|
From the
PRESIDENT
Recently Chuck Morris, Alabama State President.
sent out this thought and I thought is was worthy of
sharing it with you. Thank you Chuck.
The Three
Legged Stool
Recently,
Adelaide and I started teaching a teenage Sunday
School class. The church we attend is rather small;
therefore, we have a wide age range in our class –
7th graders to seniors. When you’re 50 years old, 5
years either way doesn’t matter, but when you’re 12
or 13, it sure does. It is a challenge for us to
teach material in a way that all can benefit. If you
teach to the seniors, 7th graders don’t relate. If
you teach to the 7th graders, the seniors get bored
real quick.
As leaders in motorcycle ministry, all of us are
really in a similar situation. Although there is
certainly a wide age range of people in our
chapters, physical age for the most part does not
play a factor. Spiritual maturity on the other hand,
plays a huge part.
As officers, it is our responsibility to recognize
where each member of our group is, in their
relationship with Christ, and encourage them to go
farther. What one person needs will not be what
everyone needs. Imagine that you had to teach a
class of students from Kindergarten - college, all
in the same class. You can not teach a
kindergartener the same way you would a graduate
student or vice-versa. You need a 3-legged stool.
That’s right, a 3-legged stool, and you already have
it. The problem comes in when we forget we have it
or when we start putting too much pressure on just
one leg. Usually something breaks and you’re lucky
if you don’t get hurt in the process. We don’t want
anyone to get hurt, so let me remind you about your
3-legged stool.
Here it is. Are you ready for this? Fellowship,
Discipleship and Evangelism. A well balanced WOF
Chapter, or really most any other church ministry
for that matter, effectively utilizes all three
components equally. If you’re trying to force your
people into trying to balance on any one of these
three legs without an equal use of all of them, you
will eventually push most of your people away.
Remember, ministry is taking place in all three of
these areas.
To some, fellowship is most what they need in their
life. Others are hungry for discipleship. This
certainly includes Bible study and devos, but also
includes instruction on how to ride safely in a
group, motorcycle safety overall, how to interact
with the culture we ride in . . . Some are mature
enough and ready for active evangelism. Everyone,
however, won’t be.
Maybe there will be those who are active in ministry
elsewhere and strictly need the fellowship and rides
to rest, relax and enjoy. They are being ministered
to as well.
If you’re all fellowship and no discipleship or
evangelism, you’re really no different than any
other secular club. No point then in calling
yourself an MM.
If you’re all discipleship with no application, what
good is all that knowledge?
I know this devo is not typical of what we usually
send out, but it is a timely reminder - and much
needed. Let’s just say, I’m learning to get
comfortable on this 3-legged stool. Are you?
Chuck Morris
Alabama State President
Wheels of Faith MM
The Beads (August
2009)
We just returned from our most successful outreach
that we have ever done. Sturgis, South Dakota put on
one of the worlds largest rally, and WOF was there
sharing the Gospel using the colored beads. These
beads have come under some criticism in the past for
this style. At these events, we have about 3 minutes
or so with an individual. In those 3 minutes we
share about heaven, sin, the blood of Jesus,
salvation, and growing in Christ. This method is not
new.
In 1866
Charles Spurgeon wrote the sermon about the wordless
book, which is where the bead colors originate
from. in 1900 D.L. Moody added the color yellow to
represent heaven.
Who hasn't heard of blind Fanny Crosby, the author
of Blessed Assurance, Saved by Grace and hundreds
more old hymns? Fanny loved children. "Tell us a
story, Fanny. Tell us another," they begged. Fanny
would take from her purse a
Wordless
Book
and tell them the story of which they never tired.
In 1895 the book
traveled to India with Amy Carmichael. In Elisabeth
Elliot's recent biography of her, A Chance to Die,
she tells how Amy and her helper made a satin flag
of gold, black, red and white, hoisted it in the
cart pulled by oxen and went from village to village
in southern India telling the Gospel. "A most useful
text for an impromptu sermon," Amy commented. In
smaller groups she used the little
book
itself. in 1939 the green bead was added to
represent Christian growth.
We are not the inventors, we are piggy backing on
others who have used these colors to tell the
greatest story every told, the story of salvation
through Jesus Christ.
Chaplain Scott Bush,
M.S., B.L.S
Mental Health/ Marriage and Family
Assemblies of God Biker Chaplain
US Missionary
Masters (June 2009)
It took
under two years to finish my Masters degree from
Barry University. Why did I go back to school to get
an advanced degree? It is simple. We always must
keep learning through our years. We grow in God's
wisdom by spending time with him and reading his
Word, and we get personal knowledge to enhance our
skills. Many people have challenges in behavior,
mental health, and in their marriages and families.
I am now even more qualified to provide spriitual,
mental, and emotional health.
Chaplain Scott Bush,
M.S., B.L.S
Mental Health/ Marriage and Family
Assemblies of God Biker Chaplain
US Missionary
Ready (March 2009)
We just finished our
longest evangelistic outreach in Daytona Beach,
Florida. Bike Week 2009 produced 285 new commitments
to Christ by those passing by our outreach booth. It
took only one month of planning to put this very
effective outreach together. Why only one month?
Here is the story.
It takes thousands of dollars to put on an outreach
in Daytona. Vendor space is very expensive, and I
just could not find the money to fund the outreach.
One of our WOF MM board members said to me, "
Believe God and ask for money to help put on the
outreach." So I did, and most of the money came in,
and more is on the way. In Jeremiah 1:12, the
Lord says "I am ready to perform My word." God has a
plan that is bigger than we can imagine, or maybe
bigger than we can wrap our minds around. I took the
board member's word as a word from God, and God
showed up and hundreds were saved.
God is ready to
perform His word, but we must listen for His voice,
sometimes through others, and act accordingly. It is
His plan that we are working, not ours.
Chaplain Scott Bush,
Behavioral Science
Specialist, BLS
Assemblies of God Biker Chaplain
US Missionary
Respect
(January 2009)
Respect is so important in our lives. Respect is
accepting the person, not necessarily their cause.
We should respect all people but not necessarily
accepting their cause. I can accept them, but I may
not agree with them. I may not agree with a Judge's
decision, but there is respect for him as a Judge.
We should show respect for all people. Jesus
accepted all people and opened salvation to
everyone. God loved us even when we were not doing
the things that he approved of. It is his nature.
For
mankind, respect and acceptance are linked together.
One of the main problems in marriages today is that
the couple does not show respect for each other,
that is, accepting the person, not necessarily their
cause. According the book, Clinical Guide to
Couples Therapy, 69% of arguments are unsolvable. If
we show respect for our mate, accepting them but not
necessarily agreeing with them, and not fighting
with them because there is a difference of opinion,
we would see a great enhancement in our
relationship. It is ok to have a different opinion
than another, and it is ok for someone else to have
a different opinion than ours.
As I
finish up my Master's Degree dual majoring in Mental
Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy, I
take with me something that I learned called
"unconditional positive regard." It is in fact,
accepting everyone but not necessarily agreeing with
them. It is vital to the therapeutic relationship to
have this attitude. I can do this and not compromise
my Christian beliefs because this is exactly what
Christ did. Even to the point that he accepted Judas
and Peter for the three years that they walked with
him, and he shared his life with, and Christ knew
they would both fail him. He accepted them, not
their cause. Peter's story, and Christianity would
have been different if Jesus treated them like we
treat each other at times.
Respect is a core component of Wheels of Faith MM.
We show respect to the 1%er. We show respect to the
person on the moped. We show respect for every
individual that we meet. It is vital. We show
respect for the everyone, meaning we accept the
person, not necessarily agreeing with the cause.
Lets practice it in 2009.
Chaplain Scott Bush,
Behavioral Science
Specialist, BLS
Assemblies of God Biker Chaplain
US Missionary
Serendipity (December
2008)
As we approach the new
year I think of the word serendipity. Serendipity is the effect by
which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially
while looking for something else entirely.
Chocolate chip cookies were invented by
Ruth Wakefield
when she attempted to make chocolate drop
cookies. She did not have the required chocolate so she broke up a
candy bar and placed the chunks into the cookie mix. These chunks
later morphed into what is now known as chocolate chips. She
discovered chocolate chip cookies while making other cookies. Toll
House cookies were born into the dessert world.
Life can have serendipity. As individuals go about life
looking for happiness and they encounter many experiences along the
way. Life can be difficult, especially in these tough times as we
are currently experiencing in the United States. Finding God while
not searching for Him is serendipity. It is accidently discovering
something fortunate when looking for something else entirely.
Maybe you have found God. While searching for God, and searching for
a deeper relationship with God, watch for serendipity. As we search
the Word of God to know Him more, let us accidentally discover
something fortunate about us, specifically the changes that He is
making in our lives as we seek a deeper relationship with Him. As we
look for and seek after Jesus Christ, something fortunate is
happening in your life, you are becoming more like Him. Serendipity.
Chaplain Scott Bush,
Behavioral Science
Specialist, BLS
Assemblies of God Biker Chaplain
US Missionary
|
