Derik and Kim Heumann are church planters in Michigan, USA. They are also Inspire Missioners, and develop their missional communities and bands using the Inspire model. Their recent newsletter included this reflection:
Helping you grow as an everyday missionary
Jesus invites all of us to follow and pursue His way of life since He is the most perfect human being (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus is worthy of all worship as He is fully God, Lord of all creation, and the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15-20). We love because He first loved us. We breathe in, rest in, and then breathe out the love of God through Jesus.
His way of life is holistic and is meant to touch every area of our lives. This is deep discipleship. The upward movement is, “to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” (Matthew 22:37). The outward movement is to, “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39) and “go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:16-20). The inward movement is to, “love one another, as I have loved you” (John 14:34-35).
Our friends and partners at the Inspire Movement summarize it this way:
- Seeking growth in the love of God (UP)
- Using spiritual disciplines as means of grace (UP)
- Sharing fellowship with spiritual friends (IN)
- Engaging mission through love of neighbor (OUT)
How are you doing at resting in the love of God? How are you doing at receiving the love of God? How are you at responding to and demonstrating the love of God?
Are you living into the holistic and fully balanced and biblical understanding of what it means to be his disciple? I want to challenge you this month to ask Jesus, “On a scale of 1-10, where am I at with UP, IN, and OUT? And what are you inviting me to do this month to begin growing to the next number?”
This is not a time to shame yourself. In fact, God never shames you. Rather, it’s a moment to reflect and PRESS IN to Jesus’ way of life. Hear the words of Jesus, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” John 15:9
You can read more about Derik and Kim’s ministry in Michigan, subscribe to their newsletter, and support them, through their website here: https://www.evergreenchurcha2.com.
