Today our entire team spent the day with a guy named Dr. Dan Spader, who knows a lot about Jesus and has been studying His life and ways for a lot longer than me. So in effect I was discipled today in way that I have not known in a while. Or at least I finally had some moments that tied in many of the thoughts and gut level ideas (the ones you don’t always tell people or deserve any credit for). Here is the short end of those ideas that Dan put flesh on today.

• Jesus spent over 3 years putting together the 12 that would put forth his mission. They really moved into high gear, towards the end of His ministry.
• As a ministry we need to feel the same sense of patience in the journey that He did while at the same time making sure the wineskins are fit for the wine that they are carrying.
• The model of win, build, equip still matters and is not outdated or trendy, it is authored by Jesus.
• Too many times the argument is over the program and structure rather than the values behind everything.
• 87 percent of churches have only programming that builds believers according to Dan’s long term research (20 plus years with youth volunteer equipping)
• Loving God and loving people is the greatest commandment that should push us into the commission – which is make disciples who make disciples. And that is not and should not ever be tied down to one program.