Knowledge vs. Skill

Knowledge is great, but it is no replacement for skill. If a man said, “I know every play in the playbook,” we wouldn’t automatically assume he is an NFL quarterback. If a woman said, “I can name every bone in the human body,” we wouldn’t necessarily call her “doctor.” And if someone said, “I know …

Google This!

Information is everywhere. In fact, I have read that one weekday edition of today’s New York Times contains more information than the average person in seventeenth-century England was likely to come across in an entire lifetime. That’s not to mention what is available through one single Google search. Can you say “information overload?” I’m sure …

Fluency in the Christian Life

“No comprende.” My friend tried again, but was met by the same response. “No comprende.” I looked at my friend’s face. He has taken three years of high school Spanish and one year of college Spanish. Yet, nobody in Nicaragua could understand him. I think what frustrated my friend most was when the Nicaraguans understood …

Recruiting Network: The Church’s Role in God’s Mission

This is the third post in a series on “seekers.” Previous posts have established that Sinners do not seek God naturally (Romans 3:10-11) God seeks and saves sinners (Luke 19:10) The Holy Spirit draws sinners to seek Him (John 3:8) But that does not mean that sinners are automatically converted without being evangelized. That leads to the question this post …

Ready to Hand Over Your Baby?

In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul instructs Timothy, “…what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”  What a great summary of a spiritual legacy! Paul describes four generations of discipleship in this verse.  He starts with himself (what you have …

Uniforms Don’t Make the Player

Recently I’ve been interviewing people about their experiences (or lack thereof) with discipleship. However, I haven’t used the word “disciple” or “discipleship” in my discussions. Why? Discipleship may be the most understood word in the church today. For some it means classes, for others it means preaching. Others equate it with special programs or extracurricular …