High schools, colleges, and homes across the country have workout rooms; that house stationary bikes, weights, benches, treadmills and other types of equipment to assist people in conditioning their bodies for athletic competition and healthy lives. If you were to take inventory of your spiritual workout room, what would you find? Are you equipped for the opposition of the kingdom of darkness? Can you answer the tough questions of family and friends? Do you have faith, or strength to endure the difficulties that life brings? Are you discipling others to live out their faith and grow deeper in their understanding of God and His word?

The trend in today’s church is that most pastors would prefer to preach and teach rather than disciple people, according to the latest Barna report. Equipping, and building up of believers begins with pastors; and the church becomes weak when the passion for discipleship wanes. Discipleship is not only the job of the pastor, but it is their primary job! They need to equip and inspire the entire congregation in a deeper understanding of Jesus and how to live Him out daily in our lives. The same responsibility is laid on all those who are in adult and youth ministry to not only share the good news but also to disciple all who make a decision for Christ. Pastors are not the only ones to be blamed for the state of the church today. 

It is also the job of every follower of Christ to equip themselves to go into the world to made disciples. Discipleship is the place of furnishing the believer. Yes, it is work but it is also the most satisfying task that God calls us to do. Think of the people you will meet who will learn and then go and make other disciples! 

Matthew 28:19-20 “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 lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

Ephesians 4:11-15 And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles. 

God should be able to call us to go to any place, and send anyone our way and find us ready, to do the work of ministry. Remember that is WORK!!!!

After evaluating your spiritual workout room, if you have found yourself lacking in any area for growth and discipleship, we would love to offer you the Anchorsaway Worldview Bootcamp as a way to help you be better prepared. We also have the Unanswered: Smoke, Mirrors, and God series to assist your small groups or family Bible studies.

I am thankful for all of you who are faithful to our ministry. Because of your prayers, offers to help out in our office and your financial support, we can continue reaching hundreds of students every year. Please keep praying and giving to us in any way you can. You are making a huge difference in our ministry. Every dollar we raise makes a difference. Please join us in this effort.  Click here to donate. Thank you so much.

Blessings and much love!

Nancy