Godwor 101

These lessons will have general guidelines for getting started & moving forward.

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GODWOR

Godwor: The Basics


Wanna play a game?  


The idea behind Godwor is simple, but not easy to learn (just by following these lessons).  Being a disciple of Jesus is like playing a game.  It’s no fun to learn a game by reading the rule book.  We usually learn by playing.  


Unfortunately, you have to start somewhere, so this is it for now.  If possible, the best thing is to ‘buddy-up’ with someone and try this with others.  If you are more of a loner, then just buckle up and give it a try.  It’s really not hard, but it will take some work from you.  The question is: are you up for a challenge, or will you refuse it just because it’s hard?


if you’re up for the great challenge, here’s what’s next…


Growing spiritually and emotionally stronger is like developing

physical strength and endurance, we need three things:

Nutrition

Rest

Exercise


Here’s a quick note about each one.  I’ll put longer lessons on the side later, but this should give you a general idea of what’s necessary.


Spiritual Food is:

God’s Word – Bible - Scripture

The bible isn’t a giant book of rules.  

Reading it every day a bit at a time as a

“spiritual discipline” is like consuming nutrient packets

and calling it food.  Rather, we should enjoy a good

breakfast and regular, pleasurable meals every day.  

We’ll show you where to get started

… see the “Teach” pages.





Exercise is:

healing – good works – worship – service

This is us looking for people to help and rescue.  If you are reaching out to hurting people some every week and making a bigger effort a couple of times per year, it’s like an athlete that works out every day a little bit, and then plays the big game in the proper season.  God’s work was done by Jesus in just such a way!  If you look at our “heal” pages, you’ll find your exercise.




Rest is:

rest - recess - fun

It’s play time, having fun, taking naps.  The newer you are to the disciple’s walk, the more ‘play’ you’ll need.  God gave people a full day of rest out of seven, and called it “Sabbath.”  Sabbath is not a day of worship, it’s a day of full-on rest!  Lay around and watch tv, go for a bike ride, play golf or do whatever it is you do for fun and relaxation.  





It’s about the Golden Rule & being a giver

Our purpose statement is: “living the golden rule for God.”  The golden rule was Jesus’ teaching that we should ‘do to others as we would have them do to us.’  Most people won’t accept this challenge.  It’s hard, and requires effort.  ‘withholding harm’ isn’t too hard … but reaching out to actively DO good is.  


We go looking for challenging opportunities to do good, like a climber looks for higher & steeper mountains to climb.  As Paul wrote, we “run the race in order to win.”  



Doing good to others yields fruit in three important ways:


we grow

Jesus said, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.”  We believe that.  And as we learn to give more, we will be blessed more – and that’s how we grow.  As we help others we become increasingly compassionate and faithful.  This is something you’ll discover as an undeniable reward, if you’ll just try.


others are helped

Have you had someone hug you with gratitude with tears of joy in their eyes? There’s nothing in the whole world more like God or Jesus than taking care of people.  The world is covered in people who desperately need your selfless compassion.


God is glorified

We can’t give unless we first receive from God.  God gave us life and sustains us, He gives us growth and has given us everything we have.  When we give to others, it’s not really our stuff to give … it’s God’s and we’re just being managers of His good things.  All the credit should go to Him, none to ourselves, to a church group or government or anything else.  All good gifts come from God … and all glory is due Him!  



The Gold Medal at the Finish Line


Everyone dies, and after that … judgment.  What will your experience be that day?  Jesus told a story about a day of reckoning we usually call the parable of the talents (you can find it in Matthew 25).  


He says we are like God’s trust fund managers.  It’s as if He gave large sums of money to invest on His behalf.  It’s God’s money, but we are made stewards of it while God goes away on a journey.  When He comes back He expects us to have made a profit for Him.  To those who have made a profit, God says, “Well done, good and faithful slave.”  


We call those “the six words,” and it’s what we live for.  We don’t work to be saved, we work because we want to make God smile and tell us the six words.  We work because we want to heal people, grow stronger, and have His investment in us increase and increase many times over during our lives, and then on that day we won’t arrive empty-handed.  We obviously cannot earn salvation, but He has done so much for us, how can we now turn a blind eye to others who have not been so blessed?  


Can you imagine how great it would be to see God smile and be pleased that we’ve devoted ourselves to His service … even to the exclusion of all else?  What could compare with hearing God say the six words to you?  It will be better than Olympic Gold & a Nobel Prize, rolled into one.  


Now to understand each of these bits better, follow the lessons here as they appear, and take action.  If you do, I promise you’ll discover what it feels like to grow as an apprentice (disciple) of Jesus, and one day not only will you hear the six words, but you will have helped others hear them, too.


One final note:

The lessons on this page will illuminate these simple concepts a bit more.  


If you read and/or listen to these lessons, you’ll be educated.  

BUT:

If you act on them - persistently - you will become stronger, wiser and more respectable than you ever imagined possible!   


“God’s peace (which surpasses all comprehension)

will guard your hearts and your minds.”  

Paul (from his letter to the church in Philippi)



Our Three Primary Activities


Jesus’ life and work can be reduced to three primary things, and
these will also be our three primary works:


1. Teach
Just like Jesus, we teach.  These lessons teach the truth about God, the bible and worship … from the bible itself.  This is the “classroom” part of the training.  
2. Heal
Being a follower of God means much more than book-learning … it means taking action.  Jesus healed, fed, comforted, and encouraged his fellow human beings.  We will focus on being increasingly helpful to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of people on planet earth.  
3. Reproduce
When Jesus taught and helped people, he invited them to “follow” him.  That’s his way of asking them to join him in his work.  We will also seek to get people to join with us, for with teamwork, we can teach and heal even more people.  

I hope you’ll check us out, and then consider joining us.  There are many great challenges in this world - mountains to climb, races to run, goals to attain.  But the greatest challenges of all are those challenges when we can truly help other human beings be relieved from suffering, stress, fear, hunger, thirst ... and not just rescued from these awful things, but rescued to become rescuers themselves!  

“Pure and undefiled religion [worship] in the sight of God is this:
To visit orphans & widows in their distress, &
To keep oneself unstained by the world.
(James 1:27)


What it means …



The Golden Rule:              

“Do to others as you would have them do to you”


        We’ll have more about this in lessons here, but for now please observe that Jesus’ Golden Rule is different than other religions, for it’s a call to action.  Jesus commands that we should “DO” good to others, not simply withhold harm.  






For God:                      

“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do all to the glory of God”


       We do everything we do, in work, in play, and in service to humanity for the glory of God.  That means we do things to make God look good.  We serve (worship) Him - we do whatever He asks us, and to do so as His ambassadors.  When people are hurting, we want to be God’s agents for help, education, healing and comfort.  Everything for the God!   

Step-by-Step

Jesus’ apprentices began by listening and watching and learning a lot … and by doing a little.  If you’re ready to begin your journey of personal growth and helping others … follow these simple steps:



FIRST WEEK


Teach (learn)

This week is mostly about you learning, not teaching so much. Begin by reading over the material on this website and get to know the basics.  Then if you have time … proceed to the teach pages to continue learning the basics of the bible, discipleship & wisdom.


Heal

Start with simple projects that will help you to focus on others, and particularly the needy.  Do this:


Reproduce

    Start by telling someone about this website and/or your personal journey.  

    Also consider inviting them to participate with you in the “Heal” projects listed above.


Don’t try to sell anyone anything, just let others know what you’re doing.  They may want to join you or they may simply want to know that you’re not joining some kind of weird cult.  We have no secrets here.  Transparency and accountability are vital to our success.  

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