Here we go...
So our precious Millie Mae turned 3 over the weekend. Happy Birthday Millie Mae!!!
We had a massive party last year so we kept it small and fun this year! We went to the Aquarium in Springfield, MO on saturday and had a small family party after nap time on Sunday. It was so fun and we are sooooo tired. I won't bore you with photos because I posted most of them on Facebook but here are a few. She is the most precious gift to us.
This was also a huge weekend for us spiritually. A new Lifegroup class launched from our current class that we launched several years ago. It has been in the making for a long time. The first 2 couples on the left are the leaders of the new class!!!
We have all spent the last year and a half going through and teaching MasterLife by Avery Willis. It has been life changing for most of us in very big ways. It is all about being a disciple and then making disciples. Avery states at the beginning of each book that the goal of MasterLife is my discipleship--for me to become like Christ. To do that, I must follow Jesus, learn to do the things He instructed His followers to do, and help others become His disciples. Avery's definition of discipleship is :
Christian discipleship is developing a personal, lifelong, obedient relationship with Jesus Christ in which He transforms your character into Christ likeness; changers your values into Kingdom values; and involves you in His mission in the home, the church, and the world.
It is like no other discipleship training I have ever been through. There are 4 books: The Disciple's Cross, The Disciple's Personality, The Disciple's Victory, and The Disciple's Mission.
My parents went through Masterlife back in the 80's in Mineola, Tx and then led it in Dayton, Tx. So I grew up around the concepts and heard my parents talk about it most of my life. It is about putting feet to your faith. It's about understanding that as a disciple of Jesus Christ, I live behind enemy lines, and spiritual warfare continually takes place around me in the world. We are equipped to win the battle. It will require me to stand my ground in the day of evil and then finally to conquer and still be STANDING when the battle is over. It will require that I fully understand the battle. I will need to understand that each one of them is first won on my knees in prayer. I need to know I am fighting the powers of darkness or sometimes even my own flesh. The job will come at a cost. Sometimes my companions will be few. But living out Luke 9:23-
If any man would come after me he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me....
will lead to fruit bearing and then fruit that will last.
MasterLife is incredible and I so wish Lifeway would relaunch a campaign to get it back in the churches. Some church leaders will say it is "way to deep" or "24 weeks is a commitment people can't do" (we broke up the 4 books 1 per season). But to me that all seems like the excuse of this age. Too busy, too important. blah blah blah. I mean, people use their phones like they can't carry a bible. They never touch the pages of the Word. The Word that is alive and relevant. They look at the Word on their screen and have the same emotional response to it as if it was just another post of Facebook. Convenience is king not the King of Kings. I am determined to help people get out of that lie. To get back in the Word. To mark up each chapter, to smell it, to let tears stain the pages and to document beside special passages just what God has done for us and through us. I mean what is the opposite of convenience...um...what is the word with antiques.....PRIMITIVE (thanks shane beyer). Yes, getting back to a simple, primitive approach to talking with God. To studying His word. That is my desire. To stop trying to make it look super pretty so we feel pretty reading it. His word is enough you know. We need conviction in our life not flattery. Anway, with this new lifegroup launch, I think these are things we get to focus from the very beginning.
I can see that my long winded game is still strong hahahahahhahaha!
So yall, Shane and I are the Class Coordinator's for The Nabors class at FBC Rogers. Here is our fearless, disciple making teacher Russell below. I look at this picture and my only thoughts go to the level of loyalty and love he has for us. When the 4 of us (Nabors-Beyers) launched our class several years ago we didn't know each other at all and didn't know what the heck we were doing leading others ha! But God has taught us SO MUCH! Man, we have walked out some very joyful days together, some very hard days together, and some days when discipling others has taken up more time than our actual jobs do. But the Lord has bonded 2 families together for the rest of our lives. We have become a solid team that stands firm like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Ps 1:3
So lets be honest....serving is hard sometimes. The last 2 years I have learned that not everyone that comes to church, even faithfully attends, wants to grow. I think that is a concept we all kinda know but don't fully understand it till we are in the situation and really see that people are fighting you back. I have not been able to share very many feelings on this issue publicly so I will be careful with my words. It's hard work. It's time consuming. And you will be rejected at some point maybe even hated. You will mess up with your response to other's ugliness and your emotions will not be under the Lord's authority. You will cry. You will repent. You will spend hours in prayer. You might even shut down from sharing your heart for a time. You will lock arms with other warriors that the Lord brings to you out of nowhere, but right on time. You might be thought of as crazy. Maybe even EXTREME. But despite the noise... you will still keep standing. None of that clanging will shut you up. It will not keep you silent. You will stay in the battle...... standing......because you know the Lord is at work. You will feel His strength deep in your soul. Then at the perfect moment......He might give you a chance to start again.
And the most beautiful gift of all will be that the Lord will prepare a table before you..."Thou furnishest me with plenty and variety of provisions and comfort"... in the presence of your enemies...."Who seeing, envying, and fretting at it, are not able to hinder it". And in the sometimes loneliness, of obeying God, He so faithful anoints your head with oil... "Thy comforts delight my soul" and allows your cup to runneth over... "Thou hast given me a very plentiful portion"....because His name is Jehovah Nissi "The Lord is my banner".
I am no longer just talking the talk. I'm really walking the walk. And embracing all that it requires. Hurts are healed and my heart encouraged. Claiming His promises that the enemy can't hinder His mighty work. Praise His Holy Name!
Ps 89:14-18
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
love and faithfulness go before you.
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
They rejoice in your name all day long;
they celebrate your righteousness.
For you are their GLORY and STRENGTH,
and by your favor you exalt our horn.
Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord,
our King to the Holy One of Israel.