In his book “Adrift,” Steven Callahan describes returning across the Atlantic in a boat he’s designed, the Napoleon Solo. His ship is wrecked, and Callahan finds himself alone on the Atlantic Ocean with only a life raft and a limited amount of supplies. He battles hunger and fatigue, fighting his own impulses and stretching out his limited resources, hoping they are enough. After seventy-six days of man against nature, Callahan is rescued.
Thankfully, while lost at sea, Steve knew what he needed to do to survive. He routinely exercised, navigated, prioritized problems, made repairs, fished, improved systems, and built food and water stocks for emergencies.
That’s what the “5Gs” are all about. They are tools to prepare you and help you navigate your spiritual journey, so that you’re equipped to not just survive the storms of life and track your progress as a follower of Jesus, but to help others as well.
Admittedly, this is an oversimplification of why the 5Gs are important, but navigating your spiritual journey and being equipped to help others is a really big start.
THE 5GS ARE:
1. GRACE
“You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18
2. GROWTH
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6
3. GIFTS
“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” Romans 12:4-5
4. GROUPS
“I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.” 1 Corinthians 1:10
5. GENEROSITY
“Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.” 2 Corinthians 8:7
Leaders should be able to explain their own story of receiving God’s grace and surrendering to Jesus, in two minutes or less.
“You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18
ARTICLES:
- Does someone become a follower of Jesus by praying THE PRAYER OF SALVATION?
- Can someone LOSE THEIR SALVATION?
- How to share your FAITH STORY.
VIDEOS:
Leaders actively seek out and/or take advantage of opportunities to grow in their knowlege, character, and obedience of Jesus Christ.
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6
ARTICLES:
- “TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH“, by Carey Nieuwhof
- “WHAT DISCIPLESHIP LOOKS LIKE“, by Larry Osborne
- “EIGHT LAWS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH” by Tom Holladay
VIDEOS:
- An explanation of why PRAYER is such a big deal (41 minutes)
Leaders are able to identify their spiritual gifts and actively use them to impact their church, community, and world.
“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” Romans 12:4-5
ARTICLES:
- Identify your SPIRITUAL GIFT
- SPIRITUAL GIFTS test
- You play a significant role in the CHURCH
VIDEOS:
- An explanation of how God has SHAPED us, by Rick Warren (4 1/2 minutes)
- An in-depth look at how God can use what you consider “WEAKNESSES“, by Rick Warren (70 minutes)
Leaders intentionally seek out a small group community that fuels their faith and promotes acceptance, affirmation, authenticity, and accountability. Understandably, groups come in all shapes and sizes. Although leaders may occasionally take a break from a formal group setting, for personal reasons, they continue to prioritize godly relationships and accountability.
“I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.” 1 Corinthians 1:10
Some of the largest trees in the world are the giant redwoods in northern California. They can reach heights of over 300 feet high. The assumption most people would make when looking at these massive trees is that they have very deep roots, but that not the case. In reality, redwoods have a very shallow root system designed to capture all the surface moisture possible. In order to stand strong, the redwood trees have roots that spread out in all directions and become intertwined with other redwood trees. By locking together, they’re able to withstand blowing winds, storms, and other acts of nature. The trees support and sustain another. This is why you almost never see a redwood standing alone. They need one another to survive, just like humans need each other!
ARTICLES:
- Keys to effective ACCOUNTABILITY
VIDEOS:
- A talk by Andy Stanley on DISCIPLESHIP (15 minutes)
- FIVE HABITS of successful groups (5 minutes)
- Rick Warren teaches on how to build awesome FRIENDSHIPS (67 minutes)
- Larry Osborne articulates how the crowd becomes a CHURCH (52 minutes)
Leaders understand that everything comes from God and they choose to invest a percentage of their income into His Kingdom.
The percentage someone gives is between them and God. Historically, followers of Jesus have returned a tithe (10%) of whatever God has blessed them with and they’ve chosen to worship God through their giving.
Of course, ongoing and consistent generosity isn’t cultivated overnight. The “ladder of generosity” below is a visual guide on how people tend to grow in this area.
“Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.” 2 Corinthians 8:7
ARTICLES:
- Some HURDLES to developing a lifestyle of generosity.
EBOOK:
- A 21 page EBOOK to read after you start to give financially to a local church
BOOKS:
- An easy to read book by Andy Stanley called, “FIELDS OF GOLD“
- “MORE OR LESS” is a book by Jeff Shinabarger, with practical suggestions on how to use the excess in our life.
VIDEOS:
- TRANSFORMING HOW YOU SEE MONEY, by Rick Warren (56 minutes)