Men do not go to battle simply by putting on a uniform and bearing a weapon. Before they enter a war-zone, they must first train for action. Many Christians have simply worn the uniform of Christ for years without training to be His disciple. Sure, they have tried to follow Jesus, but they haven’t trained. …
Tag Archives: discipleship
Attention Please!
Billy is having trouble in math class so his parents hire a personal tutor. They know that individual attention will be more effective than group instruction. Discipleship is the same way. To be effective, it requires intensity that cannot be found in large crowds. Disciples must have the undivided attention of their disciple-makers. Part of …
A Holy Partnership
Jesus calls all believers to make disciples. Jesus chose His last words on earth carefully. He had spent three years pouring into His apostles. Before ascending into Heaven, He gathered them for final instructions which we call the Great Commission. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has …
The Fascinating Future of the Church
Science is fascinating -and sometimes scary. Did you know that prenatal screening now allows prospective parents to know all sorts of details about their child’s traits by removing a single cell from an embryo? While highly controversial, the concept highlights the incredible amounts of information God has stored in human DNA. As I contemplated the idea …
Why Multiplication Exists
Revelation 7:9-10 reveals a future scene in heaven. After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a …
“Two Discipleships” 2013 SOAR Keynote Session
I grew up going to the SOAR student conference every summer. Now I have the honor of leading the ministry that produces the conference. Here is a video of a session from the 2013 SOAR conference where I spoke on discipleship.
Was Jesus “Cliquish?”
The question has been asked, “Won’t small groups create cliques that will divide our Church?” Great question. In Mark 3:13-19, Jesus is followed by a large crowd of people all vying for his attention. The Bible says that He healed many, before eventually pushing away from the crowd. (That’s right, even Jesus got away to …
Missing on Mothers Day
I speak about Jill in many of my sermons. Partly because she was an incredible disciple-maker, partly because she was the love of my life, partly because her story has been able to help others struggling with loss, and partly because I want to honor her. Recently, I was sitting among worshippers, waiting for my …
5 Character Traits of Growing Churches (Excerpt)
Here is an excerpt from my new free e-booklet, Five Character Traits of Growing Churches: “He sure is growing up.” That’s a common phrase around my household. I swell up with a sense of pride as neighbors, friends and family notice my son’s growth. Bryce is six now and it is hard to keep up with …
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God’s Global End-Game
Revelation 7:9-10 reveals a future scene in heaven. After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a …