Christ-Centered Personal Ministry

The Local church has been commissioned by her Head, the Lord Jesus, to
go and make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20). This requires
local evangelism as well as world missions. Discipleship includes
reaching the lost and then training them in the Christian life. Christ
modeled the best method of discipleship by choosing a small group and
training them for ministry (Mark 3:14). The local church today needs
to follow His example by using small group Bible studies for nurture
and outreach.

The pastor is placed in the Body of Christ to equip God's people for
ministry (Eph. 4:11-13). All believers have been given abilities by
the Holy Spirit to enable the church to do God's will. These gifts
need to be identified and used for the Body to b��ˇe edified and
serve effectively (1 Peter 4:10,11). Instead of emphasizing a
clergy / laity distinction, the church should affirm the priesthood of
all believers (1 Pet. 2:9).

The process of discipleship can often be assisted through biblical
counseling. This remedial discipleship helps believers who are
hindered by personal problems. By gaining freedom in Christ, believers
are able to make further progress toward spiritual maturity. Biblical
counseling is not secular psychology in Christian terms. Healing from
spiritual / emotional / mental problems requires a Christ-centered,
cross-centered focus. Exchanged Life Counseling is a remedial
discipleship strategy which promotes abiding in Christ (John 15:1-8)
and the importance of the believer's identity in Christ : "I have been
crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in
me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the
Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

- John Woodward
Grace Fellowship International

Fully Accepted

"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us" (Psa. 103.12).  They cannot be removed and be here still.  Then if thou believest in Christ, thou art no more in the sight of God a sinner; thou art accepted as though thou wert perfect, as though thou hadst kept the law, —for Christ has kept it, and His righteousness is thine.  You have broken it, but your sin is His and He has been punished for it.  

Mistake not yourselves any longer; you are no more what you were; when you believe, you stand in Christ''s stead, even as Christ of old stood in your stead.  The transformation is complete, the exchange is positive and eternal.  

They who believe in Jesus are as much accepted of God the Father as even His Eternal Son is accepted; and they that believe not, let them do what they will, they shall but go about to work out their own righteousness; but they abide under the law, and still shall they be under the curse [Gal. 3:10-13]. 

 Now, ye believe in Jesus, walk up and down the earth in the glory of this great truth!"

- C.H. Spurgeon

Quoted by Dr. Tom Wood in Graced Again  http://www.gracedagain.com

Free from the Law

"For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love." Gal. 5:5,6; cf. Rom. ch 7

"ILLUSTRATION:  A woman had a very unloving husband.  Every day before he went to work, he would make a long list of tasks she was to complete before he returned home.  No matter how hard she tried to complete the tasks, she never was successful.  So, every night he would scold her for what he considered a very poor performance.  Her life with this husband was very hard. After a time, the husband died and a few years later she married another man who was kind and loving.  They had a wonderful relationship and she was very happy. 

"One day as she was cleaning their home, she came across one of the lists of tasks that her former husband had written for her to do.  As she looked at the list, she was amazed to discover that while she could not complete the list for the former husband no matter how hard she tried, she was now accomplishing all those things for her new husband. 

"The key application of this illustration is that before salvation, it was impossible to keep the Lord's commands consistently.  When you are saved, you have a loving relationship espoused (engaged) to the Lord.  Following Him is not a matter of merely following a set of rules.  Following His commands is not an exercise in legalistic do's and don'ts.  It is not a way to earn our salvation or to gain favor with God to balance out our sin.  It is a loving response to what God has so amazingly and marvelously done for us.  It is now a matter of loving obedience in the empowering of the Holy Spirit." 

- Living Victoriously, (pg 14) Biblical Counseling Foundation  www.bcfministries.org