Terry Scheuffele

Make Disciples

Matthew 28:18-20

Introduction

• The Marching Orders for the Church: To Make Disciples
  1. Not Optional (v. 18)
  2. Not One Dimensional (vv.19-20)
• Three Dimensions of Disciple Making

I.   Going – Pre-Outreach

• Praying – Ask to See the Opportunity.
• Preparing – Make yourself ready for the task.
• Participating – Be involved in people’s lives.

II.  Baptizing – Outreach Proper

• Conversing – Tell the Good News.
• Confronting – Help people see their need.
• Converting – Explain what it means to respond.

III. Teaching – Post Outreach

• Modeling – Show them how a Christian acts.
• Mentoring – Teach them how a Christian acts.
• Motivating – Encourage them to act like a Christian

Conclusion

• God Expects you to Make Disciples.
• God Has Equipped you to Make Disciples.
• There is no Excuse NOT to Make

This week we begin a new series of lessons entitled, Outreach 2022.  It is our prayer that Covid-19 is becoming less of factor in the world and visitors will be more comfortable returning to church services and functions. This provides us with an opportunity to be more active in our personal outreach to friends, family, and colleagues.  These lessons are designed to motivate and equip us for the task.

The command to make disciples is not optional for the child of God. Jesus gave us our marching orders in Matthew 28:18-20.  We are to “make disciples of all nations.”  A disciple is a follower of Jesus.  Three participle phrases modify this command – going, baptizing, and teaching. This is how we are to make disciples.  I have summarized these as pre-outreach, outreach, and post-outreach.  We are to seek the lost, convert the lost, and help mature the saved into faithful disciples of Jesus.

There is something we all can do in this process. Let’s explore this together!  I’ll say more in my lesson.

I hope you will join us!  Joey

A Lifetime of Character

Introduction

• Resolutions Require Change, but it is Hard to Change.
• Doing Change God’s Way
• In the previous lesson we began to make specific applications of these principles. Today, we will conclude this series.

I.   Application: Time with God
(Colossians 3:1-4; Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12; Daniel 6:10; Acts 1:14; Acts 3:1)

• Analyze: Why Do we NOT have Regular, Scheduled Prayer?
  • We Don’t Realize the Importance.
  • We are too Busy.
  • We Lack Discipline (Will Power).
  • We Have Not Created the Habit.
  • We Don’t Know What to Do.
• Plan: We Must Create a System or Process
  • Intellectual – Do Some Research.
  • Physical – Is there a Physical Issue?
  • Spiritual – Is there a Spiritual Issue?
  • Social – Where can I Get Support?
• Implement: Work the Plan
  • Begin Small (Micro-Habits).
  • Practice the Habit (21 Days).
  • Evaluate Your Progress.
  • Make Changes as Necessary.
  • Increase time, depth, and Intensity once the habit has taken hold.

II.  Application: Christian Virtues to Make Habitual
(Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Peter 1:5-9)

Conclusion

• Transforming Change (Ro 12:1-2)
• What You Do Every Day Will Change Your Life.
• Are You Doing Change God’s Way?

Sunday, we bring to a close our series on Doing Change God’s Way with a final message on A Lifetime of Character.

In our series, we have discussed six principles necessary for Doing Change God’s Way: (1) God is Pro-Change!  In fact he demands, enables, and welcomes change. (2) Change requires involving many areas in our lives, including – intellectual, physical, spiritual, and social dimensions. (3) Setting goals is not sufficient; we must have a system or process for achieving those goals and work it every day! (4) We need to set priorities in our lives and within the areas we wish to change and learn to distinguish between the urgent, important, and the unimportant. (5) Willpower is a must, but we must use willpower effectively. Willpower is like a muscle that can grow stronger, but also fatigue. (6) The secret to maximizing your willpower is by using it to create and modify habits.

In this message we will apply these principles to spending time with God and virtues that will lead to a lifetime of character.

I hope you will join us!  Joey

New Sermon Series Beginning March 6th

The Sin That Entangles

Introduction

• Resolutions Require Change, but it is Hard to Change
• Doing Change God’s Way
• Last week we discussed habits and change; today we will begin to make specific applications to some difficult sins.

I.  Review: Principles for Change

• Know that God Demands, Grants, and Welcomes Change.
• Achieve Balance as Fully Integrated Beings.
• Focus on System or Process Instead of Goals Alone.
• Set Priorities. Choose between the Urgent, Important, and Unimportant.
• Understand the Limits of Willpower.
• Engineer New Habits; Modify Old Ones (Romans 12:1-2).

II.  Application: Eliminating the Sin that Entangles Us

• Identify the Sin (He 12:1).
• Repent (Matthew 3:1-8; 2 Corinthians 7:10; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Matthew 3:8; Romans 12:1-2).
• Build New / Transform Old Habits (PLAN) – Change Cues, Routines, and/or Rewards.
• Ask Help from Others (Accountability; James 5:16-17).
• Ask God’s Help in Transformation (2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Corinthians 10:13).
• Ask God’s Forgiveness When You Fail (1 John 1:9).
• Repeat, Adjust Plan, Don’t Give Up.

Conclusion

• Lessons to Take Home
  • You Can Change Your Life.
  • You Can Overcome Bad Habits & Sins.
  • It takes Planning and Work.
  • It takes Dependence on God.
• Are You Doing Change God’s Way?

Creating new habits and modifying old ones are the best uses of will-power to bring about lasting change in our lives.  Romans 12:2 is a model for this approach, Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The key is the “renewing of your mind” which, in this series, I have defined as “repentance.” This renewing also involves being mindful of the cues, routines, and rewards associated with our behavior and being present in the moment to consistently modify one or more of these to produce a new behavior.

How does this work in real life?  Sunday’s lesson is an application of these principles to some of the areas in our lives we might want to change.  It is entitled, The Sin that Entangles.

Hebrews 12:1  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

I hope you will join us!  Joey

Habits And Change

Introduction

• Resolutions Require Change, but it is Hard to Change.
• Doing Change God’s Way
• Last week we discussed willpower and change; today we will discuss habits and change.

I.   God Made us Habitual Beings.

II.  Godly Living Requires Breaking Bad Habits and Engineering Good Habits.

• Breaking and Building Habits (Romans 12:1-2)
• Bad Habits Enslave You (John 8:34-36).
• Habits Control Your Behavior (Roman 6:16-17).
• Don’t Be Mastered by Anything (1 Corinthians 6:12).
• Intentional Habits (1 Corinthians 9:26-27)

III.  Biblical Examples of Habitual Behavior

1. Prayer is a Habit (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
2. Good Thoughts are Habits (Philippians 4:8).
3. Church Attendance is a Habit (Hebrews 10:24-25).

IV.  Behaviorally, Habits Consist of Three Parts: A Cue, a Routine, and a Reward (Craving).

V.   Establishing Good Habits Eliminates the Necessity of Willpower.

VI.  Bad Habits Cannot be Eliminated, but they Can be Modified.

VII. It Takes 21 Days for a Habit to Take.

Conclusion

• Applications
  • The Holy Spirit Does the Transforming of Our Character.
  • Decide Ahead of Time How to Act.
  • Limit Your Alternatives.
  • Build Good Habits to Eliminate the Need for Willpower.
  • Willpower is Best Used When Building or Modifying Habits.
  • Start with “Micro-Habits” & Increase Later.
• Are You Doing Change God’s Way?

Last week we discussed willpower.  Self-control is vital to Christian living and for making any change in our lives.  However, we all have a love/hate relationship with self-discipline.  Studies have shown that willpower is like a muscle; the more we use it, the stronger we get, but, like a muscle, it also fatigues and will fail.  The secret to using willpower is to employ it in the creation and modification of habits.

God has created us so that we can automate routine tasks. Our brain creates automatic behaviors that consist of three parts: a cue, a routine, and a reward.  When repeated over time they form habits. The way to use willpower to create or modify habits is to be intentionally mindful at one or more of these three stages and modify the cue, routine, and/or reward. Over time, with repetition, new habits are formed and old ones modified.

If we have the bad habit of angry outbursts.  We understand the cue to be something that “sets us off.” By being mindful in that moment, we can intentionally modify our response.  However, we must also modify the reward, by redirecting our catharsis in another direction.  Over time we can transform this habit into something more positive.  More on Sunday!

I hope you will join us!  Joey

Willpower And Change

Introduction

• Resolutions Require Change, but it is Hard to Change.
• Doing Change God’s Way
• Last week we discussed prioritizing change; today we will discuss the relationship of willpower and change.

I.   Willpower is Described as Self-Control or Self-Discipline in the Bible.

II.  Willpower/Self-Control is Necessary for Godly Living (Acts 24:25).

III. Willpower/Self-Control is Vital for Avoiding Sin (1 Corinthians 7:5; 2 Timothy 3:1-3).

IV.  Willpower/Self-Control is an Essential Christian Virtue (2 Peter 1:6).

V.    Willpower/Self-Control is Fruit Produced by the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25).

VI.  Willpower/Self-Control Can be Taught and Learned (Titus 2:2, Titus 2:3-6, Titus 2:11-13).

VII. Willpower/Self-Control Can Grow Stronger with Use (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

Conclusion

• Applications
  • Willpower is Required for Change.
  • You can Increase Your Willpower.
  • Willpower Alone is NOT Sufficient.
  • We are Weak and often Fail.
  • The Holy Spirit will Help us Strengthen our Willpower.
  • We Must Cooperate with the Spirit.
  • There is a Secret to the Use of Willpower.
• Are You Doing Change God’s Way?

Obviously, willpower and self-control are vital for accomplishing any kind of change in our lives.  This is true in both spiritual and physical dimensions of our lives (though we have seen there is a connection between the two). Doing Change God’s Way requires self-discipline.

Self control is necessary for godly living and avoiding sin.  It is an essential Christian virtue that is produced by the Holy Spirit with our cooperation.  It is something that can be taught and learned and it can grow stronger with use.  However, there is a secret about willpower that is vital to understand.  Willpower can only take us so far along the path to change; after that, our resolve begins to wane.  However, if applied in a specific way, it can be extremely effective.  What is that secret?  I’ll say more in the lesson.

I hope you will join us!  Joey

Prioritizing Change

Introduction

• Resolutions Require Change, but it is Hard to Change.
• Series Title: Doing Change God’s Way
• Last week we discussed process driven change; today we will discuss prioritizing change.

I. We Must Set Priorities to Please God.

• Our Allegiances (Matthew 6:24, Matthew 6:33; Matthew 22:35-38)
• Our Time (Psalm 90:12; Ephesians 5:15-16)
• Our Goals (Philippians 3:7-14)

II. We Must Set Priorities to Be Successful.
III. We Must Choose Between the Urgent and the Important.
Four Types of Tasks:

• Those Tasks which are Urgent and Important
  • Do these First.
• Those Tasks which are Not Urgent, but Important
  • Spend Your Time Here.
• Those Tasks which are Urgent, but Not Important
  • Minimize These.
• Those Tasks which are Not Urgent and Not Important.
  • Eliminate These.

Conclusion

• What Should Go in Quadrant 2 (Not Urgent, but Important):
  • Your Relationship with God
  • Your Physical Health
  • Your Marriage / Family
  • Your Church Responsibilities
  • Your Work Responsibilities
  • Your Other Relationships
  • Your Dreams, Goals, Self-Improvement
• Are You Doing Change God’s Way? (Acts 22:16; 1 John 1:9)

As we seek to make changes in our life – spiritual and physical, it is important to put “first things first!”  God demands we put him first in our allegiances, time, and goals. Further, we all understand that success in any endeavor requires we set priorities. Among other things, this means we must learn to choose between the urgent and important.

I’ve reproduced this chart from my message this coming Sunday. Our activities can be categorized in each of these four quadrants.
Q4 are things we need to minimize or eliminate.
Q3 are things which should be minimized.
Q1 are things we need to do first.
Q2 is where we need to spend most of our time.
Q2 includes things such as our

• 1) relationship with God;
• 2) physical health;
• 3) marriage / family;
• 4) church responsibilities;
• 5) work responsibilities;
• 6) other relationships;
• 7) dreams, goals, self-improvement.

I’ll say more in the lesson.

I hope you will join us!  Joey

Process Driven Change

Introduction

• Resolutions Require Change, but it is Hard to Change
• Doing Change God’s Way
• Last week we discussed holistic change; today we will discuss process driven change.

I.  Goal Emphasis vs. System Emphasis (Process)

• Coach: Goal=Championship; Process=Daily Practice.
• Writer: Goal=Book; Process=Daily Writing Schedule.
• Runner: Goal=Marathon; Process=Training Schedule.
• Entrepreneur: Goal=Million Dollar Business; Process=Sales and Marketing Process

            Focus on the How, not the What.

II.  A Proven Formula for Success

III.  A Biblical Model

• Sanctification is a Process (2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Galatians 5:22-25).
• Focus on the Present Moment (Ecclesiastes 9:10; Ephesians 5:15-16).
• Don’t be Distracted by Success (Philippians 3:13-14).
• Don’t be Distracted by Failure or Adversity (James 4:13-17).

Conclusion

• Six Reasons to Focus on Systems not Goals:
  • Goals Can Lead to Discouragement.
  • Goals Can Impede Long Term Progress.
  • Goals Imply there are Things we Can Control that we have No Control Over.
  • Systems are Working Plans for your Goals.
  • Systems, if Appropriately Designed, will Lead to Goal Achievement.
  • What you do Every Day (Your System/Process) Will Change Your Life.
• Are You Doing Change God’s Way?

Since I’m originally from Alabama, it is probably no secret that I am a University of Alabama college football fan. I know there is a lot of hate for the program because of their unprecedented success over the last twelve years, but no one can argue with their success or the greatness of their coach. Nick Saban turned the program around, at least in part, due to what he has called “The Process.” He tells his players and assistant coaches, “Don’t think about winning the SEC Championship. Don’t think about the national championship. Think about what you needed to do in this drill, on this play, in this moment. That’s the process: Let’s think about what we can do today, the task at hand.”  This is also a biblical concept.

Our current lesson series, Doing Change God’s Way, is intended to help us make necessary changes in our lives. Change is difficult, but God has provided in his word a path to real change. Sunday, my lesson will discuss Process Driven Change.    I’ll say more on Sunday.

I hope you will join us!  Joey

Holistic Change

Introduction

• Resolutions Require Change, but it is Hard to Change.
• Doing Change God’s Way
• Last week we discussed the four stages of repentance; today we will discuss holistic change.

I.  We are More than “Ghosts in a Shell.”

• Plato thought of the Soul as Imprisoned in the Body.
• Descartes thought the Soul was what Distinguishes Humans.
• Negative Implications of Body/Soul Dualism:
  • Confusion of Soul/Body with Good/Evil.
  • Confusion of Life after Death with Life after Life after Death.
  • Confusion of the True Nature of Salvation.
  • De-emphasis of the Body.
  • De-emphasis of the Resurrected Body.
  • De-emphasis of Christian Virtue.
  • De-emphasis of Christian Mission.

II.  We are Fully Integrated Beings.

• Soul, Spirit, Body, Heart, etc. Integrated into a Holistic Being.
• We Cannot Separate a Specific Part that is “Me.”

III.  We Need to See Change as a Holistic Process.

• Jesus as our Guide…
• Jesus grew    Intellectually    Physically     Spiritually     Socially
• Love God with all Your    Heart    Soul     Mind     Strength

Conclusion

• Applications
• Change is not Simple.
• Change Involves the Whole Person in Every Dimension.
• Include Multiple Aspects of Yourself in Every Change.
• Are You Doing Change God’s Way?

The current lesson series is intended to help us make necessary changes in our lives. I have planned these messages to coincide with our New Year’s resolutions.  You may have given up on resolutions, but that’s my point.  Change is difficult, but God has provided in his word a path to real change and the Scripture is full of practical principles.  The series is entitled, Doing Change God’s Way.

Sunday, my lesson will involve how we can pursue Holistic Change. We have been incorrectly taught a soul/body dualism that confuses the nature of our existence. We often see issues as either physical or spiritual and approach their resolution in the same way.  However, we are holistic beings – body, mind, soul, spirit, etc. and each aspect of our being affects the whole.  There are spiritual aspects of physical change and physical aspects of spiritual change.  I’ll say more on Sunday.

I hope you will join us!  Joey

What Is Repentance?

Introduction

• Resolutions Require Change, but it is Hard to Change
• Doing Change God’s Way
• Last week we saw that God Demands, Grants, and Welcomes Repentance. This week: What is Repentance?

What is Repentance? Five Words:

• OT – Naham – To Be Grieved (Genesis 6:6; Exodus 32:14; Jeremiah 8:6)
• OT – Shubh – To Turn, Return (Ezekiel 14:6; Isaiah 55:7-8; Joel 2:12-13)
• NT – Metamelomai – To Regret (Matthew 27:3; Matthew 21:32)
• NT – Metanoeo – To Change Your Mind (2 Corinthians 7:10; Mark 1:14-15; Luke 3:3-14; 2 Corinthians 12:21)
• NT – Epistrepho – To Turn About/Away (Acts 3:19; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; Acts 26:17-20)

What is Repentance? Three Elements:

• An Intellectual Element: A Change of Mind
• An Emotional Element: Regret/Remorse
• A Volitional Element: A Change of Will/Life

What is Repentance? Four Stages

• A True Sense of Your own Guilt and Sinfulness before God
• An Understanding of God’s Mercy in Chris
• A Hatred of Sin and Turning from it to God
• A Persistent Endeavor to Live a Holy Life of Obedience

Conclusion

• Applications
  • Have you Turned to God in Genuine Repentance?
  • Are there Lingering Sins from which you Need to Repent?
  • Feeling Bad is NOT Enough.
  • External Change is NOT Enough.
  • True Repentance is Inside Out.
• Are You Doing Change God’s Way?

Repentance is more than feeling bad about what you have done.  Sure, remorse is involved, but repentance goes beyond regret.  The NT word used most often to describe it means to “change your mind.” When we truly repent, we change the way the think about sin.  We change the way we want to live. Instead of serving ourselves, we choose to serve God.

The Scripture also makes it clear that true repentance (changing our mind) results in a changed life.  John the Baptist spoke of producing “fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8).  The Thessalonians “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Th 1:9).

Change, God’s way, is revolutionary.  Perhaps that’s why we struggle with our resolutions; we haven’t tried doing change God’s way.  This is the theme of my lesson series this Jan/Feb.  I hope you will join us!

Have a Happy New Year!  Joey

Repent or Perish

Introduction

• Resolutions Require Change
• It’s hard to Change
• Doing Change God’s Way

I.    God Demands Repentance

• A Biblical Message (Ezekiel 14:6; Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15; Luke 5:32; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19; Acts 17:30; Luke 13:3)
• The Holiness of God (1 Samuel 2:2; Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Hebrews 12:14; Habakkuk 1:13; Isaiah 59:2)
• The Brokenness of Man (Romans 3:10-11; Romans 3:23; Romans 3:12-13)

II.   God Grants Repentance

• He Allows it (Acts 5:30-32; Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25-26)
• He Initiates it (John 6:44-45; John 6:65; Romans 2:4-6; Acts 16:14; John 16:7-8)
• He Completes it (Philippians 1:4-6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

III. God Welcomes Repentance

1. He Wants All Saved (2 Peter 3:9)
2. He Rejoices (Luke 15:7)
3. He Dwells with the Contrite (Isaiah 57:15)

IV.  Conclusion

• Applications
  • You Cannot Stay Where You are and Go with God.
  • All of our Brokenness Originates in our Sinfulness.
  • God has Provided a Means for you to Change
  • God Welcomes You When You Repent.
• Are You Doing Change God’s Way

How are you at keeping New Year’s Resolutions?  If you’re like me, you probably never get past the end of January with most of them.  Some of us have given up on resolutions altogether figuring that they are wasted effort inviting failure.

However, such thinking can be unproductive. Change is a necessary part of life and should be a serious part of our regular evaluations of life.  In a spiritual context, Jesus commands, “Repent… or perish” (Luke 13:3).  That can also be true in other areas of life.

The Bible says a lot of about repentance (change).  Perhaps, we haven’t tried doing change God’s way.  This will be the theme of my lesson series beginning January 2, 2022.  I hope you will join us!

Have a Happy New Year!  Joey