Lynn Pryor

February 14, 2020

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 8

What does a mature disciple of Christ look like? Over the past decade Lifeway Research has delved into this with thousands of pastors and church leaders. Culling through the data, we discovered that strong discipleship ministries and practices could be put in eight categories. We call these eight categories the signposts along the discipleship pathway. One sign of growing disciples is that they seek God.

We can do a lot of things on “auto-pilot.” If you’re like me you can brush your teeth without consciously thinking about the process of brushing your teeth; you can brush while working complex algebra equations in your head. (Well, maybe you can; I can’t) The daily commute to work can become so routine that we can drive the route without ever thinking about it. Other things like chores and office work can also be done in auto-pilot.

One thing we should never do in auto-pilot is our time with God. Whether it’s corporate worship or private Bible reading, we must be focused and intentional to receive anything from it.

In the Transformational Discipleship research, growing disciples strongly disagreed with the idea that worship can be done by simply “going through the motions.” Instead, maturing disciples approach things like congregational worship, prayer, and time alone with God with focus and intentionality. They actively want to seek God, worship Him, and draw closer to Him. A believer seeking God is evident in three ways.

Christlikeness is their goal. A person becomes a disciple of Christ because he intends to follow Him and become like Him. The desire to become like Jesus does not end when we cross over the threshold of faith and gain salvation. Growing disciples continuously seek after God because of their love for Him and commitment to become more like Jesus. We should have a continuous hunger for knowing Christ.
Faith is their guiding principle. Maturing disciples prioritize their faith as the guiding principle for living. The personal commitment to Jesus Christ for salvation remains important throughout their lives.
Honoring God is their desire. In the research, growing believers gave a strong agreement to the statement, “One of the main reasons I live my life the way I do is to please and honor God.” These believers actively praise God for His previous work in their lives, chase after what He wants next for them, and seek to do it in a way that glorifies Him.

Seeking God is the believer’s priority. We seek Him above everything else, and when we do, His work will naturally be done in and through our lives.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you” (Matt. 6:33).

Ways the Church Can Foster Believers Who Seek God.

Promote group prayer. Many churches have moved away from a weekly prayer meeting, but we would do well to resurrect them—with a twist. The twist? Too often these meetings included a Bible study, fifteen minutes of sharing requests, and five minutes of praying. Why not spend the entire time praying? If the group is large, let them pray in smaller groups.

Encourage prayer groups in homes, offices, and coffee shops. Challenge believers to meet with 1-2 others and pray. For those unaccustomed to praying, doing so with others can lead them to develop the discipline of prayer as a way to seek God.

Organize a prayer retreat. Provide a weekend opportunity for believers to get away for a day or two, set aside their phones and electronic devices, and seek God. This can be a tough act for many of us, but a retreat is an opportunity to force ourselves to seek God and go before Him without any distractions.

Evaluate the weekly worship service. What happens on Sunday mornings is almost universally called a worship service, so make sure it is a time of worship that leads us to go deeper with God and step out in service. If you plan the service with a group, plan with a critical eye. Do what will enhance worship—and that it more than just choosing the right songs and adjusting the lighting.

Rearrange the way the service progresses. For example, lead with the sermon and follow with music and singing as a time to reflect on the pastor’s message. Both traditional and contemporary services tend to have a regular flow to them; I’m not suggesting change simply for the sake of change, but when there is a sameness to the flow of the service week after week, it becomes a routine, a rote habit that can be done on auto-pilot.

Lose the printed order of service. Of course, those leading in worship need to have a plan, but why share it with the whole congregation? A printed order lends to the idea that worship is a program. Believers can worship without knowing what’s going to happen next.

We’d love to hear from you. What are some ways your church is helping believers see God?

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in Lifeway’s ongoing adult Bible study department. He also serves as an interim pastor in the Nashville area. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

Church Leadership

January 16, 2020

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 7

By Lynn Pryor

One verse succinctly captures what it means to be a follower of Christ:

“Then he said to them all, ‘If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me’” (Luke 9:23).

Of the eight signposts of a maturing disciple, the signpost “Obey God and Deny Self,” may be the most important. Obeying God is tied to practicing the other attributes. For example, Bible engagement is important, but if we’re not obeying what God shows us in His Word, we’re missing the point of engaging with Scripture. Building relationships is an important part of our walk with Christ, but if we’re doing so in the way that is contrary to God’s Word (i.e., in disobedience to God) we’re not building relationships as a mature disciple.

The maturing disciple obeys God and denies self. The two are not separate, but go hand-in-hand. It’s easy to obey God if it’s not inconvenient or requires me to deny myself. After all, It’s easy to “love my neighbor” so long as it doesn’t require me to go out of my way.

Jesus emphasized the need to deny self and take up the cross each day. In a practical sense, Jesus was calling His followers to prefer death to self in the spiritual sense. In the ancient world, this was a radical idea—and it still is today. Our fallen human nature prefers self-direction and self-satisfaction, but following Christ is a call to live in obedience to the One who is over us—and we can’t follow God in obedience if we’re following ourselves.

Christians who are growing in their walk with Jesus must learn to deny self in order to serve Christ. Our initial commitment to follow Christ includes denial of self because we acknowledge our need for Christ and turn from our sin; however, it’s easy to fall back into living selfishly! Our spiritual growth is evident as we learn to daily choose to obey God and deny our own desires and wishes. We learn to display a preference for God’s plan rather than assert our own. Transformation can be seen when we progressively set aside earthly temptations for kingdom priorities.

Ways the Church Can Foster Believers Who Obey God and Deny Self.

Call for commitment. Pastors and church leaders who preach and teach should consistently call people to obedience. Call the congregation to act upon the Word of God that has been proclaimed. Teaching biblical truth is only half the task. We must also call people to believe it and act upon it.
The Holy Spirit is ultimately the One who convicts people to respond and act upon His Word, but He will use us in the process. Provide specific and clear calls to actions. Tepid invitations—“I invite you to respond to what you’ve heard”—need to end. Instead point out clearly how they can respond.
Form discipleship triads. These groups have been called by a variety of names, but the principle is that believers get in groups of three. Within their Bible study groups, call individuals to partner with two other people—three men or three women together—for the purpose of praying together and supporting each other. Many triads also dig further on their group’s study, discussing and challenging each other in how they will obey and live out the Scripture they studied. This is a place of accountability.

Invite testimonies. Let the congregation hear the stories of others who have chosen to be obedient to Christ in a specific area. This can be a full-blown presentation from a family who gave up a comfortable lifestyle to be missionaries in South America, or it can be a five-minute testimony from an individual in the church family regarding a specific way they choose obedience to God over self.

These “mini-sermons” can be powerful. They provide concrete examples of what obedience and denial look like, especially when they come from “a regular person just like me.”

As the believers in your church mature and more readily self-denial and obedience to God, the community can’t help but notice.

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in Lifeway’s ongoing adult Bible study department. He also serves as an interim pastor in the Nashville area. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

Church Leadership

January 13, 2020

When Bridezilla Leads a Group

By Lynn Pryor

What makes a sweet, charming, happily engaged young lady turn into BRIDEZILLA? (Cue ominous organ music.) She was sweet and charming; that’s why Mr. Right fell in love with her. But as the big wedding day gets closer and closer, her personality slowly changes and enough tension fills the air that electrical transformers begin to buzz as she passes by. Out of the murky waters of wedding planning rises—cue ominous music again—BRIDEZILLA!

What feeds Bridezilla? The desire for everything in the wedding to be perfect and go off without a hitch (as she … um, gets hitched).

When it comes to my Bible study group, I’m no Bridezilla —at least I haven’t heard the ominous organ music—but I do want everything to go off without a hitch. And the studies I lead would go perfectly except for one thing: people keep showing up and disrupting my plan.

My cardinal rule for leading a group is: BE PREPARED. I want a well-planned Bible study. I have sat in groups where the leaders asked “What do you all want to talk about today” and “What do you think that passage means?” Sharing our ignorance or flying by the seat of our pants is no way to lead in transformational Bible study. We expect our pastors to be prepared when they stand up to preach—and it should be no different when we facilitate a group Bible study.

However, we face a potential pitfall if we’re too prepared.

I think back to some of my carefully crafted studies. Every moment was filled with richness … questions to really make you think … clever illustrations … activities you would remember on your deathbed. If the apostle Paul was in the group, he would say, “Wow. I hadn’t thought of that.”

Yet when the group meets, the discussion drifts slightly—not a full-blown chase-a-rabbit tangent—but just not on point with my golden plan. Another discussion runs long and we have no time for an activity. Or the wi-fi is splotchy and my cool video illustration is stuck on the shoulder of the information highway.

The best laid plans of mice and Bible study leaders. Yet in spite of all that, the most amazing thing happens: God still worked! It just wasn’t the way I thought He would work—or more accurately, the way I planned for Him to work.

So I’ve added an addendum to my cardinal rule. I first heard it from Henry Blackaby in his instructions for those who lead Experiencing God groups: Be prepared—and be prepared for the Holy Spirit to work. In other words, do your homework. Plan activities. Find a great video clip. Study the passage well. But be prepared for the Holy Spirit to lead—even if it is in a different direction that you had planned.

That’s OK. After all, He knows what’s truly on the hearts of those in my group. He knows what they need to hear, learn, or experience that week. I don’t need to be the Sunday School version of Bridezilla. I can be prepared and ready for God to work His agenda.

Lynn Pryor is a team leader for adult resources at Lifeway. He and his wife, Mary, lead a Bible study group for young adults and have survived raising two sons to adulthood. A graduate of Southwestern Seminary, Lynn has previously pastored and served churches in Texas. Follow him on his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

Church Leadership

December 30, 2019

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 6

By Lynn Pryor

Faith may be a common word in our vocabulary, but we don’t all use it the same way. For some people, the concept of faith is essentially wishful thinking. “I have faith that they’ll win the championship.” For others, the concept of faith is tied to a set of beliefs. “I follow the Christian faith.” And others see faith as something they can use to manipulate God. “If you believe hard enough and have enough faith, God will do what you ask Him to do.”

Faith is trust, taking God at His word and confidently trusting that He will do what He said He will do. Faith can begin simply, even as we place our trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. But as we mature in our faith, that trust only grows deeper and we are more and more adept at trusting Him.

In the research that indicated a mature believer exercises faith, it was noted that these believes knew the importance of living by faith as opposed to living by their own strength. Trusting in God deepens and reliance on self lessens. Exercising faith means risk-aversion is set aside. Maturing believers concern themselves with bold faithfulness to God’s work. The concerns of personal cost become less concerning. The transformation that occurs because we put faith in God’s power results in faithful obedience.

Two statements were strong among mature believers who exercise faith:

“I believe God has a purpose for all events in my life, regardless of whether I perceive each event as being good or bad.” Our faith in Christ gives us both new life in the eternal sense and redefines our perception about life here in this world. When we engage our faith in everyday living, it allows us to have a longer view of life’s events. Rather than wishing our way out of difficulty, it gives us the opportunity to simply trust God’s goodness no matter what we face.
“I express praise and gratitude to God even in difficult circumstances.” The believer who is exercising faith can look beyond the current circumstances to the greater issues at work. They do not ignore what is happening, but by trusting and living by faith, they see life in light of all of God’s providence. Faith looks beyond difficulty and trusts in the character of God.

The apostle Paul gave us a wonderful summary of what it means to exercise faith:

“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

Rather than sinking into the doldrums when things go wrong, we keep our eyes lifted toward Christ. Exercising faith is a result of God’s transforming work in our lives. As we grow in our sanctification and walk with Christ, we are able to follow more closely to Him. Our trust and faith only deepens.

Ways the Church Can Foster Believers Who Exercise Faith.

Challenge believers. Challenge people to give as an act of worship and trust in God’s provision. Challenge them to get involved in a mission project or ministry and trust God to work.

Provide opportunities to step out of their comfort zone. Point to specific ministry and mission opportunities and encourage participation. When people step out of their comfort zones, they can experience God’s presence and hand at work. The more they do this, the more they learn to trust God.

Give testimonies. Give a platform for individuals in the church to share how they learned to exercise faith. A testimony of how they learned to trust God in a specific situation encourages others to do the same.

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in Lifeway’s ongoing adult Bible study department. He also serves as an interim pastor in the Nashville area. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

Church Leadership

December 5, 2019

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 4

By Lynn Pryor

Live Unashamed. Everyone has a favorite something. It might be the college football team you cheer for or a favorite restaurant. You might have a passion for a hobby or activity like golf or running a marathon, or you have a television show that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Whatever your favorite thing is, you talk about. You find ways to discover if other people feel the same way you do. You wear team colors or gather around at lunchtime to discuss the latest development on a show.

We are unashamed about those things for which we have a passion.

Christians have even more reason to put something on display for the world to see. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). As believers mature in their walk with Christ, they grow increasingly unashamed for others to know about their faith. They are unabashed in letting the gospel and its transformative power be on display in their lives.

Lifeway’s research into discipleship ministries and practices found that maturing believers felt it was not just appropriate but necessary for others to know them as Christians. When you are being changed by Christ, you want others to know about it. Not surprisingly, as we develop in this attribute of an unashamed lifestyle, it only fuels and strengthens our growth in the other discipleship attributes. For example, living unashamed makes it easier to also exercise faith, share Christ, and serve others. Even more so, we live out these qualities with intentionality. We want people to know why we can exercise faith and why we serve. All our actions flow out of our unashamed love for Christ and His gospel.

Living unashamed lives includes transparency. Maturing believers are OK with others seeing their weak spots. It’s not that they’re proud of those weak areas, but neither do they pretend to be perfect Christians. In fact, they are quite willing to let other believers speak into their lives and help them along the path of growing in Christ. Maturing believers are unashamed about their pursuit of maturity to the level that they invite help in the process.

I began this article with a reference to the unashamed approach people have toward their favorite teams or interest. But being unashamed of our walk with Christ differs from the unashamed—boisterous, proud and obnoxious—behavior many fans display for their favorite team. (I’m sure I’m not referring to the behavior of the fans of your team.) The believer is neither arrogant about his faith nor derogatory of those who disagree. Instead, an unashamed believer lives by the principle in 1 Peter 3:15-16: “In your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Pet. 3:15-16, emphasis added).

Living for Christ is counter-cultural, and it is becoming increasingly more counter-cultural. Mature believers do not shout at the darkness, but unashamedly live and speak for Christ. In the process, they can pique the curiosity of unbelievers and galvanize the lives of other believers. And that’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Ways the Church Can Foster Believers Who Live Unashamed.

Model. The best way for any believer to understand what it means to live unashamed is to see it modeled for them. It’s easy to appear unashamed from the church pulpit, but let believers see how your faith is openly and naturally expressed in your day-to-day interactions with individuals. Let individuals church members participate with you in your various tasks, especially out in the community.
Host ministry opportunities in the community. Provide opportunities for church members to serve in the community. Opportunities for Christians to serve together are also opportunities for them to practice living unashamed as a group. They can support and encourage each other. Those moments when they step outside their comfort zones for the name of Christ only embolden them to do it more.

We’d love to hear from you. What are some ways your church is helping believers live unashamed?

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in Lifeway’s ongoing adult Bible study department. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

Church Leadership

November 5, 2019

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 3

By Lynn Pryor

Serving others is a good thing. Even those with no connection to the Christian faith will tell you that. Even if they don’t know it’s a biblical principle, people will teach their children it is better to give than to receive. (See Acts 20:35.) Multiple studies even validate this.

Those who volunteer are 42% more likely to be happy.
Those who give to charity are 43% more likely to be happy.
Those who put the needs of others before their own experienced a “warm glow.” (communitywestfoundation.org).

The varied studies share something in common: the focus is on feeling good about ourselves. We serve in order to be happy.

Is that why Jesus served? Jesus certainly didn’t need a boost to His self-esteem. He served because He loves. He had compassion on the people and sought to meet their needs (Matt. 9:36). He told His disciples, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

The goal of a maturing disciple is to become more and more like Jesus. Jesus loves others, and we are to love others. Jesus served others, and we are to serve others.

Our service to Christ and others is carried out in three ways.

Use your spiritual gift. The Holy Spirit has gifted every believer with at least one spiritual gift. We don’t all have the same gifts, but corporately, all the gifts are present in the church. Those gifts are for serving the needs of the church. “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others” (1 Pet. 4:10).

Many people are eager to take a spiritual gifts inventory so they can know where to serve. Frankly, that’s not necessary. Just step in and serve. As we get involved, we find our hearts drawn to certain forms of service more than others. That’s an indication of where your giftedness lies. Embrace that.

Share your finances and resources. Maturing disciples understand they are only managers of their finances and physical resources. God owns it all. We don’t hoard money and possessions, but we are to willing share what we can to serve and meet the needs of others.
Seize the moment. We can’t meet every need, but when an opportunity is right in front of us to serve someone else, we take it. Much of our service is structured and planned—giving regularly and working weekly in a specific ministry—but there is a spontaneous side to serving as well. We have unplanned “intersections” with people every day, and maturing disciples are sensitive to the Spirit’s nudge to step in and help.

Ways the Church Can Foster Believers Who Serve God

Publicize minister opportunities. For many church members, serving means singing, preaching, or teaching. Those are valid ways to serve, but they are not the only ways. Don’t make a specific announcement like “We need two people to help with the youth group;” it may be answered by people who are not a good fit. Instead offer a ministry fair. Give each ministry outlet in the church a table and display area. Let church members mill around and learn of ministries they may not be familiar with. People who can’t sing, teach, or preach will discover other service opportunities. Consequently, as individuals express interest in an area, you can counsel, encourage, and train them as needed to serve in that area.
Model service. The best training for service doesn’t come from a manual; it comes from observing. As a church leader, you can’t be deeply involved in every ministry around the church, and the church family already sees you as a servant; but you can strengthen the service of others by letting them walk along side you as you serve in the ways you are gifted. For example if you are gifted in administration, encourage others with the same gifting. Let them see how your administrative work is both service to others and to Christ.
Encourage Mentoring. Ask others serving in different ministry areas to find someone whom they see as a good candidate for the same area of service. Challenge them to serve as mentors, helping others see their own potential. They can train them and bolster their skills. An obvious example is for every Bible study leader to adopt another person and show them the ropes of leading a group. The leader not only gains someone to help with the group, but when the church needs to launch a new group, a servant is trained and ready to step in.

Serving others can be hard. It can often be inconvenient. And maturing disciples serve whether they experience a nice warm feeling or not. They serve because they’re drawn to serve out of love—love for Christ and love for those He has placed in their path. And better than any nice warm feeling will be to one day hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matt. 25:21).

We’d love to hear from you. What are some ways your church is helping believers serve?

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in Lifeway’s ongoing adult Bible study department. He also serves as an interim pastor in the Nashville area. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

Church Leadership

October 31, 2019

Happy Reformation Day: Here I Stand, I Can Do No Other

By Lynn Pryor

It doesn’t matter what “brand” of Christian you are—October 31st is the anniversary of an event that impacts your church’s theology and background. And it’s impacted you.

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, in an act of frustration over the way the Roman Catholic Church had veered off course, nailed a document—95 Theses, to be exact—to the front door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

With a hammer and nail, Luther struck the first blow that would grow into the Protestant Reformation. Luther (and those who joined him) did not initially set out to be the 16th-century version of the church hopper. He set out to reform the church (hence, the term “reformation”) and bring it back to the foundation of God’s Word.

Martin Luther was a Catholic monk who saw the Bible for what it is: the Word of God and, therefore, our ultimate authority. He also saw in this ultimate authority the clear teaching that salvation is through faith in Christ alone. Over the centuries, the church veered from these two central truths, placing more faith and authority in the institution of the church. So Luther called the church back to its roots: the centrality of Christ and the authority of His Word.

But to do that, Luther had to “call the church on the carpet” for its errors—and that did not set well with the church leaders. So four years later, Luther was called before the Diet of Worms. (To be clear, this is not one of those sketchy weight-loss programs involving tapeworms. A “diet” was a formal hearing, and it was held in the city of Worms.) The purpose of this hearing was to get Luther to recant, but he was fully committed to obedience to the Word of God. He said:

“I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God.”

What are you fully committed to? What calls you to say, “Here I stand, I can do no other?” Would you nail that commitment to the door?

Conviction and commitment should be second nature for the follower of Christ. Commitment to Christ should be so ingrained in us that we don’t think twice about whether we will be obedient to Him. We don’t have to think twice about whether or not we will compromise our convictions—or look the other way “just this one time.”

God’s Word does not change—and neither should our conviction to follow it.
God’s Holy Spirit does not abandon us—and neither should we abandon our dependence upon Him.
God’s love and grace does not fluctuate—and neither should our display of His love and grace to others.

Is your commitment to Christ nailed down? And is it on display for others to see?

This post was re-purposed with permission from lynnhpryor.com. Lynn Pryor is a team leader for adult resources at Lifeway. He and his wife, Mary, lead a Bible study group for young adults and have survived raising two sons to adulthood. A graduate of Southwestern Seminary, Lynn has previously pastored and served churches in Texas. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

Church Leadership

September 26, 2019

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 2

By Lynn Pryor

We were built for relationships. I know that doesn’t sound as poetic as John Donne’s “No man is an island entire of itself,” but it captures the same truth. God wired us to live in community with others.

In the opening chapters of Genesis, an incredible picture of God’s creative power is revealed. Each day of creation closes with “God saw that it was good.” In fact, at the end of it all, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed” (Gen. 1:31).

The only thing God observed that was not good was the man living alone. “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him’” (2:18). The context was the creation of the woman and the introduction of the God-ordained marriage relationship, but it points to an overarching principle: We were created to live in relationships.

The ultimate relationship we’re called to is a personal relationship with Christ. But when we come to Christ, we also come to His body: the church. As we walk with Christ, we don’t walk alone. We walk alongside others. Community—living and interacting with other believers—is a central part of a believer’s discipleship and growth.

From the earliest days of the church, this idea of community was central. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). Do you hear the “togetherness” in that passage?

The New Testament has close to sixty passages with the phrase “one another.”

Love one another (John 13:34).
Live in harmony with one another (Rom. 12:16).
Instruct one another (15:14).
Have equal concern for one another (1 Cor. 12:25).
Serve one another (Gal. 5:13).

You help me in my walk with Christ; I help you in your walk. We’re in this together.

Scripture contains only one explicit command telling us why we must be involved in a community of believers.

“And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” (Heb. 10:24-25, emphasis added).

Yes, we gather together for worship … for prayer … to hear and study God’s Word, but in all these things, we encourage each other. I’ve heard the excuse—and you probably have too: “I don’t need to go to church to worship God … to pray … to study the Bible.” While we can do these things privately (and we should), we miss the rich element of doing it with other believers. We are hard-wired for community, and there’s no greater place to do that than in relationship with other believers.

As we mature in Christ, we see the value of community more and more. Consequently, we will seek to build and strengthen those relationships. But maturing believers don’t just build relationships with other believers; they seek to build relationships with those outside the faith too. They do this with intentionality; they want to build a relationship in order to show the love of Christ and share the gospel.

Ways the Church Can Foster Believers Who Build Relationships.

Promote Bible study groups. Corporate worship with the whole body is great, but the ideal way to build relationships is within the smaller setting of Bible study groups. Whether you call it Sunday School, Small Groups, Life Groups, or whatever, a group of 8-16 people gathered to discuss the Bible together can’t help but build relationships within the group.

Some group leaders love a larger group, but the larger the group gets, the dynamic for relationships within the group can lessen. Introverts are far more likely to participate and thrive in a smaller group—and 1/3 to 1/2 of the congregation is filled with introverts! So when a group is regularly reaching 16 or more people, start a new group.

Create opportunities for relationship building. Encourage the Bible study groups to do more than just study the Bible together. Parties, mission projects, and ministry opportunities bring people together.

Consider intergenerational opportunities as well. Let a get-together or ministry project involve two or more generations. For example, as younger adults build relationships with senior adults, they can be mentored and disciple by someone with more life experience.

Model building relationships. As a church leader, you have many occasions you interact with outsiders. When appropriate, take someone with you. Let him learn how you start and build a relationship. Open the door for him to build a relationship with the other person. Our relationship-building habits can be contagious.

We’d love to hear from you. What are some ways your church is helping believers build relationships?

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in Lifeway’s ongoing adult Bible study department. He also serves as an interim pastor in the Nashville area. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

Church Leadership

September 3, 2019

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 1

By Lynn Pryor

Deep down, most believers know they should be sharing their faith, but few of us do. We can offer excuses—I’m afraid of saying something wrong. I don’t know how. I don’t want to come across like a pushy salesperson.—but growing in our faith should include sharing our faith. Mature followers of Christ may still experience sweaty palms or the occasional nervous tremor in their voices, but they embrace the opportunity to witness of Christ for three reasons:

They see it as their personal responsibility.

Christ’s Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20) is a call for everyone, not just pastors and church leaders. Everyone is commissioned to make disciples. Of course, that includes more than just evangelism—it includes the whole discipleship process—but it begins with leading the person to trust Christ. It is our responsibility to not only let others see Jesus in us but also to tell them about the Jesus they see in us!

They are aware of the lost people around them.

We are surrounded by the lost, and as we live out our faith, we stand out. For example, when we respond to trials and difficulties with joy and contentment, others notice. Maturing disciples are aware their actions are observed by others. They are ready to respond to any questions the lost may have, and they are equally ready to give an answer even if the question is not verbally asked. As Peter wrote, “In your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet. 3:15).

They build relationships with the lost.

It’s tempting—and easy!—to surround ourselves with other Christians and those who believe just like us. While maturing disciples do not neglect the needed accountability and fellowship with other believers, they also intentionally seek out the lost. They attempt to build a relationship, getting to know the other person, in order to love them and seize the opportunity to share with him the gospel.

Ways the Church Can Foster Believers Who Share Christ.

Model it. Let church members see you share your faith. Talk about it. Take someone with you if you’re making an intentional evangelistic visit.
Lead a course on how to share your faith. There are several good options for leading a group in learning to share their faith: Tell Someone by Greg Laurie; Life on Mission by Dustin Wills and Aaron Coe; and the classic Share Jesus Without Fear by William Fay and Ralph Hodge.

Lead a course on apologetics. Many believers are concerned they wouldn’t know how to respond if they’re asked a difficult question. One place to start is in offering a course on defending the faith and answering the tough questions. Mary Jo Sharp’s Why Do You Believe That? and Jeremiah Johnston’s Unanswered are good options.

Pray for the lost. During corporate times, we often focus on health needs. We should lift those needs before God, but guide believers to also pray for lost people by name. Encourage them to place those names in a prominent place as a reminder to pray. As we pray for individuals, our hearts are drawn to them and God opens doors for sharing the gospel with them.

Cultivate relationships with those outside the church. Use every event on the church schedule as an open door to those outside the church. Remind believers to get to know the lost guests who attend the events and be intentional in building relationships.

We’d love to hear from you. What are some ways your church is helping believers share Christ?

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in Lifeway’s ongoing adult Bible study department. He also serves as an interim pastor in the Nashville area. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

Church Leadership

May 30, 2019

8 Ways to Make Your Bible Study More Engaging

By Lynn Pryor

I loathe lectures. I suppose there’s a place for them in learning somewhere, but I don’t think group Bible study is one of them. Unfortunately, lecture is a common method used in Bible study—as if imparting knowledge is the number one goal—and it’s the reason a lot of people write off an invitation to join a group. They equate Bible study with a misguided approach to Sunday School where someone lectures and reads to them.

I don’t blame them. I would dread that too. But there’s a better way.

Think back to your childhood. In the early years of school, you drew, told stories, interacted with the others kids, and even played games as a part of learning. Somewhere along the way, though, we were expected to grow up, which means sitting quietly in chairs, reading a book, and listening to the teacher. Play was reserved for recess.

I propose we recapture the ways we used to learn, because we never outgrow the ways we like to learn.

Educators like Thomas Gardner and Thomas Armstrong have identified eight ways we learn. We can all learn using these eight approaches, but individually, we gravitate to certain ones. There are certain approaches to learning that connect with each if us and make learning and applying quite easy and natural. It’s time we brought these back into our group Bible study.

Here are the eight approaches to teaching and learning. See which ones resonate with you.

Relational Learners. Some of us learn well when we get to interact with others in the process. As we work together, they learn from each other. This can happen through personal sharing, storytelling, debating, and brainstorming. The key is that we’re doing it together. (In fact, as we look at these others ways we learn, many of them can be incorporated with relational learning and working together.)
Musical Learners. For some of us, music enhances the environment for learning. They don’t have to be musicians, but they enjoy music. Let them listen to a song and consider how it connects to the Scripture being studied. They can rewrite lyrics of a well-known song to capture the essence of your study. Even playing music in the background during other activities gets them in tune with learning (no pun intended).
Logical Learners. OK, so these people often enjoy lectures, but they also like problem solving. They like to reason through things and analyze them. They enjoy an outline, word studies, analogies, and even statistics.
Natural Learners. When nature and God’s creation are brought into the mix, these people become more attune to learning. They’re the ones whose quiet time is enhanced with a walk though nature. But you can bring nature—physical objects—into the group as well. For example, as you discuss Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, pass out water. Or better yet, give them salty pretzels, and they’ll be thinking about water. A physical object helps them make the connection and discover biblical truth.
Physical Learners. The physical learners in your group don’t always like to sit still! Physical movement engages their brains. Use hands-on activities. Let them role-play. When asking a question that calls for an agree/disagree response, place the words on different walls. Let the group members move and stand based on how they agree with the statement. Let me stress again, movement engages their thinking.
Reflective Learners. These learners don’t mind quiet. They like to internalize and think things through. Like logical learners, they don’t mind a lecture, because they want to think and reflect. Instead of talking, occasionally direct the group to write down their responses to a discussion question.
Visual Learners. Anything they see with their eyes engages learning: visuals, PowerPoint, movie clips. Let them draw or illustrate something from the study. Drawing is not a juvenile activity. I’ve done this with senior adults, and they loved it. Why? We never outgrow the way we like to learn.
Verbal Learners. These people in your group connect with words: writing, reading, and speaking. Give them a moment to read a small portion of the book you might be using. Let them write a prayer oru how they will apply the Scripture. Let them use words!

Some of these learning approaches will take you out of your own comfort zone if they are not how you like to learn—but others in your group will love it. They will feel more engaged. But don’t try to do all eight approaches in one study! You’ll wear yourself and your group out. Instead, incorporate one or two different learning approaches each time you meet. Thirty-five years of leading groups has shown me that by using these eight approaches on a regular basis, everyone is more engaged. They learn better, which leads to transformation—and that’s what it’s all about.

NOTE: Lifeway’s ongoing Bible studies—Explore the Bible, the Gospel Project, and Bible Studies for Life—offer ways to incorporate these learning approaches in their group plans.

Lynn Pryor is the publishing team leader for Bible Studies for Life. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com. Follow him @lynnpryor.

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 8

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in Lifeway’s ongoing adult Bible study department. He also serves as an interim pastor in the Nashville area. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 7

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in Lifeway’s ongoing adult Bible study department. He also serves as an interim pastor in the Nashville area. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 6

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in Lifeway’s ongoing adult Bible study department. He also serves as an interim pastor in the Nashville area. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 4

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in Lifeway’s ongoing adult Bible study department. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 3

Happy Reformation Day: Here I Stand, I Can Do No Other

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 2

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in Lifeway’s ongoing adult Bible study department. He also serves as an interim pastor in the Nashville area. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

The Signposts of a Growing Disciple – Part 1

Lynn Pryor (@lynnpryor) is a team leader in Lifeway’s ongoing adult Bible study department. He also serves as an interim pastor in the Nashville area. Read more from his blog at lynnhpryor.com.

8 Ways to Make Your Bible Study More Engaging

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