To be a Christian or Disciple of Christ??

"As a new Christian, an individual doesn't take a "second step" toward becoming a disciple. Instead he embarks on a seamless journey of growth that passes through spiritual childhood, adolescence, and adulthood to maturity. Of course, all disciples experience good seasons and bad ones. All enjoy victories and suffer defeats. All experience stagnant times, and even times when they seem to travel in the wrong direction. But a disciple's heart consistently yearns for and desires to please God."

"Discipleship flourish when we present the gospel as a seamless journey of transformation that begins with new life given by God and moves right along with the joy of following Christ everyday...... But because we've preached a different gospel, a vast throng of people think they are Christian/saved/born again when they really aren't! We've made the test for salvation doctrinal rather than behavioral, ritualizing it with walking the aisle, praying to receive Christ, or signing a doctrinal statement. Perhaps we've made it so easy to get into "the life" that we've made it nearly impossible for people to live the life. The life that Jesus calls us to - a life of following Him - a life of humility, sacrifice, submission, and obedience."

Bill Hull

You know what I mean??

"Give me a man in love; he knows what i mean. Give me one who yearns; give me one who is hungry; give me one far away in this desert, who is thirsty and sighs for the spring of the Eternal Country. Give me that sort of man; he knows what i mean. But if i speak to a cold man, he just doesn't know what i am talking about... You are surprised that the world is losing its grip? That the world is grown old? Don't hold onto the old man, the world; don't refuse to regain your youth in Christ, who says to you: "The world is passing away; the world is losing its grip, the world is short of breath." Don't fear, for thy youth shall be renewed as an eagle."
Augustine

The bible

This is God's story, the story of his unfathomable love n grace, mercy n forgiveness- and that is how it also becomes our story. The story tells us that we deserve nothing but get everything; that we deserve hell but get heaven; that we deserve to be wiped out, obliterated, but we get his tender embrace; that we deserve rejection n judgment but get to become his children, to bear his likeness, to call him Father. This is the story of the bible, God's story, which at the same time is also our own.


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