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As we walked through what it looks like for us as a church family to develop a culture of discipleship, Pastor Danny brought up the fact that all the elements of a given week affect our own personal culture. This especially grabbed my attention, for it caused me to realize that the culture I develop throughout my week is what I bring with me whenever I am with my church family. This in turn brought to mind a convicting question: “Is the culture I develop throughout my week contributing to developing a culture of disciple-making in my church family?”

To answer this question, I want to share what I believe, based upon God’s Word, is a biblically faithful approach to the values I ought to express, transmit, and perpetuate in any given week. I will do so through the four summarizations pastor used: believe, prioritize, expect, practice.

Belief: As a child of God, I am called to make disciples, to help others grow to become more like Christ.

Priorities: Throughout my numerous responsibilities during the week, I am to first and foremost love God (spend time in His word; prayer; pursuing holiness by resisting sin and manifesting the fruits of the Spirit), and through loving Him love those around me.

Expectation: Because I am called to make disciples, my weekly pursuits cannot be about gratifying my own selfish desires (be it leisure, pleasure, relationships, finances, or anything else that usurps satisfaction found in Christ). I also must expect to be involved in the lives of other people throughout the week, seeking to help them become more like Christ and for them to help me do the same.

Practices: To highlight a few specific areas, I use the skills God has given me in the lives of my church family, keep others in mind as I determine what I do in a given week, and I balance my finances in a way that allows me to be a blessing to others.

I know that I will not be able to pursue this perfectly week-in and week-out, except only through the grace of God. I would also ask that you would pray for me and be involved in my life as I seek to become more like Christ, and it is my desire to do and be the same in your life!