Religion & Spirituality
Over the last two Sundays I have shared the future vision of Illuminate with three simple words: Bigger, Smaller, Deeper. We read about the promise of Jesus to build His church. Because of this, we want to accommodate all those He brings through our doors. As Jesus grows his church the challenge is to stay connected to each other. This is why we want to grow smaller. This was the model Jesus himself used. Yes, Jesus was in a small group. Small groups are the lifeblood of the church. It’s where the “one another’s” of the Christian life take place. Smaller gatherings allow our spiritual roots to deepen so that we can become disciples. “Deeper" is all about becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus. “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 28:19-20 Simply put, a disciple is a learner of someone else. The Greek word used in the New Testament is mathetas and it describes someone who follows in the footsteps of another. Ancient Rabbis said that a good disciple is covered by the dust of his teacher. This is why God put you on this planet. The fact is, we are all followers of someone, even if that someone is yourself. However, when we are covered in the dust of our Rabbi Jesus, our lives will never be the same. We’ve been asking God this simple question: “God, what do you want to do IN us and THROUGH us?” The answer begins with becoming a disciple!