DISCOVERY STARTERS
​by David Joel Hamilton

You are eager to know more about YWAM’s Foundational Beliefs and Core Values. Great! You’ve come to the right place.

This is a place of discovery. This is a  place to learn more and more about God and his ways. This is a place to dig deeper and to explore each of these six beliefs and eighteen values. This is a place to discover how each is firmly anchored in Biblical revelation. This is a place where you can make these beliefs and values your own. 

Because all these beliefs and values are rooted in God’s Word, each one is linked to ten Biblical passages. That makes for a total of 240 distinct passages – with at least four from each Testament for every single belief and value. On this website, all of these Biblical references are hyperlinked to the Biblical text for your ease of use. With a quick click of your mouse or a touch on the screen of your device, you can immediately jump to any of these 240 passages

The hyperlink will take you to the SourceView Reader, an innovative Bible tool designed by YWAMers to help end Bible poverty by encouraging the user to read more, to read out loud, and to read together with others. You can get a quick six-minute video overview of the SourceView Reader functions when you click here. As you embark on the study of these 240 foundational passages, you may be interested to know that they are distributed among the following 55 books of the Bible:

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Micah, Habakkuk, Zechariah, Malachi, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, James , 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation.

In the book Values Matter there are 24 Discovery Starters. Here you will find fifty. There are two for each belief and two for sixteen of the values. Two values (Know God & Make God Known) have three Discovery Starters each, because they convey the very heart of our missional calling. You will find the values organized into the four categories used in Values Matter.  So jump in and start discovering. You might want to read these on your own in your personal devotional time; or you might want to go through them together with a group. For example, a DTS could use them as a daily exercise, Monday through Friday, for ten weeks of the lecture phase. Please be creative in how you use these Discovery Starters.

Once you’ve read through and processed these fifty, don’t stop. There is still more to discover. There are, of course, the other 190 passages in the Bible that are linked to our beliefs and values. Take time to explore these portions of Scripture on your own or with a group of friends, and then keep going, keep going, keep going...

That is the heart behind these Discovery Starters. They are just a starting point. My reflections are designed to help you engage with God’s Word. As Darlene writes, “The Scriptures are full of inspiration and wisdom to spur you on in your pursuit. Begin now on a new adventure of discovery for yourself!” Enjoy the adventure of discovery! And keep going ... 


​TABLE OF CONTENTS
A.
CORE BELIEFS
Core Beliefs
​
  1. Belief 1 – Worship – 2Ki 17:35-39 – Worship Only God
  2. Belief 1 – Worship – Rev 5:6-14 – Forever and Ever
  3. Belief 2 – Holiness – Eze 20:10-12 – Made Holy
  4. Belief 2 – Holiness – Tit 2:11-14 – Distanced from Sin
  5. Belief 3 – Witness – Psa 78:1-7 – Tell the Next Generation
  6. Belief 3 – Witness – Act 10:39-43 – Peter’s Conversion
  7. Belief 4 – Prayer – Eze 22:30-31 – A Tragic Day
  8. Belief 4 – Prayer – Mat 6:5-15 – Mentored in Prayer
  9. Belief 5 – Fellowship – Psa 122:1-4 – Pilgrims Together
  10. Belief 5 – Fellowship – Act 2:44-47 – Radical Koinonia
  11. Belief 6 – Service – Pro 11:10-11 – When the City Rejoices
  12. Belief 6 – Service – Jam 2:14-26 – Faith-Inspired Good Works
I.
WE WANT TO KNOW GOD
Foundational Values

I. We Want to Know God 
(Values 1,3,4,9)

  1. Value 1 – Know God – Job 42:5 – Pursuing Relational Revelation
  2. Value 1 – Know God – Jer 9:23-24 – Our Driving Desire
  3. Value 1 – Know God – Php 3:7-11 – Insatiable Hunger
  4. Value 3 – Hear God’s Voice – 1Sa 3:7-10 – God is Speaking
  5. Value 3 – Hear God’s Voice – Luk 9:35 – Listen to Jesus
  6. Value 4 – Practice Worship and Intercessory Prayer – Psa 100:1-5 – Enter with Praise
  7. Value 4 – Practice Worship and Intercessory Prayer – Eph 6:13-20 – Spiritual Warfare
  8. Value 9 – Have a Biblical Christian Worldview – Deu 8:1-3 – Live by Every Word
  9. Value 9 – Have a Biblical Christian Worldview – Php 4:8-9 – Think and Act
II.
WE ARE VISIONARY
II. We Are Visionary
(Values 5,6,2,12,11)

  1. Value 5 – Be Visionary – Hab 2:2-3 – Do the Right Things Right
  2. Value 5 – Be Visionary – Mar 1:35-39 – The Purpose of Jesus’ Advent
  3. Value 6 – Champion Young People – Dan 1:17-20 – Four Impressive Young Leaders
  4. Value 6 – Champion Young People – 1Ti 4:12-16 – Despise Not Youth
  5. Value 2 – Make God Known – 1Ch 16:24-27 – Tell Everyone
  6. Value 2 – Make God Known – Psa 145:4-7 – Proclaim God’s Many Excellencies
  7. Value 2 – Make God Known – Mar 16:15 – Come and Go
  8. Value 12 – Do First Then Teach – Ezr 7:10 – A Three-Step Approach
  9. Value 12 – Do First Then Teach – Mat 7:28-29 – The Amazing How
  10. Value 11 – Exhibit Servant Leadership – Mic 6:8 – Justice Mercy Humility
  11. Value 11 – Exhibit Servant Leadership – John 13:3-18 – The Foot-washing Redeemer
III. 
WE VALUE PEOPLE
III. We Value People 
(Values 14,15,13,17)

  1. Value 14 – Value the Individual – Psa 139:13-16 – Handmade by God
  2. Value 14 – Value the Individual – Eph 6:5-9 – No Partiality
  3. Value 15 – Value Families – 1Co 7:1-16 – Mutuality in Marriage
  4. Value 15 – Value Families – 1Ti 3:2-5 – Doing Family and Ministry Together
  5. Value 13 – Be Relationship-Oriented – Psa 133:1-3 – When God Commands a Blessing
  6. Value 13 – Be Relationship-Oriented – Joh 13:34-35 – So What is New?
  7. Value 17 – Practice Hospitality – Gen 18:1-8 – Close Encounters of the Divine Kind
  8. Value 17 – Practice Hospitality – Rom 12:13 – Be Ready and Eager
IV.
WE ARE A GLOBAL MISSIONS MOVEMENT
IV. We Are a Global Missions Movement
(Values 7,16,10,8,18)

  1. Value 7 – Be Decentralized – Exo 18:13-26 – Authority Dispersed
  2. Value 7 – Be Decentralized – Tit 1:5-9 – Appoint Elders
  3. Value 16 – Practice Dependance on God – Mal 3:8-12 – A Generosity Contest
  4. Value 16 – Practice Dependance on God – Php 4:10-20 – Paul Thanks his Supporters
  5. Value 10 – Function in Teams – 2Ch 17:7-9 – Mobile Ministry Teams
  6. Value 10 – Function in Teams – Mar 6:7-13 – Two by Two
  7. Value 8 – Be International and Interdenominational – Gen 12:1-4 – Every Every All All
  8. Value 8 – Be International and Interdenominational – Act 20:4 – Paul’s Missionary Band
  9. Value 18 – Communicate with Integrity – Gen 1:3-5 – The Communicator Par Excellence
  10. Value 18 – Communicate with Integrity – Mat 5:33-37 – Radical Honesty​
© 2020 David Joel Hamilton: "YWAM Beliefs & Values Discovery Starters." Used by permission.
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