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Cell Leaders’ Retreat over the long weekend was great. I was able to breakaway from the tyranny of idleness that’s been ruling over me for the past month. The use of the word tyranny defined at dictionary.com to describe the idleness in my life is pretty apt. My free time has eaten into me, obviously doing more damage than any good, on contrary to what many have commented/perceived. I guess I’m not someone who can stay in bed or hide at home all day 5 days a week, over a period of a few weeks.

Ever felt as though your free time governs what you do? As opposed to having control of my free time, I am being led away by it with various degenerating activities like staying up late; watching DVDs, movies and hanging out on the internet, waking up late; missing the devotion@8 shows and MOST of the time, totally missing shows! To some, they wouldn’t complain at all if they had a lifestyle like this; some might be cursing/hissing at me for feeling remorseful over this issue but I realize that it’s not a lifestyle that God has called me to live. In fact, it’s not a lifestyle that He would approve.

The retreat was an eye opener for me, as I began to understand the high calling of discipleship. Sessions after sessions, God would impress something upon my heart, and convict me of my ignorance in that area. The discussion sessions were especially good for me to ask further questions regarding those principles that were shared, and those that God has placed in my heart during the teaching session.

Things that really challenged, convicted and called of me:

1. The definition of discipleship

A disciple is one who has made a life-long commitment to follow Jesus Christ with determination, discipline and self-denial, to grow increasingly in His knowledge through His written Word, and to become more and more like Him in life and service with the help of the Holy Spirit until he meets with Christ and becomes like Him.

- Dr. Benjamin George from “Quit being a Sunday Christian“

2. Are we to be convicted to do things all the time, which only then we do it? No. If you do it out of genuine love, the conviction has already come in the form of God’s Word, and His commandments.

3. The 5 P’s of life. A form of progression in life, where you are to first work on the personhood, then a proclaimer and so on. Different stages of life calls of us to be successful in those areas. Of course, they’re all collectively worked on..

Personhood
Proclaimer
Provider
Partner
Parent

4. From the 5 L’s of life, life’s purpose, life’s goals, life’s calling, life’s work and life’s message; life’s work supports the life calling. Life’s calling is what God has calls us to do in ministry, and our life’s work is the job that provides the support to the ministry.

5. Servant Leadership

A New Testament servant is …

One who willingly yields his life, rights, possesions, talents, hopes failures, family, future and all that he is, will be and has, to Jesus in order to serve Him and His will day and night. It is a free-will choice to follow His directions about everything and fulfill His will totally.

A New Testament Leader is …

A leader is a person who intentionally and humbly serves others as they lead them in God’s path of life. A leader also helps others find and develop their God-given talents and abilities in order to fulfill their God-given place in His body so that they can use their gifts and talents to release their maximum potential for the benefit of others thay will serve and lead. And because leaders serve, others will follow them naturally.

As all these have been planted in my spirit, I know that it’s inline with my personal mission now at this moment of time.. So, I’m not sesating or going the extreme..! Haha. Initially, all these seemed kinda impossible and radical.. but as I looked and chewed upon it I realize that God doesn’t call us to all of this AT ONE GO. It’s a life-long process, so … it isn’t all that scary.

David[woohoo!]

PS: Oh, I’ve added something new on my blog. See if you can find it. It’s kinda obvious.