Distinctives of The ISU Navigators
1. Laboring (working hard)
We strive to work hard (labor) in three areas. Laboring (working hard) to us means that we are diligent in giving quantity of time and quality effort toward these three areas, making sacrifices in our lives.
The Word of God: Through regular and consistent time in the Bible (reading, hearing about the Word of God from others, meditation, systematic Scripture memory, digging deep through personal Bible study).
2 Tim. 2:15 (NIV) Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Evangelism: Through randomly approaching men and women on campus in an effort to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Cold Contact Evangelism), and through regular investment in everyday relationships while looking for appropriate opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Relational Evangelism).
2 Tim. 4:5 (NIV) But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
Prayer: Through regular connection with God in conversation. We do this as a group and as individuals during our daily times with God. Prayer can be exercised in praise, confession, thanking God, listening, asking Him for our needs, asking Him for others’ needs, and just plain talking with Him. We firmly believe that prayer advances the Gospel.
Col. 4:12 (NIV) Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.
2. Spiritual Generations
It is our desire that every believer involved in our ministry be able to reproduce spiritually. Spiritual generations can be illustrated in this way. Let’s say I’m a freshmen living in Manchester. During my first semester I meet another student on my floor named John. One day John explains clearly what it means to be a Christ-follower and what I need to do to become one. It makes sense to me and I want it for my own life, so I do what he says and begin following Jesus as my Savior and Leader. John just became my spiritual father, and begins to help me live this new life. He shows me how to meet with God daily in prayer and in the Scriptures. He shows me how to study the Bible on my own and discuss it with others. He helps me know how to obey God in areas of my life. He also shows me how to tell others about Jesus.
After a couple months of this, I take advantage of the opportunity and tell my friend, Mike, about Jesus. He begins following Jesus, just as I did a short time ago. Not only did I just become a spiritual father to Mike, but John also is now a spiritual grandfather to Mike. I begin to help Mike with all the things that John helped me with. Soon enough, Mike goes on to lead someone else to Jesus and helps him get established in his new life. Now Mike is a spiritual father, I’m a spiritual grandfather, and John is a spiritual great-grandfather, and so the spiritual reproduction continues. This is what we call spiritual generations, and is a practice seen throughout the whole Bible. This is not accomplished in a large or small group setting, but through daily time one on one. A key verse is found in II Timothy 2.2…
2 Tim. 2:2 (NASB-U) The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Spiritual generations can be explained further in a little booklet called Born to Reproduce by Dawson Trotman. Email us at isunavs@gmail.com for a copy. The cost is $2.00.
3. Bible Study
Though this was included above as part of laboring in the Word of God, it deserves further mention. We believe that no Christ-follower should be dependent on another for intake of God’s Word. Certainly, hearing what others have to say from the Word is beneficial, but it should not be our primary or sole avenue of taking in the Scriptures.
The Navigators at ISU use various methods for studying God’s Word without help from any other source. We want to first hear what God has to say to us personally from His Word. After considerable time of “original investigation” of the Scriptures, we then seek out what others have learned from their Bible study.
These methods are not complex, but do require discipline. We spend anywhere from one to five hours each week in personal Bible study preparation, and then meet with others to discuss what we learned. The benefits of Bible study are tremendous.
These Bible study methods are explained in The Navigator Bible Studies Handbook. The cost is $10.00. Please email us at isunavs@gmail.com if you are interested in a copy.
4. Claiming God’s Promises
God has given a wealth of promises throughout the Bible that we can pray and see the fulfillment of. Though God has given so many promises, six from the Book of Isaiah form a foundation of the work of The Navigators:
The Lost “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, [7] to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. [8] "I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not give My glory to another or My praise to idols.
Isaiah 42:6-8 (NIV)
Worldwide Ministry Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. [5] Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. [6] I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth—[7] everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made."
Isaiah 43:4-7 (NIV)
Christ-like Models "This is what the LORD says—the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question Me about My children, or give Me orders about the work of My hands? [12] It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts. [13] I will raise up Cyrus in My righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild My city and set My exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the LORD Almighty." [14] This is what the LORD says: "The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and those tall Sabeans—they will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge behind you, coming over to you in chains. They will bow down before you and plead with you, saying, 'Surely God is with you, and there is no other; there is no other god.' "
Isaiah 45:11-14 (NIV)
Fruitfulness "Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband," says the LORD. [2] "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. [3] For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.
Isaiah 54:1-3 (NIV)
True Laborers …and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. [11] The LORD will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. [12] Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
Isaiah 58:10-12 (NIV)
Multiplication The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly."
Isaiah 60:22 (NIV)
5. Scripture Memory
Since the very beginning of The Navigators, Scripture memory has been a vital piece. The Navigators practice a systematic approach to hiding God’s Word in our heart (Psalm 119.11). It involves assigning a topic to a verse, and memorizing the reference along with the verse. We use a system of reviewing old verses consistently to prevent losing them. Our challenge is a minimum of two verses per week.
One tool we use is called The Topical Memory System (TMS). The cost is $15.00. Please email us at isunavs@gmail.com if you are interested in beginning hiding God’s Word in your heart using the TMS.
K. Bruce Miller
"Would you spend as much time preparing yourself to meet the needs of one person as you would preparing a sermon for five thousand? How much do you believe in the potential of one?"
A.W. Tozer
"Every man is as holy as he really wants to be."