Kaleo...

I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenges and promises of this series. Kaleo, the Greek word for calling, is a dynamic message series from Lifechurch.tv. I am excited about the possibilities of our people truly capturing the essence of this last message; Called to Make Disciples. In just a couple of short hours I will exhort our community of faith to be disciples and to make disciples. There is a stark difference in being a cultural Christian and a disciple of Christ. Every individual follower of Christ, Christian family, community of faith, church and denomination is commissioned by Christ and empowered by His Holy Spirit to go and make disciples. Unfortunately, we have programmed discipleship into a two-hour structured process of the physical church. By this, I mean, we rely on Sunday School and Family Training Hour (Wednesday evening classes) to function as our discipleship. Creative churches (yes, sense the hint of sarcasism) program "organic" discipleship programs within homes, calling them small groups. While this is seems to be a better approach it still, at times, missses the point of our Great Commission. Christ's intentional (incarnational) model of missional discipleship is all inclusive. When I recall the term, "all-inclusive", I experience warm memories of my honeymoon. However, Christ's approach to disciple-making is quite simple: everything, everywhere, everyone and everyway provides an opportunity for a teaching experience. Not only is discipleship sitting around in a circle, (or in neatly formed rows anticipating a lecture) and discussing passages of Scripture. Discipleship, at the fundamental level, is learning to do life in the image of God within the community of faith. Often churches preach well about loving God and others, however, we have forgotten to instruct how to love our neighbor as ourselves. Isn't this the second greatest commandment and like the first, effectually making the basis of the Great Commission the Great Commandment? We have forgotten to live in community, bearing one another's burdens, prefering our brother over ourself, demonstrating that we are truly His disciples because we have love one for another.

If Turkey Creek Community Church captures the essence of this message and we become empowered disciple makers, our community will be supernaturally revolutionized by the power of the Holy Spirit and our godly witness. Pray for us.