SERIES OVERVIEW- No Excuses

Followers of Jesus have a few very clear commands. Scripture dictates that as believers, our primary purpose is to be and make disciples. As disciples of Jesus, we are commanded to love God and love others. While on the surface these commands seem simple, many of us are not quite living like true disciples. While we say we love God and may truly want to show that to others, our lives reflect a different set of priorities.

When confronted about our lack of spiritual growth or shortcomings as representatives of Jesus, more times than not, we are quick to come up with a reason our lives do not look like they should.

• We are too busy and don’t have time to read our Bibles.
• We cannot be at church because a practice is mandatory or we simply have to work.
• We cannot possibly share Jesus with others because we just don’t know what to say.

But what are these reasons really? Excuses.

No matter how strong or valid the excuse seems, it is still just an excuse. The truth is, if we are not living as disciples who love God, love others, and make disciples, we are choosing to prioritize other things before God. So what is the fix? How can we grow beyond just saying we love God to actually living it out? How do our lives become shaped into something that is undoubtedly Jesus-focused?

It is time to get disciplined. The word disciple shares the same root word as the word discipline. Disciples are students of what or who they follow. Discipline is the training and instruction a student receives. The difference between someone who SAYS they are good at something and a person who IS good at something is training, practice, and hard work. They put in the work even when they do not feel like it. In other words, the only way to become mature or skilled in anything is discipline.

How do followers of Jesus become mature disciples? THEY STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND THEY BECOME DISCIPLINED.

It is time to put away the excuses and to stop trying to fool others into thinking that we are okay and on track with this whole Jesus thing even though our lives do not bear fruit. It is time to truly put Jesus first and shape up as we shape into people who are unmistakably about the Gospel and Gods glory. Lets stop talking about and lets do it.

James 1:22 says, But do not just listen to Gods word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. Join us as we study the disciplines outlined by Gods Word and commit to not being just a hearer any longer. No excuses: be a doer.