Mary Hunt is a gifted teacher and writer in the field of Christian money management. I have several of her books. Part of being a disciple is how we handle our possessions without our possessions handling us. God has given each of us resources that are meant to be used…
The Great Commission text in Matthew 28:16-20 is very familiar to most of us. We have quoted it, preached it, and taught it numerous times. We must be careful with Scripture that is most familiar lest we overlook some truth that has escaped our notice. Matthew 28:17 is one of…
A recent report that I saw on the CBS evening news and heard on the radio says atheists know more, on average, about the Bible than those who claim to be Christians! A Pew Research survey asking questions about religious history, scripture and religion’s role in public life revealed that…
Audrey Barrick writing for the Christian Post reported an interesting new study by the United Methodist Church on what makes some churches healthy. Here are the key findings in that study. Churches with a high number of small groups, effective lay leadership, faithful pastors, and both traditional and contemporary services…
When you think of descriptive passages of Scripture that relate to discipleship, what comes to mind? Maybe Mathew 28:16-20 where Jesus said “make disciples,” or Jesus’ description of what a kingdom person is and does in the Sermon on the Mount or in one of the Gospels like Luke 9:23,…
Okay, do I have your attention? Everyone is talking about the Cooperative Program these days. Suddenly the CP is headline news. It’s in all our state papers and there are lots of opinions about where CP giving will go in the next five years. My intentions are not to debate…
Evangelism or Discipleship? For which will your church be known? I have heard the debate before…do we want an evangelistic church or a disciple making church? Which is more important: discipleship or evangelism, and where should a church put their energy and focus? Are we to just go deep in discipleship…
Religion News Service reports that a new Gallup Poll found that Americans’ self-reported church attendance has increased slightly since 2008. When asked “How often do you attend church, synagogue, or mosque?” 43.1 percent of Americans in 2010 said they attended church “at least once a week” or “almost every week.”…
Many of us have been impacted by an old book written by a young brilliant German theologian named Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the book, The Cost of Discipleship. Bonhoeffer could have left Germany to teach in America and avoid what was happening in Germany in the 1930’s. He struggled with the decision. Ultimately…
In a recent conference, Reggie McNeal described three shifts needed for churches to move from program-driven to missional-driven. These are very insightful for all church leaders and for a strategy of disciple making. 1. Changing from internal ministry to an external focus: This isn’t an “either-or” situation, but a movement…
Two encounters are critical. First, the leader encounters God in His Word and is changed. Second, the leader guides the group to have a life-changing encounter.
In John 13:34-35, three times Jesus said, “Love one another.” Your group is the ideal place to practice and launch the kind of love for one another that shows the world that we are His disciples.