Defining Discipleship

I once heard a man say, “The moment you define discipleship, you lose it.” I get what he is saying. Discipleship can’t be placed in a formula or a “one-size-fits-all” solution anymore than a concept like parenting can be. So, my goal is not to describe a step-by-step process of discipleship or to describe a …

The Greatness of God’s Faithfulness (3 of 4)

(These are excerpts from a recent sermon from Genesis 15.) Part 3: “Tension in the Covenant” After delivering the good news (see Part 1 here and Part 2 here), God gave him the bad news: “Abraham, by the way, this covenant of blood, the one you have literally committed your life to —you will not be faithful …

Think Twice About Saving the Planet

My son, Bryce, and I recently visited Disney World for vacation. We had a blast –even in the midst of the blazing Florida heat. In classical Disney style, every aspect of the experience was carefully planned and produced –including the message. What message am I talking about? If you’ve visited Disney recently, it is hard …

Come Clean

From my reading chair, I could hear the sound of my son, Bryce, running his bath water. After reading a few pages of a book, I realized that I could no longer hear any water running. For that matter, I couldn’t hear anything. It was strangely quiet –too quiet. I waited another minute or two …

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!

My parents recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. I am so thankful for the testimony of their love for one another, for Christ, and for me. My dad spent years in pastoral ministry before serving in leadership at Central Baptist College. God has blessed him with a pastor’s heart and a businessman’s mind. I am …

The Greatness of God’s Faithfulness (2 of 4)

(These are excerpts from a recent sermon from Genesis 15.) Part 2: “The Covenant With Abraham” In Genesis 15, Abraham had already been given a pretty lengthy covenant by God. Part of the covenant was the fact that God had promised Abraham that He would make him into a great nation, which entailed Abraham having …

Why Conflict Between Believers Betrays Christ

Two different groups of my friends are engaged in conflict. They both have legitimate complaints against the other. Nobody is innocent and yet nobody is completely to blame. In other words, the complaints against one another are not really the issue. In fact, the complaints could be easily resolved. Instead, however, the two parties have …

The Greatness of God’s Faithfulness (1 of 4)

(These are excerpts from a recent sermon from Genesis 15)   A little over four years ago, I lost my wife in a car accident. The years since then have been very difficult, and the most difficult thing of all is that my son, Bryce, who was only about three months old when she died, …

Are You Hitting the Target?

Like a target, goals give any endeavor direction and meaning. So what kind of goals should a disciple-maker have? While this isn’t an exhaustive list, its a great starting point. Goal 1) For my disciple to become Christ-like.  To be Christ-like, a disciple must obey Christ’s teaching as summed up in the Great Commandment and …