As a leader and influencer in the Christian world, why would you want to support this book project and this mission group? Because the fact is well known among Christian leaders that despite calling many people to come to Jesus, the church struggles to lead people through biblical discipleship to confidently live by the promises of God. The majority are falling out the back doors of the church before we teach them Bible basics.
Most who inquire in the church once never come back. Why? So many don’t even return after praying to receive Jesus. Why? People who grew up in the faith are leaving. Why? So many who have been in the faith for years are now prone to quit? Why? As a lay Pastor, Discipler, small group Leader, and Mission Leader – this has been my quest for 30 years: Bring people to know the unseen God and discover all that He provides to those who will trust and follow His son Jesus – so that they can be strong and grow in the faith. Working with local pastors to fulfill the commission from Jesus, our commander in chief: Go. Make disciples. Until the end of the age. And most importantly “…teaching them to do everything I instructed you…”.
This is where The Jesus Adventure excels: the project guides groups or individuals from exploring the vast mystery of God, to becoming empowered in The Faith, through a four-stage process in 12 chapters that concludes in developing the confidence to discover and live entirely by the promises of God. What makes this project unique is that it challenges people to follow the process interactively with Jesus, the way He did with His original followers, one stage at a time. In fact, this framework is derived from the Gospel of Mark: starting, striding, standing and becoming seated with Jesus.
The most powerful and transforming truths of the Bible are hidden in plain sight. The Holy Spirit reveals them to those who have the childlike faith to humbly receive it. Yet this generation is often so worldly-wise that they are confounded by such things – even Christians are just debating and contending rather than being doers. As I have prayed earnestly about this over the years, God led me to this one conclusion: We have to do it the way Jesus did!
The Jesus Adventure challenges the reader to rethink the faith of Jesus, from the very start by stripping typical religious language; by using terms that capture their imagination. I don’t talk about discipleship – instead, I introduce being an apprentice. In modern thought, a disciple is a religious nerd in a library wearing some kind of church uniform. While Apprentices are hands-on practitioners learning from a master. Well, isn’t that the true calling that we have? You see, the original language could be translated either way – but we have been stuck in a single mode of thinking since the days of Wycliffe, while the culture and language has changed enormously.
By taking the parables and instructions of Jesus into a modern challenge, the readers discover the challenge of Jesus: to build on the Rock by doing His teachings. We overcome analysis paralysis with this challenge [that today’s young adults rarely hear in church]: Don’t analyze and doubt, just do it first – then analyze it. That’s the way Jesus led His disciples. Because Jesus says in John 7:17 that doers will know the message is from God. But the analysts never see the miraculous works of God because they don’t cross over the lake with Him.
In this project, I have endeavored to capture the method of Paul: “I became all things to all people that by all means I might save some”. In the process, the readers both hear/read the Bible (especially the teachings of Jesus) in accessible language. The reader is challenged without apology to join in the way of Jesus, hear His life-giving spirit, and enter a spiritual journey that is larger than themselves. In this way, we believe Jesus will quench the deepest thirst of the truly spiritually hungry person and leads them to true transformation.
I’m inviting you to join us on this quest. Please read and review the book! Endorse the book and study guide(s) to support our mission. Consider joining our Patreon community. Please recommend the book and study guide to your church groups. Please invite me to come speak at your church, conference, and organizations. Let’s change the conversation and put the focus on doing the Word back at the center! That is what transforms lives.
We believe that we are called to make disciples in this generation like has not been seen in 1900 years – and that we can do it if we go back to how Jesus did it. Not by analysis, but by challenge. Jesus always expected His people to learn by being challenged before they analyzed. The faith of Jesus delivers evidence to those who become doers, not the other way around. We have to challenge people to live this way once again.
Our conviction is this: Theoretical Christianity is dead. We find the truth when we faithfully follow the Bible’s trail of evidence by doing what Jesus teaches. Our faith is not a blind leap in the dark, but rather a bold and daring adventure based on evidence. Be doers of the Word, not hearers only. When we live like that, the real Jesus will show up!
Our website: www.mission1711.com and our podcasts are at: https://mission1711.com/mission-1711-podcasts/
You can listen in to excerpts of the book under https://mission1711.com/listen-to-the-jesus-adventure/