“How Do You Make Disciples?”I love asking pastors that question. Not long ago, I sat around a conference table with several pastors, professors, and denominational leaders. We were all there to talk about discipleship. When the question was asked about how disciples are made, the thoughts were pretty vague and varied. Most said that getting […]
discipleFIRST Blog
We grow through commitments. Think about it. When you make a commitment to something, it leads you to a new place of growth and maturity. Maybe you’ve made a commitment to complete your education. It’s a struggle. It’s hard. But you follow through with your commitment and you grow as a result. Marriage is a […]
Being a friend begins with hospitality. Levi hadn’t been a believer for long. He had just made the radical decision to leave behind his old life as a tax collector and follow Jesus, but his heart was still burdened for his friends who were far from God. He desperately wanted them to know Jesus the […]
Imagine you are invited to the Oval Office to meet the President of the United States. Your heart begins to race with excitement. When will it happen? What should you do? How will you respond? What will he say? If that meeting was actually going to happen, you can rest assured there would be a […]
On my 39th birthday, my life came full circle. I ran my first marathon in Dallas, Texas. I can remember it like it was yesterday. The race started with the blast of a shotgun held by a man wearing a cowboy hat and riding a horse. The race was on. Tens of thousands of runners […]
Reaching out starts with being a friend. Jesus was called a “friend of sinners.” Now that may sound like a compliment to us today, but back then it was intended to be an insult to the highest degree. The religious leaders of His day saw Jesus hanging out with people on the fringe of society […]
Living with Jesus at the center is not easy. In fact, it’s a battle. Your old wayward, sinful self will fight every step along the way, but Jesus made a provision for you to enable you to yield to Him and follow Him completely. On the night before His death, Jesus spoke to His disciples. […]
Church leaders love ministry models. Pastors seem to be naturally drawn to the latest and greatest trends in ministry. Over the past twenty years, I’ve seen models come and go. I can remember when “Flake’s formula” was the rage for growing Sunday Schools in Baptist churches. Arthur Flake was a department store salesman from Winona, […]
Years ago, I saw an illustration that has stayed with me. A woman was given a large glass jar and several rocks of various sizes, including large rocks, pebbles and sand. She was asked to put all the rocks into the jar. As she struggled to get all the rocks in, it became clear that […]
Jesus gives you the power to join Him on mission. Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you,” (John 20.21 NlT). In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus added, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone,” (Mark 16.15 NlT). It is very clear that Jesus has sent you […]