Core values of a church is defined by professor and author Aubrey Malphurs in his book, Nuts and Bolts of Church Planting, as its “constant, passionate, biblical core beliefs that drive its ministry” (Chapter 5). Therefore, when assessing what my core values are, I must first understand what I am constantly passionate about in my ministry for the Lord Jesus Christ. As Malphurs states in the same chapter, they must also grab hold of my “heart” as well as my “head.” Searching my heart and mind, I find that what drives me the most is discipleship (inward), evangelism (outward), and fellowship (together).
Discipleship is my main focus. Without being trained in the Bible properly and studying God’s Word, no ministry I enter will reflect the glory of God to my fullest capacity. Inward development is the core value of which I am most passionate; my main focus is that I am walking and growing more into Christlikeness each and every day. If I am not growing, I see it as detrimental to my relationship with God. No one can be properly trained without instruction from another believer in Christ. Each believer must be taught by someone with more knowledge than themselves so that they can mature in their faith. If I do not have a rock of foundation (the Word of God) on which to personally stand and developing me, nothing will work correctly. I am accountable for every word, thought, and deed in the Judgment, therefore, internal growth to capture every word, thought, and deed for Christ must be my first priority.
Evangelism drives me to share what I have learned through discipleship with the lost souls that I come into contact with on a daily basis. When looking out a high-rise window into a park filled with thousands of people, some may only see thousands of people enjoying their day together. However, I see thousands of unsaved people lost in a world driven by the devil to lead them further away from worship of Jesus Christ. I turn on the TV and read through the daily news, and all I see is a bunch a bad news. Inside myself, I understand how wonderful the gospel message is, and I realize that it is truly the only good news in a fallen world filled with bad news. My main focus is sharing what has transformed my life: what has turned me around in a 180° toward God in repentance and trust in Jesus Christ.
Fellowship has turned into a bunch a believers hanging out with no real focus on steering their conversations toward things not on this earth. I know many newly saved older Christians who just do not understand how people that claim Jesus as their Master can sit around and talk about the mundane things of this world. I also find this the case, and so in my fellowship with other believers, I concentrate on encouragement. My encouragement turns into me actively seeking to turn conversations around from the mundane and toward talk about God and their personal ministries. Like others, I tend to get discouraged; it seems that I am evangelizing and motivating saved people who are constantly luke-warm, but I realize that as a self-described “hot” Christian, I may one day fall into the category or luke-warm and, therefore, I will need the same encouragement at some point in my life.
Since my life has been turned so dramatically around since becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, I find it tragic that so few believers and churches have any type of discipleship, evangelism, and fellowship that truly glorifies God. Discipleship is mostly considered to be merely an hour during a Sunday school class. Evangelism has turned into merely asking a friend to come to church. Fellowship has turned into “what’s going on in the world today.” Sadly, most people who call Jesus “Lord” do not do what He says to do. “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not…?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matt. 7:22-23). Or they are the luke-warm people that Jesus will vomit out of His mouth (Rev. 3:16). How tragic that some people are pretending that Jesus is their Master while they say “No” in all their actions! I use my core values to do what Jesus has commanded in the "Great Commission" and to keep myself growing spiritually each day. If everyone else did the same, we would all be growing inward (discipleship), telling others outward (evangelism), and we would be doing it all together (fellowship).
Works Cited
The Holy Bible: New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982. Print.
Malphurs, Aubrey. The Nuts and Bolts of Church Planting: A Guide for Starting Any Kind of Church.
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2011. Kindle.
Discipleship is my main focus. Without being trained in the Bible properly and studying God’s Word, no ministry I enter will reflect the glory of God to my fullest capacity. Inward development is the core value of which I am most passionate; my main focus is that I am walking and growing more into Christlikeness each and every day. If I am not growing, I see it as detrimental to my relationship with God. No one can be properly trained without instruction from another believer in Christ. Each believer must be taught by someone with more knowledge than themselves so that they can mature in their faith. If I do not have a rock of foundation (the Word of God) on which to personally stand and developing me, nothing will work correctly. I am accountable for every word, thought, and deed in the Judgment, therefore, internal growth to capture every word, thought, and deed for Christ must be my first priority.
Evangelism drives me to share what I have learned through discipleship with the lost souls that I come into contact with on a daily basis. When looking out a high-rise window into a park filled with thousands of people, some may only see thousands of people enjoying their day together. However, I see thousands of unsaved people lost in a world driven by the devil to lead them further away from worship of Jesus Christ. I turn on the TV and read through the daily news, and all I see is a bunch a bad news. Inside myself, I understand how wonderful the gospel message is, and I realize that it is truly the only good news in a fallen world filled with bad news. My main focus is sharing what has transformed my life: what has turned me around in a 180° toward God in repentance and trust in Jesus Christ.
Fellowship has turned into a bunch a believers hanging out with no real focus on steering their conversations toward things not on this earth. I know many newly saved older Christians who just do not understand how people that claim Jesus as their Master can sit around and talk about the mundane things of this world. I also find this the case, and so in my fellowship with other believers, I concentrate on encouragement. My encouragement turns into me actively seeking to turn conversations around from the mundane and toward talk about God and their personal ministries. Like others, I tend to get discouraged; it seems that I am evangelizing and motivating saved people who are constantly luke-warm, but I realize that as a self-described “hot” Christian, I may one day fall into the category or luke-warm and, therefore, I will need the same encouragement at some point in my life.
Since my life has been turned so dramatically around since becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, I find it tragic that so few believers and churches have any type of discipleship, evangelism, and fellowship that truly glorifies God. Discipleship is mostly considered to be merely an hour during a Sunday school class. Evangelism has turned into merely asking a friend to come to church. Fellowship has turned into “what’s going on in the world today.” Sadly, most people who call Jesus “Lord” do not do what He says to do. “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not…?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matt. 7:22-23). Or they are the luke-warm people that Jesus will vomit out of His mouth (Rev. 3:16). How tragic that some people are pretending that Jesus is their Master while they say “No” in all their actions! I use my core values to do what Jesus has commanded in the "Great Commission" and to keep myself growing spiritually each day. If everyone else did the same, we would all be growing inward (discipleship), telling others outward (evangelism), and we would be doing it all together (fellowship).
Works Cited
The Holy Bible: New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982. Print.
Malphurs, Aubrey. The Nuts and Bolts of Church Planting: A Guide for Starting Any Kind of Church.
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2011. Kindle.