Why “FACTOR POINTS”?
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
-James 1:22
Most of us start out our Christian journey as hearers of the Word of God. This isn’t a bad thing. In fact it’s very good since we know that “faith comes by HEARING…” (Romans 10:17). But according to what James states, we shouldn’t stop at hearing. In fact, he states that hearing only leads to self-deception. Why? Perhaps because one might begin to think that because they heard the Word of God, it was enough. “I heard, therefore I am… Mission accomplished.” Unfortunately this may be the unspoken view of successful Christian living.
Sticking with the how scripture defines things, we have to call it what it truly is; DECEPTION. It’s deception, a lie, to think that Jesus came, lived, died and rose from the grave all so that we could become hearers only. No, by the purpose of God we’re called to more. And by the grace of God we are able to do more. Every believer is called to be both and hearer and a doer.
This is at the very core of why Factor Points exists. It’s my belief that consistent encouragement and facilitation of the DOING of Christian discipleship is greatly needed in the church today. Far too many believers are stuck in “hearer” mode, believing that being a doer is exclusive to missionaries or those in full-time ministry. Of course there’s so much more to a healthy Christian life.
The word “factor” as utilized by Factor Points means:
an influence that contributes to a result or outcome
By “point” we mean the moment(s) of time in which that influence is exerted. So a Factor Point is essentially the moment that we as disciples of Christ consciously allow the influence of the Word of God (what we’ve heard), to impact what we do. If we’re honest, we’ll admit that we all could use helpful reminders throughout the day encouraging us to remember what we heard and to apply to the moment of life we are facing.
How many of us would handle day-to-day interactions with
family members,
co-workers,
classmates,
baristas or cashiers
fellow commuters in traffic
in a more Christlike manner if we developed the habit of FACTORING God’s presence and Word into those moments? I know I would. I know because I’ve failed many, many times. And when I take honest inventory of what I did and I why, my shortcomings are ALWAYS a matter of a lack of factoring the grace of God in my life in that moment. I reacted in emotion, rather than responding in faith and grace.
The good news is that responding in faith and grace can be learned. We can practice and getter better at it just like learning a new language, playing chess or the steps necessary to execute a work responsibility at a new job. What’s more, when it comes to discipleship, we’re progressively BECOMING, not just doing. Becoming more like Christ cannot happen by hearing alone. My son loves basketball. But he’ll never become a player by only watching the game. He has to get on the court and practice in order to become a player.
So it is with us and our discipleship journey. It’s not a SUNDAY ONLY journey. It’s an everyday lifestyle. The goal of Factor Points is to provide resources and guidance to make the day-to-day commitment of being a DOER a little easier. Speaking for myself, I need help. A guide, reminder, mentor, encourager is always welcomed to help me reach my God-given potential. I’m sure I’m not the only one.