Stewarding Your Time

 Ep.366 – Run With Horses Podcast – Stewarding Your Time
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Author pages with links to all books on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BCSDDVLB – James Norman Smith
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BMGW51FW – Susan Jane Smith

**(24:00)**
If you are like me you have a long list fo things you would like to see accomplished this week. Time always seems in short supply with way more to do than time to do it. in the middle of the busyness, what is God doing? How can we keep Him first in the middle of the rat race. That our topic today!

Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is simple in many ways, but potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to grow, to live intentionally and to join in His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together!
Thank you for joining me today! “If you’re new here, you can check out past episodes at runwithhorses.net. As always, I appreciate your feedback, questions, and reviews!”

**(23:00 – 0:00)* *  PART 1
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### 1. Stewardship of our Time: “Redeeming the Time”

Passage: Ephesians 5:15–17 (NKJV)

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Principle: Every minute is a gift. We must “buy back” each hour from distractions by aligning our schedules with God’s priorities—especially the Great Commission.

### 2. Wisdom in Planning: “The Plans of the Diligent”

Passage: Proverbs 21:5 (NKJV)

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, to poverty.”
Principle: Thoughtful, prayerful planning prevents wasted time and creates margin for gospel opportunities (e.g., inviting neighbors, mentoring new believers).

### 3. Counting Our Days: “Teach Us to Number Our Days”

Passage: Psalm 90:12 (NKJV)

“So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
Principle: An eternal-perspective reminder that life is brief. When we internalize our limited hours, we’ll prioritize what lasts—making disciples.

### 4. Purposeful Living: “Doing All to the Glory of God”

Passage: 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NKJV)

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Principle: Every task—work, rest, family time, evangelism—should be offered as worship. That reshapes even “routine” minutes into Kingdom service.

### 5. Prioritizing Prayer & Communion: “Jesus Prayed Early”

Passage: Mark 1:35 (NKJV)

“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.”
Principle: Jesus structured His day around communion with the Father—our ultimate source of wisdom for time management and disciple-making.

### 6. Eternal Urgency: “For What Is Your Life?”

Passage: James 4:14 (NKJV)

“Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”
Principle: The fleetingness of life compels urgent obedience to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20).

### 7. Single-Mindfulness: “Deny Yourself”

Passage: Luke 9:23–24 (NKJV)

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”
Principle: Self-discipline in scheduling (saying “no” to lesser things) frees us to “lose” our lives in service—especially in making disciples.

### 8. Balance Work & Rest: “Six Days You Shall Labor…”

Passage: Exodus 20:8–10,12 (NKJV)

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy…6 for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth…12 ‘Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long…’”
Principle: Biblical sabbath—and honoring family—establish healthy rhythms that prevent burnout and protect time for disciple-care.

###9. Investing in Others: “Do Not Steal” (as Stealing Time)

Passage: Ephesians 4:28 (NKJV)

“Let him who stole steal no longer… but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”
Principle: Our work (and your time!) isn’t just for self—but for generosity. Freeing up “spare” hours to invest in new believers.

### 10. The Great Commission as First Priority

Passage: Matthew 28:19–20 (NKJV)

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always…”
Principle: Every time-management decision must be filtered through: “Will this help me obey Jesus’s command to make disciples?”

**(00:00) END PART 1**
**(27:00 – 5:00) BEGIN PART 2**

### Part 2: Practical Advice for Using Time to Be and Make Disciples

### 1. Begin with a Paradigm Shift: Time is Kingdom Currency
 • Time is not just something we “spend”; it’s something we invest. Just like money, time can be stewarded for temporary or eternal purposes.
 • Regularly ask: “Is this activity helping me know Jesus more deeply or helping someone else follow Him better?”

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time…” (Ephesians 5:15–16)

### 2. Build Life Around Jesus’s Priorities, Not Just Adding Him In
 • Many busy Christians are trying to fit Jesus into their schedule instead of building their schedule around Him.
 • Suggest starting with these 3 buckets and planning around them:
 • Time with God (Being a disciple) – prayer, Scripture, Sabbath, silence.
 • Time with others (Making disciples) – intentional meals, mentoring, small groups.
 • Time on mission (Living sent) – workplace witness, neighborhood engagement, volunteering.

### 3. Combine Your Calling With Your Calendar

Help them redeem ordinary rhythms by integrating disciple-making into:
 • Meals – “Who can you eat with this week that needs encouragement or the gospel?”
 • Commutes – Use it for prayer, audio Bibles, check-in calls with mentees.
 • Family time – Lead short devotionals, model hospitality, include kids in ministry moments.
 • Work breaks – Strategic encouragement or follow-up with someone God’s placed nearby.

“Disciple-making doesn’t always need new time blocks—it often needs intentionality in existing ones.”

### 4. Create a Disciple-Making Weekly Rhythm

Encourage a simple rhythm:
 • Daily: Time with God, open eyes to opportunities.
 • Weekly: 1 relational touchpoint (e.g., coffee, call, prayer walk).
 • Monthly: One deeper investment (e.g., mentoring conversation, service together).
 • Quarterly: Retreat or reevaluation—Am I growing? Is anyone growing because of me?

### 5. Say No to Say Yes

Help them see that every “yes” is a “no” to something else.
 • Challenge: “What are you doing that someone else could do, so you can do what only you can do?”
 • Sometimes the most spiritual thing they can do is decline a good thing for the sake of the best thing (Luke 10:41–42 – “Martha, Martha…”).

### 6. Use Tools with Intentionality
 • Calendar: Block time for people, not just tasks.
 • Alarms/reminders: Prompt prayer, Scripture, check-ins.
 • Apps: Bible apps, group chats for discipleship groups, accountability tools.
 • Notebooks or journals: Record prayers, disciple progress, insights from Scripture.

### 7. Don’t Go Alone—Form a Band of Disciple-Makers
 • Encourage small discipleship bands of 2–4 people with shared goals and check-ins.
 • Ask: “Who’s helping you follow Jesus better? Who are you helping?”
 • This builds encouragement, accountability, and shared momentum.

### 8. Encouragement: Grace Over Guilt, Progress Over Perfection
 • Remind them that they are not earning God’s favor by being busy for Him.
 • Jesus is not measuring productivity; He’s forming people.
 • Celebrate small, faithful steps. Even 5 minutes of prayer for someone is eternally significant.
 • God multiplies what we surrender, even if it’s small (loaves and fish principle).

“You may feel behind, but Jesus is not. He’s patient, and He delights in every act of love in His name.”

### Challenge

 • “Imagine if every one of us made just one disciple this year.”
 • write one name they’ll pray for or pursue this month.
 • You don’t need more time—you need more focus and faith.

**(5:00 – 1:00)** 
Doctrine Today
Jesus and His Present Ministry
The Holy Spirit’s Role in Disciple Making.
Dispensational Baptist view of the End Times
Understanding Theology is Important
The Gospel and Ongoing Disciple Making
Church Role in Discerning God’s Will
Barriers to Disciple Making
Spiritual Warfare
Jesus – Incarnation
God’s Sovereignty

Sin and the Call to Make Disciples

I. Introduction: The Clear Call of Jesus
 • Matthew 28:18–20 (NKJV)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…”
 • The Great Commission is not a suggestion, but a command.
 • Discipleship is not optional for the believer—it’s our identity and mission.
 • Briefly affirm your audience’s desire to follow Jesus more faithfully.

II. The Nature and Consequence of Sin
 • Romans 3:23 (NKJV)
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
 • Isaiah 59:2 (NKJV)
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God…”
 • Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)
“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us…”

Key Points:
 • Sin is not just moral failure—it’s a barrier to intimacy with God and others.
 • Sin entangles and weighs down believers, keeping us from active obedience.
 • Our mission to make disciples is spiritual warfare—sin compromises our witness, our clarity, and our power.

III. Sin’s Direct Impact on Discipleship

A. It Weakens Our Witness
 • 1 Peter 2:11–12 (NKJV)
“…abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable… that they may, by your good works… glorify God.”
 • Our credibility is tied to our character. Ongoing, unrepentant sin dulls our message.

B. It Diminishes Our Passion
 • Revelation 2:4–5 (NKJV)
“…you have left your first love. Remember… repent and do the first works.”
 • Sin numbs the heart. A lukewarm heart does not multiply disciples—it replicates complacency.

C. It Breaks Fellowship and Unity
 • John 13:34–35 (NKJV)
“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
 • Sin disrupts love and unity, weakening the Church’s witness and the environment in which disciples are formed.

IV. Repentance and Restoration for Disciple Makers
 • 1 John 1:9 (NKJV)
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us…”
 • Psalm 51:10–13 (NKJV)
“Create in me a clean heart… Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You.”
 • Repentance is not the end of ministry—it’s often the beginning of renewed fruitfulness.
 • David sinned greatly, but through repentance, his voice became a song of redemption that still disciples us today.

V. Living Holy to Make Disciples Effectively
 • 2 Timothy 2:21 (NKJV)
“Therefore if anyone cleanses himself… he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master…”
 • Holiness is not perfection, but readiness—an availability for God’s use.
 • Personal holiness fuels spiritual authority and fruitfulness in disciple-making.

VI. Conclusion: Renew the Mission
 • Luke 9:23 (NKJV)
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
 • Philippians 2:15–16 (NKJV)
“…shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life…”
 • The world needs disciples. The church needs disciple-makers. Jesus is still calling.
 • Let us repent where we’ve fallen, recommit where we’ve grown weary, and re-engage the mission with holy fire.

**(1:00)** 

Busyness can suck that life out of you. One reason is that other activities intrude on the work that God is doing in you and through you. Be proactive and put God first in every activity, every day. It’s not always easy but it’s always right.

– “Thank you for listening today! 
-If you enjoyed the show you can listen to all the past shows wherever you listen to podcasts. A good place to start is at runwithhorses.net. You can also write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page.
Don’t be discouraged by the challenges you face. Keep your eyes on Jesus and embrace the opportunity to grow through the trial. Until next time, keep your eyes on Jesus and never stop running."
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