Gaining By Losing

Gaining By Losing

I really loved J.D. Greear’s Gaining by Losing. I also found it very challenging and found myself reconnecting with some deep convictions that I have carried for years regarding the purpose of the church. At the end of the day, making disciples is what we are called to do; everything else we do ultimately needs to serve that purpose.

I have sought for many years to encourage and equip believers to engage with the people around them who don’t know Jesus. It’s one of the most challenging tasks any church leader can take on. Evangelism is one of those things that Christians quickly let go of, and often need both motivation and a strategy if they are going to engage again. Greear provides both.

I particularly loved this section:

“Every Christian has at least two major callings: (a) the call to use your vocation for the glory of God and the blessing of others, and (b) the call to make disciples. Thus, every believer should ask these two questions about their lives:
What skill has God given me by which I can bless the world?
Where and how can I do it most strategically to advance the mission o God?
At our church, we simplify these two questions into a single statement: Whatever you’re good at, do it well for the glory of God, and do it somewhere strategic for the mission of God.”

I have long encouraged people to embrace that idea. Additionally, I’ve encouraged people to do the things they enjoy, or that they want to learn about in the company of others. That’s the easiest way for the average Christian to build relationships with non-Christians. It creates common ground in a safe place, and makes initiating conversations very easy.

Someone interested in photography could join a club; a gamer could play in tournaments; someone wanting to learn how to dance could take a class. The possibilities are endless. All of them enable Christians to use their gifts or develop their interests in ways that make evangelism natural. Especially for people who have had bad experiences with programmatic evangelism, this approach empowers them to engage with their world in a way they may have never done.

I’m interested in your experience. What have you done that has worked in making disciples?