t-blog

This is one of my favorite times of the year. Each July, I call my cable company and add whatever package that’s the cheapest and will let me watch the live coverage of the Tour de France. If you check it out and aren’t familiar, you will lose interest pretty quick. It’s kind of like watch lacrosse, hockey, or cricket. In the US we don’t always know what the sport is really about and we definitely have no clue when commentators use specific terminology.

It’s that way with the Tour. One of the things they will talk about are riders who are GC contenders. It stands for General Classification and is a category of rider that tracks overall time in a multi-stage race like le Tour. (It would compare the Sprint NASCAR standings for all you closet rednecks—I am one-go Jr.) Riders may win one stage race but they may not be even close to the top 10 in overall time. Top GC riders must Lego successful stage races and place high on a consistent basis. A stage win is always exciting, but riders ultimately want to win the GC crown, that’s your Tour Champ.

Well, what does it mean to be a GC Christian or GC family or GC church? What does mean to be actively part of the Great Commission that Jesus outlined in Matthew 28:16-20? I believe that it calls every believer to orientate their life with discipleship in mind. It’s a plan for consistent successes over the long haul. When you set out to plan your day from a GC perspective, two things come to mind. First, am I making disciples? Do you have anyone in your life that your are helping learn and obey everything that Jesus has commanded? Second, Am I looking for new disciples (evangelism)? What many Christians forget is that before you can really understand what it means to follow Jesus, you must have a personal relationship with Him. Implicit with the Great Commission is the directive to share the Gospel message with a view to making more disciples.

If these are an accurate understanding of what Jesus meant, then everything we do can be GC focused. In the church we have traditionally attributed international missions as the pinnacle of GC work. At Highview-Indiana, we have a huge desire make disciples in our immediate community of Greater Clark County and throughout southern Indiana.

Make sure your week and the next is GC focused. Invest in the lives of friends and walk across the street to say hello to a neighbor and learn something about them. Invite them to church with this weekend. Maybe bribe them with breakfast or lunch. Don’t miss your GC moments.