| Thank you for your interest in Circles of Grace: A Trilogy of Novels on Disciple Making and Church Planting Volume 1: ASCENDING GRACE by David Oliver Kueker |
Three ways to order the book:
1. Click on this link to order ASCENDING GRACE
through CreateSpace website, which is owned and
operated by Amazon.com. Using this link to
purchase donates a minimum 20% of the cover
price to new church starts and missions projects.
2. Click on this link to order through Amazon.com -
same cover price, but less proceeds to charity.
By using this link you'll be able to "look inside"
and read portions of the book.
(Free shipping may be available through this
option.)
3. Contact me via email for direct orders at david
at disciplewalk dot com.
1. Click on this link to order ASCENDING GRACE
through CreateSpace website, which is owned and
operated by Amazon.com. Using this link to
purchase donates a minimum 20% of the cover
price to new church starts and missions projects.
2. Click on this link to order through Amazon.com -
same cover price, but less proceeds to charity.
By using this link you'll be able to "look inside"
and read portions of the book.
(Free shipping may be available through this
option.)
3. Contact me via email for direct orders at david
at disciplewalk dot com.
|
Eliyahu Goldratt wrote The Goal as a novel to explain his
complex Theory of Constraints approach to manufacturing. This
novel is the first in a trilogy which attempts to explain the theory
of disciple making advanced in my 2007 DMin project. As a
work of fiction, the characters demonstrate the concepts. The
topic of Ascending Grace is becoming a disciple.
complex Theory of Constraints approach to manufacturing. This
novel is the first in a trilogy which attempts to explain the theory
of disciple making advanced in my 2007 DMin project. As a
work of fiction, the characters demonstrate the concepts. The
topic of Ascending Grace is becoming a disciple.
"REBATE" PROGRAM: I hope to donate the
proceeds of this book after expenses are met to a
variety of new church starts and/or foreign
missions projects. Purchases of this book help
fund an annual giving stream to:
Liberian Pastor's Salary Support through the
Illinois Great Rivers Conference.
For donations through the Illinois Great Rivers
Conference for Liberia District to District
Partnerships, use Advance Special account
numbers IGRC-2092 or IGRC-2095 or IGRC-2122.
For more information: IGRC Liberia Partnership
Donations to this project can be mailed
directly to the Illinois Great Rivers
Conference, P.O. Box 19207
Springfield, IL 62794-9207. Your check can be
made out to IGRC and please put the Advance
special account number listed above on the
memo line to direct your donation to the
destination of your choice. For more information
about how to donate to these projects, you may
call the IGRC Conference office at 217-529-2040.
Upcoming writing projects:
Disciple Making 101: A Work Book - Fall, 2011.
This is the book version of the online course
taught through www.beadisciple.com.
The cost for the online course is $20 and new
classes begin on the 2nd Mondays of January,
May and September.
Descending Grace - Book Two of the Circles of
Grace Trilogy - (Topic: becoming a disciple maker
- teen and parent levels.)
Extending Grace: Book Three of the Circles of
Grace Trilogy - (Topic: organizing lay disciple
making in churches.)
Other Writing projects:
The One Minute Minister: Restoring Spirituality
to Time Management (in revision for use with
small groups)
Designing Discipleship Systems: Christian
Disciple Making For Any Size Church, Any
Theology (the entire Doctor of Ministry project
updated for general usage)
proceeds of this book after expenses are met to a
variety of new church starts and/or foreign
missions projects. Purchases of this book help
fund an annual giving stream to:
Liberian Pastor's Salary Support through the
Illinois Great Rivers Conference.
For donations through the Illinois Great Rivers
Conference for Liberia District to District
Partnerships, use Advance Special account
numbers IGRC-2092 or IGRC-2095 or IGRC-2122.
For more information: IGRC Liberia Partnership
Donations to this project can be mailed
directly to the Illinois Great Rivers
Conference, P.O. Box 19207
Springfield, IL 62794-9207. Your check can be
made out to IGRC and please put the Advance
special account number listed above on the
memo line to direct your donation to the
destination of your choice. For more information
about how to donate to these projects, you may
call the IGRC Conference office at 217-529-2040.
Upcoming writing projects:
Disciple Making 101: A Work Book - Fall, 2011.
This is the book version of the online course
taught through www.beadisciple.com.
The cost for the online course is $20 and new
classes begin on the 2nd Mondays of January,
May and September.
Descending Grace - Book Two of the Circles of
Grace Trilogy - (Topic: becoming a disciple maker
- teen and parent levels.)
Extending Grace: Book Three of the Circles of
Grace Trilogy - (Topic: organizing lay disciple
making in churches.)
Other Writing projects:
The One Minute Minister: Restoring Spirituality
to Time Management (in revision for use with
small groups)
Designing Discipleship Systems: Christian
Disciple Making For Any Size Church, Any
Theology (the entire Doctor of Ministry project
updated for general usage)
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CHAPTER TWO: Follow Me
Saturday, January 31
Saturday morning I was up earlier than normal; it was my day
to sleep in, but not this time. My phone call from Sam Franklin
yesterday evening had been short and to the point.
“Can you meet me in your front yard at 7:30 tomorrow
morning?”
“Yes, but why?”
“Because that’s when I want to meet with you.”
“Can’t we work out a more convenient time?”
“Why do you think that discipleship is about what is
convenient for you?”
The comment stung a little bit. “Can you explain why you
want to meet so early instead of discussing another time?”
“Why do you think discipleship is about adjusting to your
schedule?” The man on the phone laughed. “Let me save you
some time. Discipleship is not win-win. Discipleship is not
flexible. Discipleship is not negotiable. Discipleship is not
convenient. Either you are ready to meet me at 7:30 tomorrow
morning or you are not. Decide.”
“What if I have a conflict? What if I have another obligation?”
“Then you will have a decision to make. If you decide not to
meet, I’ll call you again next week, or maybe the week after
that, and you’ll have a decision to make.”
“Why are you so strict about this?” I asked, feeling
bewildered.
“It’s just a part of the process,” Sam explained. “You are
either ready or you are not ready. If you want to wait another
week or two to understand something about discipleship, that’s
your decision. Believe me, I understand what you are feeling,”
Sam said, and I could feel the warmth in his voice. “But this is
something essential about discipleship. What’s your decision?”
I didn’t want to wait a week to learn more about discipleship,
but a part of me wished I was learning from a book that I could
pick up and put down on my schedule.
As I read the chapter for the day to my wife Ruth last night
after we talked about the phone call, she indicated what might
be the point of it all:
Mark 1:16-20 And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he
saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in
the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them,
"Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men." And
immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on
a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his
brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And
immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee
in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him.
Was it convenient for those four to just leave everything in that
moment? I knew from John’s gospel that they were no
strangers to Jesus; they were acquainted with him and his
teaching. So this invitation came, like mine from Sam, at a time
that was not of their choosing. They didn’t produce date books
and try to work out a more convenient time that would allow
them to wind down their business and then follow. The
invitation came and they could either follow or not follow. The
invitation might come again, or it might not.
Ruth pointed out another factor that I had missed. Jesus
was not waiting on the beach for them to decide. Follow Me
implies that he kept moving and every minute they dithered,
they were falling behind. Perhaps the concept in Follow Me
was another way of expressing the concept that underlay
repentance: turn from sin and turn toward God and move
toward God.
As I gave thanks that night, I was troubled by the thought of
Christ on the move and my being left behind, minute by minute
farther behind, if I wasn’t concentrating on following him. If
there was some way to stop Jesus from moving, then I wouldn’t
have to work so hard to keep up. As I dropped off, I wondered
if the church in history had done just that. Could we have
turned a living, moving Jesus who said “Follow me” into a
statue Jesus around whom we could gather and rest?
Saturday, January 31
Saturday morning I was up earlier than normal; it was my day
to sleep in, but not this time. My phone call from Sam Franklin
yesterday evening had been short and to the point.
“Can you meet me in your front yard at 7:30 tomorrow
morning?”
“Yes, but why?”
“Because that’s when I want to meet with you.”
“Can’t we work out a more convenient time?”
“Why do you think that discipleship is about what is
convenient for you?”
The comment stung a little bit. “Can you explain why you
want to meet so early instead of discussing another time?”
“Why do you think discipleship is about adjusting to your
schedule?” The man on the phone laughed. “Let me save you
some time. Discipleship is not win-win. Discipleship is not
flexible. Discipleship is not negotiable. Discipleship is not
convenient. Either you are ready to meet me at 7:30 tomorrow
morning or you are not. Decide.”
“What if I have a conflict? What if I have another obligation?”
“Then you will have a decision to make. If you decide not to
meet, I’ll call you again next week, or maybe the week after
that, and you’ll have a decision to make.”
“Why are you so strict about this?” I asked, feeling
bewildered.
“It’s just a part of the process,” Sam explained. “You are
either ready or you are not ready. If you want to wait another
week or two to understand something about discipleship, that’s
your decision. Believe me, I understand what you are feeling,”
Sam said, and I could feel the warmth in his voice. “But this is
something essential about discipleship. What’s your decision?”
I didn’t want to wait a week to learn more about discipleship,
but a part of me wished I was learning from a book that I could
pick up and put down on my schedule.
As I read the chapter for the day to my wife Ruth last night
after we talked about the phone call, she indicated what might
be the point of it all:
Mark 1:16-20 And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he
saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in
the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them,
"Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men." And
immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on
a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his
brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And
immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee
in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him.
Was it convenient for those four to just leave everything in that
moment? I knew from John’s gospel that they were no
strangers to Jesus; they were acquainted with him and his
teaching. So this invitation came, like mine from Sam, at a time
that was not of their choosing. They didn’t produce date books
and try to work out a more convenient time that would allow
them to wind down their business and then follow. The
invitation came and they could either follow or not follow. The
invitation might come again, or it might not.
Ruth pointed out another factor that I had missed. Jesus
was not waiting on the beach for them to decide. Follow Me
implies that he kept moving and every minute they dithered,
they were falling behind. Perhaps the concept in Follow Me
was another way of expressing the concept that underlay
repentance: turn from sin and turn toward God and move
toward God.
As I gave thanks that night, I was troubled by the thought of
Christ on the move and my being left behind, minute by minute
farther behind, if I wasn’t concentrating on following him. If
there was some way to stop Jesus from moving, then I wouldn’t
have to work so hard to keep up. As I dropped off, I wondered
if the church in history had done just that. Could we have
turned a living, moving Jesus who said “Follow me” into a
statue Jesus around whom we could gather and rest?