Next Generation

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

” Philippians 4:8-9 NIV

THE SHORELINE _________________________________________FROM THE BRIDGE

Vicki and I traveled last week to Ohio to attend her Family Reunion. It was a great visit. We had dinner with the family at an Amish homestead, all of us on one long table. The dinner was prepared by an extended Amish family, whose family had done the meals for “English” before them for many years.

We had lunch the next day in the fellowship hall of my brother-in-law’s Mennonite Church. There were 4 generations gathered there. We remembered those who had gone before us. We discussed reunions of the past and planned, hopefully, the next one. There was much conversation about where it would be held and how things would be done, after all people were there from 6 different states, ranging in age from 11 months to 90 years! The younger generations, with great interest learning from the older generations.

Today I picked Lorenzo Carmona up at the airport. Lorenzo was one of my psychology students at Florida State College, Jacksonville. One day after class he approached me and said, “I think God wants me to be a Pastor, would you mentor me?” I agreed over coffee and that conversation expanded to a relationship of mentoring that took him through Bible College, his master’s degree in Theology, licensing, ordination and finally marriage to his beautiful wife Juliana. We’re having a wonderful time, remembering.

As you’ve been reading have you noticed a similar pattern in the stories that I’ve shared? It is both natural and spiritual to poor our lives into others. In fact, I think that that is a healthy way to make disciples. It is the Biblical way.

Lives poured out that others might live. It’s the Jesus way!

Pastor Brian

MISSIONS and MAKING DISCIPLES

October is a month in which we celebrate and remind ourselves that from God’s perspective as expressed in the Bible- God’s Word, MISSIONS and MAKING DISCIPLES is our prime MISSION as the church

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matt 28:18f

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. ” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?

As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:13-15 NIV “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14 NIV

You and I have been blessed in that we have heard the lifesaving message of the Gospel and our lives were changed for eternity. The only HOPE for our troubled nation and world is JESUS. You have heard me say that until JESUS is seated at the negotiating table, there will be no lasting PEACE. Christ is the one who in His death brought reconciliation and tore down the dividing walls that exist between us. As we generously give to support our missionary work in other countries, we are helping to unfold the promise made in Matthew 24. Often when we are promoting the good work

done by the ABC overseas someone will say to me that we need to focus on America and our problems. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. Hopefully we can see that our health as a nation is affected by our relationships with others, around the world. We can’t any longer hide from the realities of the role that we can play in bringing the PEACE of CHRIST to a world that desperately needs the peace that only He can bring. Thank you for participating in the Great Commission, and for your generosity!

PASTOR BRIAN SHORE

MAKING DISCIPLES

The SHORELINE_________________________________________Thoughts FROM THE BRIDGE

When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His Disciples “The Harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the Harvest, therefore, to send out workers into the Harvest field.”

Matthew 9: 36-38 NIV

I’ve read these verses many times. I’ve preached from them many times. I’ve heard many sermons about these verses and usually the thinking about them has to do with sending out missionaries to share the Good News to the heathen pagans in some foreign land. Occasionally there might have been a thought or call for

Pastors to go to the pagans in our land…..yes, you know its true. This week, the meditation in the bulletin is a quote from Mike Breen’s book Building a Discipling Culture, “It’s all about MAKING DISCIPLES.” Mike in this classic Christian book contends that because we’ve taken this approach, we’ve come to rely upon professionals and programs to do the work for us and frankly those programs can be intimidating. We often respond with “I don’t have the gift of evangelism” or “I just don’t have the time to commit to that program.” Jesus was not a professional. He didn’t suggest any programs to reach the lost or make disciples. He built relationships with a few people and encouraged them to build relationships with a few more people. This was all done under the direction and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. God calls us to make disciples. All of us. He never commands a thing without equipping and empowering us to that end.

The very life of a church depends on whether or not it’s MAKING DISCIPLES.