John Wimber, the late founder of the Vineyard Movement, popularized a phrase that has rocked the church world for almost a half-century.
“Faith is spelled R-I-S-K.”
When it came to the Christian life, John’s forte was to live at the intersection of the profound and the practical. He wasn’t content to just read about Jesus doing miracles, casting out demons, and healing the sick. He believed that Jesus had come to do something more – to invite us to do the work of the Kingdom alongside Him.
In other words, John believed what the early Christians believed – that Jesus did not come to just do all the works of the Kingdom Himself. Jesus came to train us – average, ordinary people – to become His apprentices, doing the works of the Kingdom of God just as He did, then training others to do the same!
What if you and your church accepted the God’s invitation follow Him in expressing faith in less-than-guaranteed ways? What if you and your congregation accept the RISK part of faith, began to hear God’s voice, and step toward it with a fresh hunger to see Him move?
A few thoughts:
- “Faith is spelled R-I-S-K” as a type of Kingdom “motto” that has taken on new meaning in a season of uncertainty and such transition. The certainty of FAITH and the challenge of RISK, blended into one catchphrase, can be a lens through which we view a roadmap forward as followers of Jesus.
- “Faith is spelled R-I-S-K” is both timely and timeless, as a motto for our times. This study unpacks the deeper meaning revealed behind the phrase, calling Christians to live a life of faith-risking no matter what is going on in the world.
- “Faith is spelled R-I-S-K” is a Church-wide Study that unpacks the precedents in Scripture – especially Jesus and his followers who modeled lived it out and saw God move miraculously.
- “Faith is spelled R-I-S-K” includes real life stories of folks who applied the model of Jesus, matched it with Wimber’s phrase, and experienced the Kingdom in fresh and exciting ways.
Here’s an excerpt from the Study:
“Faith in Jesus was never meant to be understood as a disembodied, sing-it-say-it-pray-it-and-go-home kind of faith! Jesus had no intention of founding an anemic Church that would become highly skilled at doing religion without true spiritual power (always expressed in love, according to Galatians 5:6) backing it up.
The Gospel-faith Jesus gave us, modeled for us, and distributes through us in our homes, neighborhoods, churches, and cities, is real power for real life. And to be a disciple of Jesus is to become His apprentice – learning to do what He did and to do it smack in the middle of everyday life as we know it.”
Pastor’s Church Study Package
Download the Faith Is Spelled R-I-S-K Church Study for Pastors – includes:
- Faith Is Spelled R-I-S-K Study Booklet (for Sermons)
- Faith Is Spelled R-I-S-K Family Devotional
- Faith Is Spelled R-I-S-K Slides
- Faith Is Spelled R-I-S-K Social Media
Individuals & Small Group Study
Download the Faith Is Spelled R-I-S-K Individual & Small Group Study – includes:
- Faith Is Spelled R-I-S-K Study Booklet
- Faith Is Spelled R-I-S-K Reflection Questions
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Dive into risk – with Jesus – today!
