William Thompson

May 24, 2020 William Thompson

Habakkuk 2:2-3 (KJV)
² And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

There is nothing wrong with having a vision for your money as well as your life.

Growing up in the 50’s you had rough life to live. There was never an abundance or and over flow of money or things money could buy.

Those in the country had a garden and planted what they would eat and canned for the winter.

As a sharecroppers child we lived in poverty and so did the other sharecroppers children.

What lesson did I learn and what tip would I like to share today.

Make a budget. Writing down expenditures allows them to take life and knowledge of whether you can afford it in the long run.

$$$ and Sense

“Early Education Matters” Betty Jarmon

May 23, 2020 William Thompson

Why Educating Our Children At An Early Age Matters

Children at the earliest ages should learn and realize the importance of education in their lives. Some children, however, may resist your efforts and insist on doing things their way. As a parent, the best teaching tool is your attitude. Having a positive attitude about reading and a curiosity about learning new things instills similar beliefs in your children. Show them that education is the ticket to fulfilling their dreams and having a productive life.

Parents need to teach the value of education early in a child’s life. Children are naturally curious and observant. If they see you reading books and newspapers, they may be wondering why this activity holds such interest. Tell them that they need to learn to read to be able to also share such enjoyment. Read to them often help them develop their language skills.

Impress on children the importance of school. This means getting them to school on time and modeling the importance of punctuality. Take an interest in all their homework and make sure the required assignments are completed before the due dates.

Take your children to educational yet fun parks. Instead of taking them to the malls, take them to a museum, science center or zoo. Explain to them that continuing their education will allow them to understand more about the world around them. This strategy will certainly make them more motivated to learn and study.

If your child doesn’t have his/her own computer, introduce the computer to them. Computers never fail to amaze people, especially young children. It’s amazing how quickly a young child catches onto the mechanics of an iPad. Let them play grade-level software games that will provide fun and entertainment. Emphasize to children that learning about computer use, videos and education go hand in hand.

Teach them the importance of education daily. You could incorporate mathematics into daily tasks and situations. Have them help you count the number of cookies on a cookie pan. Their love for learning could start if you rely on them to do specific tasks. Incorporate counting, reading and writing within those simple tasks. For example, you could take them to the grocery store and have them pick out a certain number of items (like five apples or four oranges).

As you enroll your children in schools, learn the faculty and their teaching style. If you want them to love education, make sure to place them in an environment that fosters comfort, fun and learning at the same time. In addition, attend all the parent teacher conferences and become active in other school activities. Your child will notice and grow to respect the time you put into their education.

Bio

Betty Jarmon, was born in Cherryville, NC, and is the eight child of fourteen. She grew up in Grover, NC. Her former education was in the public schools of Kings Mountain, NC. She relocated to Charlotte, NC in 1994 and later moved to Mount Holly in 1999. Her desire to learn came from her father, Albert Smith. He wasn’t able to finish high school, but he instilled in Betty the importance of education. She stayed on the Honor Roll throughout school. He knew that education was the key to succeeding in life. He was her biggest fan and mentor. She excelled in College as well. She was the valedictorian when she graduated from Montreat College, with a GPA of 3.92. Her GPA in the master’s program was a 3.80. Learning and stretching beyond her comfort zone has paid off in many ways: she has been able to work all over the USA and London, and she has traveled for fun and relaxation to many places.

She served in different ministries in her home church, St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church, Grover, NC under the leadership of Rev. William Thompson and at Nations Ford Community Church under the leadership of Bishop Phillip M. Davis:
• Sunday School facilitator
• Financial ministry member
• Associate Minister

She has served in several areas while at Rhema Worship Center under the leadership of Pastor Freddie Forte:
• Sunday School facilitator
• Director of the Women’s Ministry
• Usher
• Associate Minister and Elder
• Executive Assistant to the Pastor

She received her ministerial license in 2010, and was ordained as an Elder in 2014 while at Rhema Worship Center.

She has received several degrees from:
• Cleveland Community College with an Associate Applied Science in Business Programming
• Montreat College with a B.S. in Management
• Queen City Bible College with a Bachelor in Biblical Studies
• Piedmont International College with a Master of Arts in Ministry

Betty Jarmon has been an advocate with Carolinas Healthcare System’s Domestic Violence Health Program for the last three years. She has volunteered with several agencies in Mecklenburg County, such as, The Battered Women Shelter, Crisis Assistance Ministry, Second Harvest Food Bank, Salvation Army Women Center, Urban League, Samaritan Purse, Samaritan House, Glady’s House, nursing homes, and others. She has also served as a counselor.

Without education, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all that I have.

$$$ and Sense

May 23, 2020May 23, 2020 William Thompson

Luke 11:3 (KJV)
³ Give us day by day our daily bread.

I spent the first 18 years of my life in the home of my grandmother who was born in 1902. She did not get an opportunity to go to school so she could not read, write or count money.

The reason I selected making your dollars make sense is on Saturday we would go to town to buy groceries for the week. During the summer months we worked in the peach fields picking peaches for three dollars a day. And we would work half a day on Saturday.

After we got out of the fields we would go to town. My grandmother would shop and my role was to give her the price of each item. We had a budget of twenty dollars. It was my role to see that we didn’t over spend.

We did comparison shopping. We didn’t get to bring home what we like to eat but we brought home what would sustain us until the next week.

Tip: Learn to shop by comparing prices and staying in line with a budget

Education Matters

“Education Matters” Chad Beam Teacher/ Pastor

May 22, 2020May 22, 2020 William Thompson

My personal belief about Education, my feelings toward Education, and my faith in what makes me a quality Educator are all ironically intertwined into one antithesis of a statement, and it is this: One does not choose Education; Education chooses its own.

As a young black boy, Education wrapped its arms around my life and shielded me from the destruction of the streets and from the destruction of poverty. It chose me, whispered an irrevocable call into my subconscious spirit, and placed its mantle upon the shoulders of a young African American Male who was quickly headed toward the stereotypical and statistical damnation of failure that generationally claimed the likes of thousands like me, a damnation that drowned the life out of my younger brother at the age of fifteen.

It chose me, and each year that I teach, Education gives me seventy little brothers and sisters to replace the one I lost. It gives me but one choice and constantly reminds me of it; inspire and teach them to swim or let them drown.

This is my passion. This is my desperation. This is my reward. I didn’t choose Education; Education chose me.

As long as I am an Educator, it is for this purpose, for this passion, for this blessing of a curse that I choose to be chosen. This is the effect Education had on my life.

Education Matters

“WHY EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN MATTERS” TROPZIE McCLUNEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

May 21, 2020May 21, 2020 William Thompson

COMMUNITY MATH ACADEMY

“DAUGHTER, LIFE FOR YOU WON’T BE CRYSTAL STAIRS, MUST GET YOUR EDUCATION!!” MY MOM SAID MANY TIMES. GET YOUR EDUCATION, STUDY HARD. BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE.” EDUCATION MAKES THE DIFFERENCE.

THESE WORDS WERE HEARD OFTEN AROUND OUR HOUSE AS I GREW UP. I KNEW AT AN EARLY AGE THAT EDUCATION MATTERED AND IT WAS DEEPLY INSTILLED IN ME. THAT REINFORCEMENT IS WHY I BELIEVE WE MUST SOUND THE ALARM AND LET OUR CHILDREN KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION AND HOW IT CAN AND WILL CHANGE THEIR LIVES PERSONALLY, SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY. THERE ARE SOME SOUND PRINCIPLES THAT OUR CHILDREN MUST POSSSESS SO THEY CAN BE PREPARED FOR SUCCESS IN THIS GLOBAL ECONOMY.

BE OBEDIENT, LISTEN TO SOUND DOCTRINE (1 SAMUEL 15:22)
SET GOALS AND STAY FOCUSED (PROVERBS 29:18)
MAIN SOUND INTEGRITY (ROMANS 14:16)
DON’T GIVE UP (2 TIMOTHY 4:7)

EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN TAKES A VILLAGE, THAT MEANS EVERYONE MUST BE INVOLVED IN CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR SUCCESS.

I.SET RULES AND BOUNDARIES, SPEAK AND DEMONSTRATE WHAT IS FAIR, JUST AND RIGHT. EDUCATION PREPARES THEM FOR SHORT AND LONG TERMS GOALS BUT IT ALSO TEACHES OUR CHILDREN TO THINK CRITICALLY ON ISSUES OF HUMANITY AND KINDNESS TO THEIR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS. THEIR EDUCATION CAN GIVE THEM CONFIDENCE TO STAND IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY AS THEY PERFORM THEIR DAILY LIFE ACTIVITIES.

II.TALK TO THEM OFTEN, MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT, INFORMING THEM OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO WORK AND STUDY HARD, ALWAYS REACHING AND ACHIEVING, FOCUSED ON THE OUTCOME, NOT ALWAYS THE INCOME. MAINTAIN UNBLEMISHED INTEGRITY, CHOOSING THE HARDER RIGHT OVER THE EASIER WRONG AND BE BOLD IN ALWAYS KNOWING THAT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE AND ACCOMPLISHED HAS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF YOUR TENACITY, YOUR STRONG BELIEF IN GOD AND HIS GUIDANCE. AS LIFE WOULD HAVE IT, BARRIERS AND STUMBLING BLOCKS WILL COME THEIR WAY BUT THAT IS NO REASON TO STOP, DROP THEIR HEADS AND GIVE UP!! STAND TALL, LOOK AT THE WORLD RIGHT IN THE EYE AND SAY, “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!!”

OUR CHILDREN ARE NOT IN THIS ALONE, LET’S DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO ENSURE THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE READY TO FACE THIS WORLD. AS THEY MOVE UPWARD AND OUTWARD, REMIND THEM THAT THEY TOO HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO LEND THEIR SHOULDERS FOR OTHERS TO STAND ON AND ACHIEVE SUCCESS… JUST AS OUR GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT GRANDPARENTS DID FOR US!

Uncategorized

Beyond the Walls

May 20, 2020 William Thompson

Mark 1:41 (KJV)
⁴¹ And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

If we are going to help someone who is suffering we need to get beyond the 4 walls of the church.

Jesus went where the hurting lived, worked, and socialized. Jesus understood their pain.

people today need a touch from another brother or sister!

Education Matters

Education— Why It Matters? Dr. Danielle M. Grier

May 18, 2020May 18, 2020 William Thompson

As a young black girl growing up in Shelby, North Carolina on Grice Street, Davis Road, and the Meadows Apartments, I held on to many dreams written down in journals with flower drawings in the margins. Dreams to one day become a poet and create cards like the beautiful Hallmark cards I saw on the store shelves. These were the kinds of thoughts that filled many pages of my journals over the years. Thanks to praying grandmothers, supporting parents, and many encouraging mentors, I held onto these types of aspirations and never stopped believing.

Let me introduce myself. By the grace of God, I am Dr. Danielle Mauney Grier, daughter of Tim Mauney and Saundra Banks. I have always had a drive for knowledge and a desire to learn something new. I live by the words life-long learner because I truly believe that there is always something “else” to master. But, I did not develop this attitude on my own.

It starts in the home. Learning and education begins with you—the parent. Whether it is indirectly or directly, you are teaching your children at home daily. Right now, in the midst of this at home situation, your child is learning how to react to the ‘unknowns’ and the uncertainty of things. But, even when we don’t know what tomorrow holds, we know who holds tomorrow. But, that is a conversation for another time.

Education is key for your child because it will and can prepare them for so many opportunities. My education at Gardner Webb University has afforded me the ability to educate the minds of many young people for more than 13 years. In my current role, as a curriculum technology coordinator and PST coordinator, I am able to work closely with some of the best educators in Cleveland County while also advocating for students during PST (problem solving team) meetings. And this is only the beginning!

One of my favorite quotes, by Rita Pierson is: Every child deserves a champion: an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists they become the best they can possibly be. During my life, I have been blessed with connections like this from amazing people like Mrs. Tropzie McCluney, Dr. Cindy McKinney, and Mrs. Wyonella Gardner.

Education for me has been a lifeline. At times, it was my safe haven, but it has always been a way for me to move forward and learn so many new things. Whether you are trying to help your child with phonics, Eureka math, chemistry, or learning how to count from 1-50, confidence is going to be key. Continue to encourage them and assist them when and if you can. Education is so much more than just passing a test or earning a certificate; it is a way of life. Education aids in our boys and girls having the opportunity to compete for jobs in the future, participate in decision making and critical thinking processes, and leading longer, healthier lives. For these reasons and many more, it is imperative that we make education a priority. And it does take a village. So, I encourage you to seek resources (i.e. mentors, tutors, shadowing opportunities) for your child in order to help them on this life journey. Be encouraged!

Education Matters

Education Matters Tannelaine Wilson

May 18, 2020May 18, 2020 William Thompson

My name is Tannelaine Wilson and I am a high school educator. I started my education in my parent’s home watching Reading Rainbow and Sesame Street. My mother ensured I had plenty of books, crayons, pencils, learning coloring books, reading books, and board games. Despite my parents never graduating from high school, they ensured all six of their children earned a high school diploma. Quitting school was not an option in our home.

I began my formal education in the public school system of Bessemer City, North Carolina. During high school, I was dual enrolled at Gaston College and earned my North Carolina Real Estate Certification. As a pregnant teenager, I enrolled at Gaston College earning an Associates in Applied Science. Then as a single mother,I enrolled in Belmont Abbey College and earned a Bachelors of Arts. Next, I received a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, a Marketing & Business Certification from North Carolina State University, and Masters of Executive Leadership from Gardner Webb University. In 2016, I founded Community Preparatory Academy, a non-profit organization with a mission to prioritize parental education and network with community stakeholders to address disparities. I currently serve as a subcommittee leader for Pathways for Prosperity K-12 Focus Group and Board Member of the Cape Fear Committee on African American Heritage.

As a child, my maternal grandmother, Geneva Partlow told me to reach past the stars. Later, Mrs. Tweety Stewart, my seventh grade English told me that I could change things once I grew up and that winners never quit. Last year one of my mentors told me to strive to be better than I was the day before and my only competition was myself. My Spiritual Father, Reverend William Thompson reminded me that everyone that changed the world encountered difficulty but it didn’t stop them.

It truly takes a village to raise a child. Parent involvement, words of affirmation, love, encouragement, support, and inspiration matters. Informal education is just as important as a formal education. The foundation that you give to a child matters. Humans are like flash drives. All of our experiences download into our subconscious and impact our development. What happens when a child is not given the tools to be successful? As a veteran educator, I have witnessed the effects of children suffering and sometimes meeting their demise due to adult problems. As parents, under no circumstances should children carry our burdens. It is not a child’s choice to come into this world. For this reason, it is our responsibility to ensure our children are prepared to learn, lead, and love one another.

Our beloved Malcolm X stated, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” In 1965, Brother Malcom X was telling us that education matters. Today, I am stating that education matters. How many changes have you witnessed during your lifetime? Jobs, medicine, technology, processes, and simply the way we live continues to change. Our children must be educated and prepared to ensure their existence. We must think generational. Today, reflect over the generations in your family. What is the pattern in your family? What can you do to change it? Until today, you may have not recognized your role in your family’s legacy. However, when we know better, we must do better.

Education Matters

Why does education matter? William Thompson

May 17, 2020May 17, 2020 William Thompson

Why should parents get actively involved in their children’s education?

My name is William Thompson and I am a product of Jefferson High School York, Alamance College Graham, Gaston College Gastonia, Sacred Heart College, Belmont, Mid Atlantic College, Rock Hill, and Emmanuel Bible College.

I am retired from Daimler Trucks North America after 25 years in supervision and a retired Baptist minister after 47 years.

This is a heart filled cry for parents to take an active interest in the education of their children. Help your child with his or her future today.

I want to say my quality of life has been one that has allowed me to enjoy a wonder life journey. I owe it all to my faith in God and seeking to obtain an education that would fuel the journey.

Without my faith I would have settle for a lesser life journey. I wanted to share not my faith today which is strong and rooted in God but why I think education matters.

Education fosters decision making skills and critical thinking. Children who attend school are taught about values, morals, and ways to solve problems. With the ability to make important decisions and consider all possibilities, children will no doubt be more successful in their personal and professional lives.

The more education you acquire, the higher your income is likely to be and the less likely you are to experience unemployment. A study in 2017 shows a comparison. Weekly earning power………..

Less than a high school diploma $520

High school diploma, no college $712

Some college, no degree $774

Associate degree $836

Bachelor’s degree $1173

Master’s degree $1401

Although education is not a guarantee that a child will not end up in prison but statistic show that it is an indicator. Neither is church affiliation will keep a child out of prison.

The most recent report conducted nationally by the U.S. Department of Justice about the educational backgrounds of prisoners was in 2003. This national report states that of all incarcerated citizens in the United States; about 65 percent had not received a high school diploma, with just over 41 percent having dropped out and 23 percent obtaining a GED. Almost 23 percent had obtained just a high school diploma and 13 percent had gotten a postsecondary education.

Education has been proving to be a better lane out of poverty than putting all hope in a NFL or NBA career.

Words to live by………

IF AN INDIVIDUAL DEPENDS UPON A RANDOM, EPISODE STORY STRUCTURE FOR MEMORY PATTERNS, LIVES IN AN UNPREDICTABLE ENVIRONMENT, AND HAS NOT DEVELOPED THE ABILITY TO PLAN, THEN …….

IF AN INDIVIDUAL CANNOT PLAN, HE/SHE CANNOT PREDICT.

IF AN INDIVIDUAL CANNOT PREDICT, HE/ SHE CANNOT IDENTIFY CAUSE AND EFFECT.

IF AN INDIVIDUAL CANNOT IDENTIFY CAUSE AND EFFECT, HE/ SHE CANNOT IDENTIFY CONSEQUENCE.

IF AN INDIVIDUAL CANNOT IDENTIFY CONSEQUENCE, HE/ SHE CANNOT CONTROL IMPULSIVITY.

IF AN INDIVIDUAL CANNOT CONTROL IMPUSITIVITY, HE/ SHE HAS AN INCLINATION TOWARD CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR.

Parents there is nothing in this world we love more than our children, so now is the time to get involved in their future by help them complete an education cycle.

Step one is graduate high school with all the tools to be prepared to live life to the fullest.

Throughout my life I have had great journey to serve and I give God all the glory:

Board of Directors Patrick Senior Center in Kings Mountain
Foundation of Carolinas – Cleveland County
First and third vice-moderator of the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Association.
Moderator of Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Association for four years.
The Cleveland County DSS board of Directors
Cleveland County Board of Elections
Board of Directors for Communities in Schools
Board of Directors United Way of Cleveland County
Board of Directors Hospice of Cleveland County
We Build People for Christ
Board of Director for the State of NC DSS and President
Board of Directors Cleveland County YMCA
Board of Directors for the Alliance of Health Cleveland County
Obesity Prevention Advisory Council,
Board of Trustees Cleveland Community College of Shelby, North Carolina
Board of Directors Minority Health Council of Cleveland County
The Jesus Video project of Cleveland County
The Children of Cleveland County
The Homelessness Task Force of Cleveland County
Earthen Vessels of Kings Mountain
Board for C.O.R.E. of Cleveland County
President of Kings Mountain Crisis Ministry

Coffee with the Preacher

Ready to Change Mark. 1:14-22

May 16, 2020May 16, 2020 William Thompson

Mark makes quick changes of direction compared to Matthew and Luke. {From the Baptism, the wilderness, John the Baptist to Jesus.}

The shift from John the Baptist as the main character to Jesus came swiftly. As believer the life message is to learn when to:

Step back
Step aside
Step away

To allow someone else to come step forward. Just because you have lead to a certain point does not meant it is your role to finish.

Moses to Joshua nor Elijah to Elisa. Now John the Baptist or Jesus Christ.

As a pastor of a church for 32 years with many accomplishment when the time was up I had to pray for God to give me the strength to release that church to another person and know that it was his season now.

Mark 1:14-22 (KJV)
¹⁴ Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

John had to Deceased so Jesus might Increase

The people were ready for Jesus and they flocked to hear John this wilderness preacher.

There had been no God-sent prophets for 400 years, since the days of Malachi (who wrote the last book of the Old Testament).

Anticipation was growing that the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament, would soon come.

The purpose of John’s preaching was to prepare people to accept Jesus as God’s Son.

Once John had completed his assignment he had to step aside, step away, and step back. He went to prison for all his good preaching. And Jesus stepped up

¹⁵ And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-6 (KJV)
¹ To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
² A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
³ A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴ A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Ecclesiastes 3:6-8 (KJV)
⁷ A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Believe the Gospel

The lowest level of belief occurs when we come to understand something without letting it affect how we live. The demons have this kind of belief. They believe God exists but will not turn from their unrighteous conduct (James 2:19).

The kind of belief Jesus urges us to have is a commitment that is clearly demonstrated by the way we live. Jesus was asking the people of the first century—and us today—to comprehend His message, trust it and act accordingly.

To “believe in the gospel,” as Jesus instructed us to do, includes having the knowledge that He is the prophesied Messiah, repenting of our sins and then continuing to live in obedience to God’s law. The belief Jesus advocated was not only a matter of knowledge.

¹⁶ Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

¹⁷ And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
¹⁸ And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

{Following Jesus mean we have to leave some things behind”}

Bad attitude
Un-forgiveness
Character and Habits that does not mirror the image of Christ
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;
Adultery,
fornication,
uncleanness,
lasciviousness,
Idolatry,
witchcraft,
hatred,
variance,
Ambition
anger,
strife,
seditions,
heresies,

¹⁹ And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.

{making preparation for the next day}

{Preparing to be successful in the world}

²⁰ And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

This was an unusual call? Was this a call to:

Salvation

Sanctification

Serve

A call to Salvation

Romans 10:9-10 (KJV)
⁹ That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
¹⁰ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Matthew 22:3 (KJV)
³ And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

A call to Sanctification

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV)
²³ And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 17:19 (KJV)
¹⁹ And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

A call to Serve

Romans 12:6-8 (KJV)
⁶ Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
⁷ Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
⁸ Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Ephesians 4:7 (KJV)
⁷ But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

After trying to answer the question from the mind of a theologian the mind of faith said no this was a call for all three.

Salvation, Sanctification and Serves.

Discipleship is prominent in Mark’s Gospel.

Jesus’ call would pose two questions in the minds of Mark’s readers:

“Who is this One who calls?” and
“What does it mean to follow Him?”

Mark gave them an answer in his Gospel.

Discipleship is the expected norm for all who believe the gospel and not the exception to those who are called.

In Christianity, disciple primarily refers to a dedicated follower of Jesus.

This term is found in the New Testament only in the Gospels and Acts. In the ancient world, a disciple is a follower or adherent of a teacher.

It is not the same as being a student in the modern sense.

The discipleship process includes:

Transformation and repentance, making God your priority (Mark 8:34-38)
Learning the written word of God and living by it with commitment (John 8:31-32)
Loving, edifying, and serving others as God leads (1 John 3:11-16)
Focusing on living righteously, being fruitful (John 15:7-10, Galatians 5:22)
Accountability with godly authority (Hebrews 13:17)

Foundational Values of Discipleship are:

Evangelism (sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ) (Matthew 28:18-20)
Being changed by renewing your mind (Romans 12:2)
Worshipping God in all you do (Romans 12:1)
Serving God toward His purpose (Romans 1:9)
Demonstrating to the world the Power given us by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11; 2 Peter 1:3-8)

Disciples don’t make excuses to avoid commitment:

Luke 14:

I just bought some land
I just bought some oxen
I just got married

Luke 14:21 (KJV)
²¹ So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

The Gospel has urgency to it for it is God’s work and we must be about our father’s business today.

Are you ready to go to work for the master? Are you will to be a disciple of the Lord?