For God So Loved… that God gave us the blessing and constrains of discipline. Discipline is rarely considered to be a blessing or gift to be cherished, instead it is usually correlated with constrains. Through my own life, I continue to learn that the blessings that accompany a disciplined life far outweigh the constraints. I remember the day that I determined that I was going to commit to wearing my seat-belt. I had been with a friend who had a toddler who would not stay in her car seat unless everyone in the car put on his or her own seat-belt as well. So, one Saturday morning in January 1986, I hopped in my car and a little voice said to me “if Ashely were here, I would put on my seat-belt.” I put on my seat-belt and seventy miles into my trip, I was involved in a 28 car pile-up. Eight people died in that accident. The first words out of my mouth were, “Thank God for Ashely!” That day, I began a new life-saving discipline.

Jim Collins, author of Good to Great states, “In my work with nonprofits, I find that they’re in desperate need of greater discipline—disciplined planning, disciplined people, disciplined governance, disciplined allocations of resources… mediocre companies rarely display the relentless culture of discipline—disciplined people who engage in disciplined thought and who take disciplined action—that we find in truly great companies…A culture of discipline is not a principle of business; it is a principle of greatness.”

John the Baptist showed great discipline as he went through Bethany preaching a gospel that was in opposition to what the religious elite wanted to hear. Andrew’s story, as recorded in John 1:35-42, is the subject of this Sunday’s sermon: Gave up Good for Great. Together we will explore how our choices determine our capacity to be great disciples for Jesus Christ. See You Sunday!