Strength In Numbers

“Two are better than one…if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! … A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Putting things in place to help establish godly habits is a necessary step to take if you want to be a growing disciple of Jesus Christ. No one will ever make sure you are progressing in that area unless you give someone permission and meet on a regular basis. Accountability relationships can be a great help in your Christian journey. Have you taken the time to establish relationships with key individuals who will help to sharpen you in life?

John Wesley was away from home a lot because he traveled and spoke at different revivals. He was especially vulnerable and tempted in many ways. He lived in the eighteenth century and was a very popular revival preacher. Many would say that there are more things to tempt you today. While this may be true, the enemy and his tactics are still the same. It is the same battle, there are just different weapons being used. Sin is sin. With that in mind, John made sure he set up a relationship with a group of men to keep himself accountable. He lived out Proverbs 27:17 which reads, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

Wesley once noted, “Preaching like an apostle, without joining together those that are awakened, and training them in the way of God, is only begetting children for the murder.” He knew that most of those converted in his meetings would never reach spiritual maturity if left on their own. That’s why he organized classes similar to what we would today call discipleship classes or disciple groups. In the periodical, The Radical Wesley, Howard Snyder writes, “The classes normally met one evening each week for an hour or so. Each person reported on his or her spiritual progress, or on particular needs or problems, and received the support and prayers of the others. Advice or reproof was given as needed, and after an hour spent in this labor of love, they concluded with prayer and thanksgiving.” Without the class meeting, the scattered fires of renewal would have burned out long before the movement was able to make a deep impact on the nation.

Our church has been experiencing a lot of growth in the past few years. One of the main goals of our leadership is to work at getting people connected at some level. We are not meant to be an island. We work hard at providing circles for people to enter into relationships and connections that will help them to grow in their relationship with the Lord and each other. You just never know when you are going to be in a challenging situation when you need someone to bounce things off of or process a major event unfolding in your life. The challenge of establishing godly habits in your life is reason enough to have an ongoing relationship with a group of people in the faith.

Let me encourage you to check out our Discipleship Classes on Sunday morning. If you have children, then they will be able to meet in age level groups as well. No matter what service you attend, there is a class for you to attend that will help you in your faith journey. Don’t settle for mediocrity — do whatever it takes to be growing follower of Jesus Christ.

I am looking forward to a great day on Sunday.

Joy in Jesus!

Pastor Mike

www.findlayfirstnaz.org