For more information and other teachings, podcasts, videos, books and study guides visit https://conwaychristianresources.com
As we enter this new season where I will be teaching about New Beginnings (link to last week HERE) I thought it would be best to talk about where I’ve come from and why this ministry exists. So rather than my normal teaching I want to describe to you why I’m here and why you are right there reading about it. Especially since so many of the people who are frequenting this site recently are those I’ve yet to have the pleasure of meeting in person.
Who am I
Well the short answer is, I’m Cameron, aka some guy from Canada on the internet talking about Jesus, Christianity and the Church. Seriously though, I’ve been a believer for 18 years now following my own “road to Damascus” experience and since then I have spent countless hours teaching, studying and applying God’s word. I believe strongly in discipleship, the power of God and the necessity of our understanding of the scriptures and the theological keys they describe to us.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Theology, and have spent several years creating curriculum for my home church, along with a major project for the Foursquare Gospel Church of Canada. I’ve been a home group leader, bible study teacher/content creator. a member of a church financial council, and a “volunteer” youth pastor. However, unlike many other people God has not called me to the regular Tuesday to Sunday job of being a pastor. My life and heart is rooted more in teaching, writing and discipleship. I’ve always seen myself as more of a teacher with a prophetic edge than as a pastor. In my years of lay-ministry I’ve had the privilege to help many believers and pastors in their walk with Christ.
The desire of my heart is to provide an insightful look into not just the scriptures themselves but also through challenging everyday people along with their motivations, beliefs and their actions to see if they are actually living out what they claim to believe. I doesn’t hide behind “christianese”, or hard to understand theological terms, but rather I wish to speak openly, bluntly and clearly through pictures and everyday language to make the Bible and foundations of our faith clear and applicable.
As I’ve said before I don’t take a pastor’s perspective, I’m not a councillor, I’m a teacher/writer with a prophetic edge who wants to make it clear what you need to do in your life even if it is hard to do so, seemingly unattainable, or appears to be something you don’t want to hear. This is why I spend so much time studying and speaking about matters such as the Cross, our Identity as believers, our rights under the New Covenant, how to Hear God’s voice, and how to live as a faithful Christian in God’s kingdom upon the Earth.
What is CCR?
Conway Christian Resources is my full-time job, by which I provide to hungry believers the tools they need to become strong, vibrant and effective Christians in this world, right here and right now. CCR is a ministry by which I am able to reach Christians who are hungry to grow and are looking for information and resources which are rarely spoken of on a Sunday morning (which typically deals more with inspiration than biblical study). This is to be a hub where people can learn, grow and share what God is doing in their lives and how God is using them to bless and encourage others.
There are several key factors that make up what I am doing through CCR, I believe and proclaim the divinity of Christ and our need for His salvation. I believe in the power of prayer and the tangible effect in can have on our natural world, through changes in peoples hearts and all the way to full blown miracles and healings. I believe in the need for holiness (grounded in humility rather than pride) and Christlike living and I am a staunch advocate for Christians having lives which are the same “behind the pew” as they are behind closed doors.
I seek to create teachings through CCR which demonstrates the need in a believer’s life to have the Spirit of God in equality with the Word of God. This means that I hold God’s ability to move and speak today as being dependant on our reliance and understanding of His scriptures. This leads to what I believe is the greatest need in the church today, biblical literacy. It pains me to see not just everyday Christians but people in leadership and pastoral positions who do not have a basic grasp of the foundational truths and stories of the Christian faith.
This desire to see believers fully equipped is a driving factor in much of what is produced through CCR. I firmly believe that every time God calls someone there is always a preparation period, CCR products are here to help you in that season so you can be released to make a tangible change in this world and reveal the glory of Jesus and the reality of the kingdom to all people.
This ministry and myself personally receive spiritual supervision and guidance two people; Tom Gardner a pastor and director of Leadership Encouragement and Development for the Foursquare Gospel church of Canada. And from Henry Schmidt, a “retired” pastor and Bible College Professor/Dean from Abbotsford B.C. who has (and continues to) shepherd and guide countless pastors, evangelists and ministers in dozens of countries during the past 30+ years.
What are we looking to Discover?
If you’ve looked at this web page or any of the social media you’ve probably seen some version of these words several times; Discover, Build, Support. These three words provide the backbone of what is created and released through CCR because I feel that these three words and their meaning can help us attain everything God has laid out for us to receive in this life.
The word Discover here is just short-hand for a longer statement, “Discover Your Purpose.” Here we have two loaded and key words and together it represents the first stages of our relationship with God. What we are to discover is the truths of scripture and the realities of God which are living and active not just in our hearts but in the world in general. This is the beginning stage of our walk with God where we become familiar with who God is, what His nature is like, what do the scriptures say about life and how we can faithfully live out those truths.
As we develop we begin to understand our purpose in this world, that is why God created us and what we are to do with our lives. Our purpose is linked with our identity and it is difficult to separate the two, we then must learn not just our personal identity (personality, gifts, talents, interests) but our larger identity in Christ (His heart, nature, desires, love and ways of living). The coming together of our personal identity and our new identity in Christ (Romans 6) provides us with the insights, faith, and clarity to know how to live in this world. Not according to our own desires but in a way which reflects God’s heart, draws people to the cross/kingdom, demonstrates the power of the Holy Spirit in action and stands is grounded upon the teachings of the scriptures.
In this whole process of discovering who we are in Christ I believe the most important concept to remember is that: Relationship + Purpose + Character = God’s will in our lives unlocked!
What exactly are we supposed to Build?
I believe one of our greatest calls as believers and members of the New Covenant is to Build the Kingdom. By that I am speaking about far more than just growing or supporting your church, but it has to two with everything from discipling/helping a couple of people and all the way up to seeing the kingdom grow and be strengthened in entire nations.
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Its not just about our own efforts but it really is about allowing and inviting God to be king on the earth right here and right now. It’s about honoring and respecting His rule and power and using our lives as conduits for that dominion to spread throughout the earth. If we think about it the entire Bible is the testimony and the proclamation that God is King over the earth, and Jesus’s ministry was about demonstrating the inauguration of that rulership. We then act as agents and ambassadors of that kingdom and seek to witness the territory of God’s dominion spread throughout the earth one heart at a time.
Building the kingdom is then about expanding the frontiers of the Great King’s territory and strengthening the existing “towns” deep within the kingdom (Matthew 4:23,6:10, 6:33, Luke 4:43, Luke 9:2, Luke 10:8-12). This is done through evangelism to expand the boundaries and the second task is done through discipleship, fellowship (groups, churches, denominations, etc.), prayer and cooperation with God.
A kingdom is literally the dominion of a king, it is the area in which he rules, protects and administers justice (Matthew 6:10). So it is with God, His kingdom is the territory on earth found within the hearts of people (Luke 17:21) whereby He rules in righteousness (Revelation 11:15), He protects His family members from invading forces and He administers justice which is balanced between holiness and mercy.
Our job then is to live according to His standards and decrees (Galatians 5:21), to follow the example of Christ (Romans 14:17), to preach the gospel, to walk in love, to move in power (Matthew 4:23, 1 Corinthians 4:20) and to disciple people (Acts 19:8) so they to can go out and accomplish (Matthew 6:33) all of this in their own lives. In my article Why The Church Fails To Conquer The Gates of Hell, I cover what happens to the church and believers when we fail to live out this call to expand the kingdom and how to overcome those issues.
Luke 12:31-32 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. 32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
What am I expected to Support?
The church is about more than me, myself and I, others will come after us who will continue to carry the banner in the battle for the world so we must learn how to prepare them for victories which will come after we are gone. This passing of the banner is what is behind this call to Support the Next Generation.
Proverbs 13:22 speaks to us about how “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.” Yet we need to look at this verse and see an inheritance as not just being gold, silver or land, it can be about so much more. To change our outlook of our role in the kingdom we have to see ourselves as preparing an inheritance of people rather than riches in this context. Really when I speak about this subject I am speaking of leaving an inheritance or people, leaders, and ministries which will benefit the church and the world long after we are gone (or the very least retired).
Our time, knowledge, wisdom (Ecclesiastes 7:11), experiences are an incalculable gift in themselves and we need to realize that the church will continue on longer than we will in this earth so we must prepare the next generation of believers to surpass our own accomplishments and participation in the church.
I bring this up last because Discover – Build – Support represents the entire life cycle of a follower of Christ. You enter into the kingdom though the cross, then you discover your identity and purpose in life, you then live out that purpose and grow the kingdom in your own little corner of God’s territory, then finally you train and encourage others to do greater than you did, you give to them all of the tools and insights God has given to you so they can continue running the race, albeit just a little faster and a little stronger (which is what we want).
When we fail to provide a spiritual inheritance or we fail to take seriously what God has promised those who come after us we fall into the same trap that Israel did in the book of Judges. Those people failed to take their natural inheritance, they forgot the God who brought them out of Egypt and they ended up living worse than the Canaanites around them. They became indistinguishable from those around them and all that God had done in Joshua’s generation was lost and forgotten.
There is no guarantee that the next generation will follow after God just look at Israel’s history and the likes of Josiah, Hezekiah and David died. Their faithfulness did not translated into the next generation remaining faithful in their hearts towards God. We can see the same thing happening in the church as well, that is why we have the old saying of there being no such thing as “spiritual grandchildren.”
In many ways this has to do with the idea of discipleship but it takes it to the next level. Traditionally discipleship is seen as taking a new believer and getting them to the point where they become “competent” in the was of God, Christianity and the church. However, what is needed beyond that is a type of discipleship which teaches people how to become or surpass those who are teaching them. It is about moving from Sunday school discipleship and into a spiritual and biblical apprenticeship process.
Supporting the next generation is then less about taking them from toddlers to infants, but it is about taking a person from being a spiritual child and making them an adult. Our goal is not to just get new believers “potty trained” but to equip them to be master craftsman of the future who will continue to proclaim the kingdom of God has entered this world. It is not enough to teach “Jesus loves me for the Bible tells me so,” I believe with all of my heart it is about training people to find God, know His heart and have a rock-solid understanding of His words.
The Books Are Key
Through God’s leading and faithfulness CCR is now my full-time job and it is my honor to help other believers grow in their walk of faith, even those who I may never even meet. This is done through free resources such as this blog, the CCR Podcast and the Life Beyond Church Youtube videos, along with various other offerings on this website and on social media. I will also be providing a growing collection of paid resources which go much deeper than a 2,000 to 3,000 word blog allows for.
I’m also honored to have my own book in print/eBooks and available for others to learn from and enjoy. Understanding Who You Are: A Survey of 21st Century Christian Beliefs (paperback, eBook, more info HERE) is my way of condensing everything a person needs to know to be a Christian today. It also doubles as the textbook for the Foursquare Gospel Church of Canada’s Full Ministerial Diploma’s Survey of Christian Beliefs course. But don’t get worried this book is not a typical theology book, it was written so that any Christian no matter their age, experience or education can easily read it, understand it and apply its truths to their own lives.
Not only is this book available but I also have a 52 week intensive group discussion guide based on the book, with a trimmed down 14 week version coming soon. I’m also in the process of creating an Audiobook of this book to allow people to learn from it in pretty much any place or situation.
I have two new books scheduled for release in 2019 with one in April and another earmarked for November. Both of which I believe will offer immense value for believers who are trying to make their way through this live. These new books and resources combined with the weekly blog, podcast and video keeps me quite busy these days.
This isn’t just a cheap-plug of my materials but rather I am demonstrating how the concepts of Discover – Build – Support need to be imparted to everyday Christians, and the books (and other resources) provide the most comprehensive and affordable way for me to accomplish that.
The Two Key Scriptures
Before we go I want to leave you with the key scriptures that I believe holds everything in my life and ministry in perspective.
CCR - Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (NKJV)
Personal - Ephesians 5:14 “Therefore He says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light.” (AMPC)
I pray that his has been insightful as to why my life and ministry is about, and I pray that you will continue to learn and grow from what is available here. I invite you to share what you have been learning with others, and to continue liking and commenting on what you are learning.
God bless and take care!
For more information and other teachings, podcasts, videos, books and study guides visit https://conwaychristianresources.com
