Nelson's Church Leader's Manual for Congregational Care by Thomas Nelson

Author:Thomas Nelson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2011-09-16T00:00:00+00:00

1. Make sure that you have a relationship with Jesus Christ. This may sound too obvious to even mention, but knowing Christ in a personal way is always the first and most important aspect in discovering God’s will for the Christian’s life. Encourage the person to spend a few moments searching his or her soul to make sure that he or she has totally surrendered his or her life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The person cannot expect to understand what it means to discover and to follow God’s will if his or her life is not surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

2. Put yourself into a position of recognizing God’s will by walking with Him daily. At this point, it might behoove one to be reminded of Jesus’ request that He made to His disciples to tarry with Him in prayer the night before His crucifixion. As you may recall, the disciples repeatedly fell asleep. The result was the scattering of the disciples the next day, while Christ faced the ultimate price on the cross for the sin of mankind.

3. Learn what it means to pray for “His will to be done” in your life. A great example of this occurs in John 4 as the disciples are frantically trying to get Jesus out of Samaria because of their extreme hatred and prejudice. Jesus ignores the disciples’ repeated attempts to feed Him by responding in verse 34, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.” He further states in verse 35, “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”

4. Practice a life of genuine faith. This is easily summed up in Hebrews 11:6: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Help the inquirer to see the importance of trusting God.

5. Be sensitive to the evidence and confirmation of the Scriptures. This is easily explained by a simple overview of the first several chapters of Acts where Peter and the apostles utilize biblical stories and multiple references to Holy Scripture to support the movement of the Holy Spirit, the birth of the church, and the exclusivity of Christ for eternal salvation. On a personal note, God has never moved in my life to affirm His will without first confirming it through His Holy Word. God primarily uses His Word and He never contradicts His Word.

6. Be accountable and learn to listen to wise counsel. Proverbs 15:22 (MSG), “Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed.” “Good counsel” is the result of wise mentors. Arrogance keeps a person from seeking the insights of others, leading one to make a poor decision. Finding God’s will often involves the wisdom of trusted Christian advisors.

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