Elizabeth Andrew said, “Volunteers don’t necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.”  This is particularly true of people like my friend Mike Bivins who serve and volunteer in the Kingdom.  He stays busy managing his own trucking business, but his heart burns with a passion to help people know and follow Jesus.  I met Mike in 2012 when he and a few others were planting a local church.  I later learned of his involvement in discipling men who were trying to get back on their feet after drug addiction and incarceration.  Mike has the gift of encouragement, and he’s certainly filled that role in my life and for The Timothy Network. He currently serves on one of our leadership teams. The following thoughts represent an important theme I’ve heard Mike emphasize many times, one crucial to our effectiveness as disciples of Jesus.                                                                                                                                                                                             Live in it!  Mike Stroud

You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
–   1 Peter 2:9 NLT

These words were written before the days of seminaries, accreditation, and credentials. Peter is stating that our yes to Jesus qualifies and equips us as a “royal priesthood,” and that we “share in the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). Do you “LIVE” in this identity?  

Gang, there are scores of believers who do not realize their status as “royalty!”  They need personal training in applying the teachings of Jesus, grounding in the transforming power of the gospel, and a few close spiritual companions for encouragement, fellowship, and prayer. They need to be discipled like Jesus discipled the twelve.

For the past 15 years Mike Stroud and The Timothy Network have taught believers to beLIeVE. To thrive in Christ and make disciples it’s necessary to “beLIeVE (LIVE) the way God sees us. When God’s people grasp this identity, they’ll make disciples.  And until we do take this seriously, our buildings will continue being crowded with ineffective Christians.

Do you beLIeVE? Would you like to learn how to live out your royal identity wherever you are?

Give Mike Stroud a call @ 615-653-6999 and start the journey!