Real life in Starbucks …

Most of the chairs and tables in the local Starbucks were empty. I was in the middle of some complicated study when the three women came in and sat at the table about two feet from my chair.

Here we go again …

… it would be one of those evenings of trying valiantly to tune out the conversations of people who decided they wanted to sit right next to me and speak loudly. But it didn’t take long to notice this little gathering of women was a prime example for the vital need of discipleship in the church.

The first part of the conversation included personal struggles, mostly of the relational kind.

The second part of the conversation was a Bible study.

Yes, this is Texas, where you often can find someone studying the Bible at Starbucks.

Anyway, what was noticeable was the complete shift of conversational tone and style of interaction between the two parts of their conversations.

During their sharing time, the women were loud and physically animated; emotions were raw, frustrations were vented, and questions were raised.

The study time was calmer and much more intellectual in nature.

Here was the obvious: it seemed the struggle was to bridge the gap between what was actually going on in their lives, and actualizing what they were studying in scripture.

The need?

Discipleship.

Helping a person traverse from their world into God’s Word, and back into their world equipped with the Word.

Lives change when we take our realities and subject them to an embracing, internalizing — an application of — the Word of God.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work,” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

Even though the ladies struggled with the meaning of the scripture, their fellowship in the Word began to connect with their lives. After reading a passage about encouraging one another, one of the women stated, “No one in the church has encouraged me.”

Big statement!

But the other two women were her new sources of encouragement … and that was a step into actualizing the Word of God in her life.

How vital to lives it is for the church to be passionately committed to equipping the saints in the Word, so there can be spiritual maturing and much needed transformation of lives.

“So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me,” Colossians 1:28-29.

“… This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ,” Ephesians 4:13.

Do you have a need to be discipled? Are you discipling someone? How are you encouraging others through fellowship in the Word?

Scotty