Discipleship

A couple thoughts that have been on my mind and I have been meaning to write down.

• The first is our faith in Christ and our walk with God should cost us something.  This has many ramifications in the life we choose to live and the daily choices we make.  Too often our "American Christianity" is too cheap.  Especially in the south where everyone is a "Christian".  An individual spoke to this in a conversation I overheard the other day about visiting the Pacific Northwest.  He was talking about how it means something up there when you say you are a "Christian", because of the majority of the people are not.  This is unlike the south where everyone "goes to church".  He labeled this being a "legitimate Christian".  I would say we need to legitimize our faith.
• The second is related discipleship and making disciples.  This has been on the forefront of my mind and something I have been looking for as we search for a new church home here in Alabama.  Something I just read in Bandon Hatmaker's book "Barefoot Church" spoke to this.  Actually it speaks to both points.

Following Christ should change our lives.  We should not be the same.  Discipleship is transforming. Yet when we think about our spiritual development, it's easier to see a change in our practices than in our passions.  We continue to add rings to replace things, yet our hearts remain the same.  We seem to think discipleship is an agreement to knowledge instead of a commitment to a gospel that makes all things new.