I want you to imagine that you are sitting in a group and I am speaking. Now, imagine that I’m holding an apple in my hand…a red, clean, crisp apple. As I hold it up and everyone is looking I ask, “How many apples am I holding?” Faces stare with a matter-of-fact look, wondering why […]
Jesus left no room for confusion. Jesus clearly said that He is the only way to salvation and reconciliation with God. In (John 14.6 ESV) He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” on another occasion Jesus said, “Unless you believe that […]
Not only will this world resist you, but this world will also tempt you. The culture will oppose you, and if that doesn’t work, it will try to lure you away from following Jesus by enticing you to sin. Jesus experienced both. Those who opposed Jesus resisted Him outright, but He also was tempted. In […]
Let’s just say it out loud. We are addicted to programs. We are tied to our traditions. Just as an addict reacts emotionally when weaned off of his drug, people react negatively when their favorite program is changed or canceled. This reality has kept even the bravest leaders from making necessary changes lest they find […]
Action is needed because so much is a stake. How much longer do you think the church will sustain if disciple-making is ignored?
Jesus wasn’t making a suggestion when He called His followers to make disciples of all nations. He was serious. In (Mark 16.15 NIV), He gave this command to His men: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation.” Again in (Acts 1.8 NIV) Jesus declared, “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and […]
Aligning with Jesus means standing against the world. In (1 Peter 1.16-17 NLT), Peter quotes from the Old Testament … “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy, because I am holy.’ Then he adds, “So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as ‘foreigners in the land’.” He is not speaking about the […]
“So if I buy into what you are saying, what is going to be different about my ministry six months from now?” It was a good question, coming from a seasoned pastor. As we shared lunch together in a nice restaurant, the topic of conversation was making disciples. This pastor had led his church to […]
The choice to make disciples is the choice to multiply your life. It is the choice to think beyond your own interests and yourself and begin to look at the bigger picture of God’s work on the earth and how you can play a part in it. It is a choice to participate in the […]
Only God can make you want what He wants. It’s one thing to desire to serve God but feel like you are restricted by your schedule. It’s quite another thing to lose the desire to serve God altogether. Yet, many people feel exactly that way. The urgency, the desire, and the drive to share Christ […]