We're All to be Teachers

I was going to write a "real" post tonight, but James and I got to looking up food to eat in Seattle. We decided last minute to hop over there Wed/Thurs while he is on Spring Break. I'm looking up things here, and he somehow got to looking up things in China, so we're also planning a three month eating excursion through China to enjoy all the good things there. :) Right now we're hoping to eat at an Indian lunch buffet...so yummy!!! and get some seafood since the rest of the family doesn't really care for that. 

So as not to have just a totally pointless post :), here is another great quote (somewhat strung together) from Radical (pgs 99-101):

In our relationships with one another in the body of Christ, we are to be continually teaching one another the Word of Christ...we need to be careful not to immediately jump in our minds to the classroom...this is not the predominant kind of teaching we see in Jesus' relationship with His disciples. On the contrary, the world was a perpetual classroom for Jesus and His disciples, providing opportunities for instruction at every moment...Jesus' command for us to make disciples envisions a teaching role for all of us. 

Think about it. What would be the most effective way for this new follower of Christ to learn to pray? To sign her up for a one-hour-a-week class on prayer? Or to invite her personally into your quiet time with God to teach her how to pray? 

Similarly, what would be the most effective way for this new follower of Christ to learn to study the Bible? To register her in the next available course on Bible study? Or to sit down with her and walk her through the steps of how you have learned to study the Bible?  

This raises the bar in our own Christianity. In order to teach someone else how to pray, we need to know how to pray. In order to help someone else learn how to study the Bible, we need to be active in studying the Bible. But this is the beauty of making disciples. When we take the responsibility for helping others grown in Christ, it automatically takes our own relationship with Christ to a new level. 

pic with our friends who stayed with us

 

my kids have been really into crazy pics lately...this one is particularly funny
because it was on a timer that seemed to take forever to snap the pic :)