Eareckson Tada shares a bit of her own struggle to understand how God dealt with her at a time when she desperately needed His compassion. Disciple!: Where did the title for your new book originate? Joni Eareckson Tada: It’s very personal. When I was stuck in the hospital with a broken neck, 47 years ago, I used to lie in bed, picturing myself beside the pool of Bethesda [a pool with miraculous, curative powers described in John 5]—desperately hoping that I would be healed. But as often as I prayed and pleaded with God to fix my problem and change my situation, I never did walk. D!: How did this apparent absence of God’s compassion and involvement affect you?
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JET: I was dumbstruck! I wondered how in the world a loving God could refuse the prayers of a paralytic. Why would He deny a sincere request for healing? Why doesn’t God make things easier? Why doesn’t He change painful circumstances? D!: Where did these kind of questions lead you in regard to your faith? JET: I realized I wasn’t the only person asking questions like this. But questions like these really pushed me deep into God’s Word. I wanted to understand what the Bible has to say about healing. D!: Did spending significant amounts of time digging into the Scriptures result in any kind of a breakthrough? JET: God was gracious! Slowly I began to understand God’s priorities when it comes to fixing our physical problems. I discovered that God is interested in a deeper healing—a profound, fundamental change that lasts
N TADA for all eternity. I’ve experienced that, and it’s given me so much joy and contentment—as well as a ministry of encouragement and hope to so many others—during the last 47 years. D!::Is that what Beside Bethesda is really about? JET: This book is a 31-day journey that helps a reader understand God’s priorities when it comes to everyday problems. I want to show how perseverance and endurance—and an earnest, rigorous reliance on Jesus Christ—is the pathway through pain to lasting pleasures in God. I want to show readers that there really are more important things in life than walking! Beside Bethesda will be available September 1, 2014. Pre-orders are available today at Barnes and Noble.
NAV UPDATE Reading the Gospel of John with 30,000 of Our Friends Collegiate Ministry
Earlier this year Navigators at Penn State University presented a challenge to the Christian students there: Ask a friend to read the Gospel of John with you for 21 days in a row. In preparation for this challenge, 30,000 copies of the Gospel of John, printed by the Pocket Testament League, were distributed to almost every student. Campus leader Morgan Forney sensed God was doing something big when Navigator students joined forces with 12 other campus ministries and partnered with local churches in prayer as plans unfolded. Organizers also recruited 30,000 people to pray for each student who would receive a Gospel booklet, created discussion groups for those who would have questions as they read, and sent a daily email devotional to each person who signed up to take the challenge. Morgan is quick to mention that the 21-Day Challenge is also done on other campuses and through other ministries, and that PSU Navs were surrounded by strong support from start to finish. “There’s been a movement of unity in a handful of churches that partnered together in praying for us,” Morgan says. “The student body was really open and responsive. God was the source of the idea, and He changed hearts.” Some Christian students were shy about sharing their faith. Many who were inconsistent in their own devotional times found new excitement in reading God’s Word and reaching out to classmates, coworkers, and family members. “Many of these students are Christians who are walking with God, but had never seen God use them in the life of someone else,” says Morgan. “It’s one thing to try to share your faith with someone, but this challenge helped them approach the Word of God, too.” Many of today’s students are hesitant to share their faith because they don’t want others to feel judged, Morgan says.
“I tell students that if the Gospel of Jesus is your hope, foundation, and the very thing you stand on for your eternity and for your life itself, it doesn’t make sense to live alongside people and never mention anything about it,” Morgan says. “But when you’re reaching out to your friends, you don’t have to be weird! If you talk to your friends about it like it’s a normal everyday life thing, they find that really intriguing.” Peggy, a senior at Penn State, found herself reaching out to a student from East Asia she saw reading the Gospel of John at the student union building. The student was having a hard time understanding biblical concepts culturally, and wasn’t familiar with many words she was reading. “I explained what Pharisees were, and what anointed meant,” Peggy says. “She asked how long I had trusted in Jesus. I shared with her, and she told me that when she finished reading, she wanted to be able to trust Jesus, too. We exchanged emails and I put her in contact with a Christian woman from her country to help her as well.” One student’s 87-year-old grandmother, who had never read the Bible in her life, agreed to take the challenge. An ROTC student gave a Gospel of John to every superior officer in the program, and invited more than 300 ROTC students to consider meeting to read the Bible together. People from at least 20 nations took the challenge. With fires of interest lit, many students joined ongoing Bible studies. A handful of students made a commitment to Christ, and others took their first steps toward Him. “I’ve easily heard 100 stories worth sharing,” Morgan says. “I’m sure there are hundreds more we’ll never know this side of heaven.” D!
For more information visit campusnavs.org
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Money Matters
Living a Better Financial Story by Matt Bell, Associate Editor, Sound Mind Investing
I was really captivated by the concept of “living a good story” when I read Donald Miller’s book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. After returning from a storytelling workshop, Don got together with his friend Jason and learned of some trouble he and his wife were having with their 13-year-old daughter. She was dating a guy who was bad news and was even experimenting with drugs. Don made an offhand comment that Jason’s daughter wasn’t living a very good story. Jason was intrigued and asked Don to tell him more about the elements of a good story.
Writing a More Compelling Script A few months later, Don saw Jason again and things had changed. Jason said his family was living a better story. Now it was Don’s turn to be intrigued. Jason explained that during their previous conversation it dawned on him that he hadn’t mapped out a very compelling story for his family. So his daughter had chosen her own, one in which she was wanted, even if she was only being used. Jason decided to create a better story to invite her into. One night he heard about an organization that builds orphanages and discovered it costs $25,000 to build one. On the spot decided his family would fund one—even though they didn’t have the money. It sounded like a story worth living.
Character Development When Jason told his wife and daughter his plan, they were furious. He realized (a little late) the mistake of not including his wife in the decision! However, after explaining he felt their lives had become too comfortable, predictable— and most importantly, that they weren’t helping anyone—his wife got on board. Soon, his daughter got interested—to the point that she wanted to visit the country where the orphanage would be built, take pictures of the kids, and post them on her web site to see if others would help. Then she broke up with her boyfriend. As Jason explained it, “No girl who plays the role of a hero dates a guy who uses her. She knows who she is. She just forgot for a little while.”
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Living for Something Bigger Than We Are As I read that story, I remembered the words of Martin Seligman, one of the leading researchers on human happiness. Stressing the importance of living an other-centered life, he said a meaningful life is one that attaches itself to something larger than we are, and the larger that something is, the more meaning in our lives. Jesus put it this way: “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). Recently, while having dinner with my family, we began talking about Aziz, a boy we sponsor from Burkina Faso. When we’ve sent him extra money in the past, he’s sent back pictures of what he did with the money. One shows him with soap he bought for his family, another with extra rice. My wife mentioned that Aziz had a birthday coming up and our tenyear-old was quick to suggest that we all chip in to send him some extra money. All three of our kids were genuinely excited about taking some money out of their piggy banks to contribute to the cause. We’re not building an orphanage. We’re just sending a few bucks to one young boy who has so much less than we have. But it’s a good step, a very tangible way we can work as a family to invest in something larger than ourselves.
What Financial Story Are You Living? If you listen to the chatter of our culture, it’s easy to think money is mostly for stuff we want for ourselves — cars, clothes, vacations, and such. It isn’t that we should feel guilty for spending money on those things. But God’s Word teaches us to make generosity a higher priority, to orient our use of money in an other-centered way. At first, it feels countercultural to live like that. But the closer we walk with Christ, the more we get it: We know we were made for a bigger story. We just forget sometimes. D! Matt Bell is associate editor at Sound Mind Investing (www.soundmindinvesting.com). He also speaks on college campuses and at churches throughout the country. Contact him at (mbell@soundmindinvesting.com).
WHEN
COMPASSION HURTS by Sarah Matthews
I broke down a few months ago while I sat in the home of a family that had just lost their fiveyear-old son. It may sound callous, but I wasn’t actually mourning the loss of the child—as sad and traumatic as that was. I was mourning for the living. To understand that, you need to understand a little bit about funeral customs in the area of the world where we live. The deceased’s body is temporarily covered with a clean sheet, and is supposed to be buried as soon as possible after death. The body is laid on its right side in the grave—without a coffin if local law permits—facing a specific direction. Survivors are discouraged from erecting tombstones or leaving flowers or other mementos at the burial site. Instead, they are expected to pray for the deceased. One losing a spouse is expected to mourn for about four months. The prayers, however, are not prayers of thankfulness or hope. Survivors pray and plead that the deceased did enough to enter heaven. That’s what happened at the funeral of this fiveyear-old boy. But I found myself praying—and crying—not for the boy who had died, but for the living. All the men gathered outside, while the women went inside to comfort the mother and to pray. As I entered the house I saw women sitting on the floor, close to the mother and the body of the dead child. Many women left an offering of some kind. Some picked up a book of prayers and sat by the mother and child—praying for the dead boy.
Because their prayers were in a language I didn’t understand, I couldn’t grasp the specific words. Instead I sat, looking into the eyes of the others in the room. And I began to cry. I didn’t just “tear up”—I wept. I was overwhelmed. All the people in that room were lost. They were fearful of the future. They were unsure of their fate. They were worried about whether or not they had done enough good to enter heaven. There was no hope. And it broke my heart. My heart was heavy with longing for those in that room to know Jesus Christ and the freedom and hope that come from knowing our Savior. I wanted to stand up and shout out Jesus’ name to everyone in that room. I didn’t do that, but I sat there trying to control my tears, and prayed for all the women in that room that evening. I don’t always have a heart of compassion like Jesus does. But I think I caught a glimpse of how His heart breaks when He looks at those who have no hope. I was reminded of His response when he saw multitudes of lost people: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). I pray that my heart will break daily for what breaks God’s heart. And I pray that I will do something about it! D!
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pray that my heart will break daily for what breaks God’s heart.
For more information visit NavMissions.org
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WHOLE LIFE
DISCIPLESHIP Discipling for Development a Ministry of The Navigators
Wezzie and Andy Nyirenda work with individuals in rural Malawi. When Wezzie shared her faith with a woman in one of the villages it ended up impacting her whole life.
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It seemed like no one cared about Martha Nyakaluwa. A widow raising four grandchildren in Kasangamala, Malawi, she often could not afford enough food, let alone school supplies for her grandchildren. When Wezzie Nyirenda and other members of The Navigators Discipling for Development team began visiting homes in her village, Martha shared her struggles. When Wezzie and the group shared their faith with her, Martha saw the love of God. Their compassion demonstrated that they were on her side. About that time, the village elected Martha to serve as a member of the community development committee that was working with the Discipling for Development team. As part of that committee, Martha began to study the Bible, pray, and fellowship with the group. But she also began to learn agricultural and business skills. Over time, Martha grew into a successful woman in her village. By developing her God-given skills, she now has enough fresh produce to feed her family, and even extra she can sell—allowing her to buy things for her grandchildren. For Martha, “Immanuel” is more than just another name for Jesus. She knows that God is with her. When you look at the life of Jesus, it’s pretty obvious that He was concerned with more than just the “spiritual” dimension of peoples’ lives. It’s not that what people believed wasn’t important, but the Gospels paint a picture of Jesus that demonstrates He cared about more
than merely an adherence to correct doctrine. He cared about a person’s whole life. He healed the sick (Matthew 14:14). He fed people (Matthew 14:15–20). He even wept with people (John 11:33-35). He taught about the importance of justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23). Discipling for Development strives to follow that example—ministering to the whole person. Although we serve people in poor, rural areas of Africa, there are no “hand-outs.” Instead, we help individuals and communities recognize the assets God has already given them. Then we help them discover how to become biblical stewards of those assets in order to solve their own problems. We help them see how the Gospel applies to every aspect of their lives. Martha’s story isn’t an isolated incident. She is only one of 12 community development members in Kasangamala. Each member is experiencing transformation in many aspects of life. They have all seen their little group’s steps of faith multiplied in the lives of new spiritual generations of disciples who see their whole lives impacted by the Gospel. Wezzie Nyirenda says, “We thank God that we can be used by Him to reach out to people like Martha and walk with them toward a wonderful future of attaining what God intends them to be.” D! For more information visit disciplingfordevelopment.org
Resources for Today’s Disciple We all need help living out our faith. Here are resources to help you pursue a deeper walk with God.
Books
Lifestyle Discipleship, Encouraging Others to Spiritual Maturity by Jim Petersen How can you influence people who care little about religion let alone their personal spiritual growth? Maybe it’s time to set your agenda aside and focus on where others really are. Jim Petersen looks at how our assumptions about discipleship stack up against what the Scriptures have to say.
To Be a Friend, Building Deep and Lasting Relationships
by Jerry and Mary White Friendship isn’t simply a rational process. While reasoning and discerning play a part in our choices of friends, feelings and emotions are strong elements as well. Friendship choices rest on principles and concepts. They can’t be manufactured. There is no magic formula. Friendships take effort. But they are priceless. Jerry and Mary White probe the great adventure of being and having friends.
Downloadable Navigator Tools
Audio Messages
The Prayer Hand® Illustration Many believers find that prayer can be one of the hardest spiritual disciplines. The Prayer Hand is an easy-to-remember visual reminder of five essential aspects of prayer: confession, petition, intercession, thanksgiving and praise. This is a helpful tool for invigorating your prayer life.
The Essence of Love If you enjoyed Jim Petersen’s article Treating People as People, you may enjoy hearing the entire message from which that article was taken. The Essence of Love can be found in The Discipleship Library.
30 Days of Praying the Names and Attributes of God
One of the best ways to motivate ourselves to reach out to others is to be reminded of the nature and character of the great God we serve. This simple tool will guide you through a month of focusing on the attributes of God. It’s a great reminder of why we want to share the Gospel with others.
The Bible at a Glance LeRoy Eims provides brief overviews of every book of the Bible—along with the historical context in which the book was written. It’s a great way to begin a personal study of any book of the Bible. Each overview is only 3–4 minutes long and sets the stage for what you’ll discover as you study.
CHECK OUT ANY OF THESE RESOURCES AT my.navigators.org/discipleresources MY. N AV I GATO R S .O RG/ D I S C I PL E
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D!2GO
TAKE IT AND USE IT
WISDOM
STATURE
FAVOR WITH GOD
FAVOR WITH MAN
How can I pray for—or practically meet—this person’s intellectual needs? 1. ____________________________ 2. ____________________________ 3. ____________________________
How can I pray for—or practically meet—this person’s spiritual needs? 1. ____________________________ 2. ____________________________ 3. ____________________________
How can I pray for—or practically meet—this person’s physical needs? 1. ____________________________ 2. ____________________________ 3. ____________________________
How can I pray for—or practically meet—this person’s relational needs? 1. ____________________________ 2. ____________________________ 3. ____________________________
DISCIPLESHIP IS MULTI-DIMENSIONAL He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me (Colossians 1:28, 29). The true goal of discipleship is to help men and women become more like Jesus. But what does it mean to become “like Jesus?” Jesus was not one-dimensional. Scripture says, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).
SUMMER 2014
How can you help someone become more like Jesus? If you’re in a mentoring relationship or a peer-to-peer relationship with another believer, you can use the illustration above as a visual reminder of the four areas for which you can pray for someone’s needs: intellectual, physical, spiritual and relational.
MINISTRY MATERIALS
We often tell others, “I’ll pray for you,” but then we don’t know specifically what to pray. Jot down one or two words in each of these areas as specific reminders of what you can pray for the people God has placed in your life.
TO USE ON YOUR OWN OR IN YOUR SMALL GROUP
And if you’re in a mentoring relationship with a younger believer, you can use this prayer guide as a springboard for planning specific activities that will help your friend grow spiritually!
Copy this discussion guide for your own use or share with your small group. The page is set to fit on letter sized paper. Or download a FREE PDF from online at my.navigators.org/d2go.
Copyright © 2014. Chief Development Officer: Jim Young; Donor Stewardship Director: Stephanie Rich; Editor: Mike Smith; Art Director: Efrain Garcia; Memberships: Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and Evangelical Fellowship of Missions Agencies. The Navigators • P.O. Box 6000, Colorado Springs, CO 80934. www.navigators.org Feedback or Story Ideas? Email us at info@navigators.org. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International MY. N AV I GATO R S .O RG/ D I S C I PL E Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
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