Training for the Cross - Blog

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

The Cowboy's Bible Study

12-Week Discipleship Course

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20).

(Photo by Leigh Livingstone, LoveLeighPhotos@gmail.com)

My goal at TVCC is to set a solid foundation in my students that will enable them to use a horse to get a job done on the ranch and in the arena. I do this by first teaching them the four things needed to eliminate resistance in doing a job. Next, I turn them loose to do jobs and as problems begin to surface I teach them how to eliminate the three causes of resistance in doing a job. My goal is the same in this 12-week Bible study.

The best way to become one with a horse is to set out to do a job together, and the most enjoyable job in my opinion is branding calves and other forms of ranch roping; doctoring, calving, disciplinary training, etc. “The Cowboy’s Bible Study" is a 12-week interactive discipleship course that is structured like a horse clinic and uses parables to better understand the "pattern" of the Tabernacle and the significance it plays in a believer's life. Moses was given a pattern when instructed to build the tabernacle and it was this pattern that took the priest in the Old Covenant into the presence of God. The same pattern can take ALL believers into the presence of God in the New Covenant.

They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain" (Hebrews 8:5).

The pattern given to Moses in the Old Covenant can serve as a copy (model) to help take us into the presence of God in the New Covenant. The priest in the Old Covenant could not just walk into the presence of God without preparing themselves first, and neither can we in the New Covenant. “The Cowboy’s Bible Study" uses horsemanship, roping skills, stockmanship, ranch roping and rodeo parables to help reveal to us who we are in Christ, help eliminate resistance in marriage/relationships, fan into flame and direct our spiritual gifts on a career path, and receive insight into spiritual discernment and spiritual warfare.

The goal of this Bible study is to set a solid foundation in a believer's life of "who they are in Christ," and help the believer draw closer to their heavenly Father through finding their pre-ordained career path working in the kingdom of heaven. “For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Just like a horse becomes mentally and physically unstable when they are confined, over trained and under worked. A Christian will do the same if they do not get out of the four walls of the church (round pen/arena) and start being used “outside” doing real jobs on the ranch (home, community, country, world). We believe at Training for the Cross that the horses with the best foundations are the ones that have put in long days doing real jobs. We also believe that God is looking for men and women who are willing to do the same by taking their spiritual gifts and talents outside the four walls of the church, to be used as a vessel in the market and work place.

Special Requirements: This course will be taught like a horse clinic. A person who has paid to ride in a horse clinic would expect to not only learn a bunch of head knowledge from the instructor, but to gain new revelations with their horse through experience. A person should expect the same thing in their relationship with the Lord through this course. This course will be taught like Wade’s riding classes at TVCC. However, instead of Wade advising, as the students are training the horse, Wade will be advising as God is training the student. Just like it is essential for students to be committed in devoting time to work with their horse daily in Wade’s riding classes, it is essential that students are committed in devoting time to God daily in this course.

The Cowboy's Bible Study - 12-week Discipleship Course

1st meeting: Intro “40 days to the Trainer,” Foundation for Perfection, and the Tabernacle
Lesson:

“Who am I and what is driving my actions?” Time graph and the war over reality

Time Budget “On Paper on Purpose”

Write down dreams and set short and long term goals

Homework: Daily reading in "Foundation for Perfection: A Guide to Discipleship"

Day 1- pages 4-13
Day 2- pages 14-21
Day 3- pages 22-35
Day 4- pages 36-55
Day 5- pages 56-65
Day 6- pages 66-76

2nd meeting: Horsemanship (Foundation), “Who we are in Christ”
Lesson:

Holding Rodear, “Spiritual discernment and pulling down strong holds”

Group discussion and practice “Rule of Thirds”