Chapter 1 - The Four Ps

Chapter 1-  The  4 Ps


Preaching
God’s word is the way He chooses to reveal Himself to us.  If we neglect hearing, preaching or studying the Word we are in effect shutting God out.

Prayer
Prayer is more than a God-sized vending machine to give you every little desire.  It is true, He is our source of blessing and if we have been constant in His Word, our prayers will be in agreement with His will.
Prayer that will aid the health of a church should include:

• Prayer for faithful preaching from the Word of God


• Prayer to increase the spiritual maturity of the congregation


• Prayer for sinner’s conversion


• Prayer for opportunities for evangelism, both corporate and personal.


• Pray thru your church directory


• Pray the promises of God in the scripture

Personal Discipling Relationships
You must know someone  before you can really disciple them.  They must trust that you believe what you are teaching.  Going through a book would be a good way to start they study part of this relationship.
The author notes that “ spiritual maturity is not just about our own quiet times but the love for other believers and a solid expression of that love”.

Patience
God works for eternity.  Getting biblical clarity in a discipling relationship or the congregation is not a quick fix.    All change being implemented should be compared to the scriptures.
1.  Time- our vision is usually very short sighted. We may look a year, two possibly five into the future but rarely do we go further than that in our planning.  We should seek to plan much farther down the timeline.  Many things do not happen overnight and it must be in God’s time.

Questions
Why is preaching the Gospel so important for the life of a church?
What 3 passages will you memorize for the purpose of praying for your church?
Pick one person to disciple.
Pick a book to go through.
Do your ideas of time and eternity help cultivate impatience?
What could be done to change this?