Courageous Contender is about DISCIPLESHIP! Let’s camp out on this term…no…this concept for a moment! Are YOU 
a disciple of Jesus Christ…do you know what it means? For some Christians it means simply to “believe” in Him, go to church regularly, perhaps tithe, and live life the best you can! For others it may mean this as well, but may involve having a “discipleship relationship;” where they meet regularly with another believer for Bible Study and accountability. It may also involve regular ministry and the sharing of one’s faith with others. All of this is good and well…and necessary…but it is even MORE!!
The above descriptions are laced with a western way of looking at and understanding our relationship with Jesus Christ! To be a Christian is so very much more than adhering to a particular belief system; to a particular philosophy of life! It is a RELATIONSHIP in every aspect of the word! In the area of the Galilee in the Middle East in Jesus’ time, discipleship was a very important aspect of spiritual life. Rabbis were very active in teaching and training their followers. And to be a disciple…to follow that life course of being taught so you could teach others…was defined as “becoming as the Rabbi is.” Not just what he knows…the cognitive aspect of his spirituality…but to take on his character as well…to know him so well that you became who he was as a person.
Jesus was no different…to be a disciple of Jesus Christ was to become “who the Rabbi is;” His knowledge as well as His character. There was a daily, 24/7, effort to “take Him on” if you will. This process could not be learned from a book, as an on-looker, or from the tales told by others. It was a one-one-one RELATIONSHIP with the Master. Relationships take time and they require trust…and you can’t trust someone you don’t know! It’s not automatic…and its not a label that we can wear like a name tag on Sunday mornings at church. To be a DISCIPLE of Jesus requires the intentional pursuit of RELATIONSHIP…a oneness with Him that runs deep, steady, and with intentional direction! There can be no games with it…you are either pursuing this connection with Him or not…there is SO VERY MUCH AT STAKE in the US right now if Christians don’t make this covenant of commitment to Christ…are you courageous enough to identify with Him???
Have you ever read the book The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson? It speaks of a fictional character named Ordinary who launches out to discover his dreams…a journey that necessitated stepping out and going beyond his comfort zone! Great book if you haven’t read it yet!
It grieves me deeply that so many Christians today in the US have learned to live out their Christianity in this place…what I term “comfort zone Christianity.”The Christian life for many of us has become comfortable, routine, and predictable! Over time we have developed a culture all our own…with language, activities, rituals,educational institution, etc. all in place. We’ve developed our own biosphere for doing life…defensively warding off anyone who criticizes or attempts to challenge it! Friends…I don’t see this in Scripture! Don’t get me wrong…these things are helpful…but that is not what Jesus Christ has called us to in a relationship with Him and with the Father! The focus is to be on relationship…a deep covenant oneness that He prayed for us for in John 17.
The doing of Christian activity can become a hindrance to our relationship with Him if the “doing” overshadows the pursuit of covenant relationship! The degree of your busyness with life/Christian activity says it all! Are you done with living in your comfort zone…are you ready to pursue that relationship with Him no matter the cost? Join us!
