“Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything God will reveal this also to you. In any case, we should live up to the truth we have obtained.” -Phil 3:15-16

Reflection, meditation, and prayer are essential as I grow into a maturing disciple of Jesus. Looking back guides me as I look forward. I became a believer at age 13. I was vocal about my faith, and my friends knew I was a Christian. I was excited about Jesus. Looking back, I was like the woman at the well who, after meeting Jesus, left her water jar at the well, walked into town, and told the men, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Messiah?”  (John 4:29)

The woman’s beginning steps after meeting Jesus (and mine) were to just talk about our experience with Jesus. In the woman’s case, she urged the men to go and meet Jesus. In my case, I asked my friends to come with me to my church where they could also meet Jesus. I wasn’t quite sure how to explain Jesus, but knew my pastor could. Inviting my friends became the baseline of the truth that I had obtained.

Many years have passed. I continue deepening my faith in Jesus. Always aware of my sin, I try, as Paul instructs us in Philippians 3, to imitate mature believers. I have grown in my ability to share my faith and encourage friends and strangers alike to meet and follow Jesus. Increasing in maturity means increasing in faith. Every step we take not focusing on ourselves, but instead focusing on Jesus, requires reflection, meditation, and prayer. In these moments, we grow and mature our faith. 

When Jesus first called each of the twelve disciples, Jesus asked them to follow him. He spends three years growing their faith and training them as his disciples. Following his death, having taken on our sins and ascending to heaven, he commands these early disciples to go and make more disciples – to all of the nations of the earth. As it was with the early disciples, this is our mission. To go and make disciples.

This past Sunday while visiting a large church in Gilbert, Arizona, we heard a powerful gospel message from the book of Habakkuk. The preacher encouraged those in attendance to always be inviting their families and friends who are not yet believers to just come into the church and see and hear about Jesus. He asked them to do what the woman at the well did, or what I did as a new believer – just come and meet Jesus. This is living up to the truth we have obtained. This is every believer’s baseline for making disciples.

Scripture clearly instructs disciples to grow in our faith and maturity – beyond the baseline where we first encountered Jesus. Growing our faith takes effort. It takes practice. It means moving forward away from our own self-interests. Jesus sacrificially loved us. As disciples, we are to sacrificially love others. We are to be equipped to share our faith with those who do not yet know Jesus.

We at Outreach Canada want to assist you in moving forward in your faith journey.

Outreach Canada is made up of many different ministries working together with the goal of making disciples of Jesus Christ. The OC Team includes 83 Team Members, plus an additional 23 international associates working together in over 100 partnerships with other ministries. We are Stronger Together! For more information about the ministries of Outreach Canada, please visit: Outreach Canada Ministries 

*During this season of transition at Outreach Canada, the OC Director's Blog updates are coming to you from different members of the LeaderSHIFT team. This update was provided by Rick Burdett, Outreach Canada's Chief Operating Officer and a member of the LeaderSHIFT team. For more updates from our LeaderSHIFT team, make sure to check out our OC Director's Blog!

Rick Burdett is the Chief Operations Officer at Outreach Canada. Before joining OC in 2019, Rick served as an executive pastor in two churches over 22 years. If Rick had a free afternoon, you might find him fishing, kayaking, bike riding or napping. Rick is passionate about working with and supporting people who are sacrificially loving lost people into the kingdom of God. He loves listening to the stories of how God is using team members to bless our culture & world.