Want A Sandwich? Since becoming more intentional in making disciples that make disciples, God has blessed me with twelve guys to do life with one-on-one. He has also blessed my wife and me with two different couples that we have worked with together couple-to-couple. Two of the twelve guys share the…
I hear testimonies about individual and church disciple-making regularly. Some are stories of what was learned from failed attempts. Sometimes disciples move. Sometimes resources used were ineffective. Sometimes plans were too cumbersome. But in all cases, learning about disciple-making was strengthened. The biggest failure is not trying. In addition to…
Fresh, Practical Training I pray that you have seen lives changed, leaders developed, new people reached, unsaved introduced to Jesus, and new discipling relationships begun through your church this year. As you plan for the start of another year of discipleship, I am sure you recognize the value of training…
Disciples come in all shapes and sizes. Some disciples are brand new Christians. Others have been walking with Jesus for years. Some have grown spiritually very little. Others desire to grow more in a specific area, such as prayer or scripture memorization. Some have had encouragers and disciplers while others…
The majority of Christians and even pastors have never been discipled by anyone. Satan uses that fact to discourage disciple-making. We develop a Moses complex. When we have never been discipled, we believe we cannot speak, lead, or be used to disciple others. Stop believing the lie. Just do it!…
People today are busy: leaders and disciples. Commitments can often be shallow and fleeting. On the other hand, disciple-making is best done through the context of consistent relationships and discipline. Knowing those realities, how can we encourage faithfulness in our disciple-making meetings (even our own)? One of the most important…
Accountability is part of many disciple-making relationships. Too often people dread and avoid accountability. Accountability, however, does not have to be negative. It can be encouraging and positive. Instead of focusing on “if you failed,” the focus can be on “how you took a step forward.” Consider these questions which…
There are many questions being asked by potential disciple-makers. Sadly, the lack of answers to these questions have produced much indecisiveness and immobility. Too often the result is no start and no disciple-making. How do we break through this potential roadblock? Prayerful decisiveness and activity. In the case of the…
Would you like to worship, be motivated, AND be discipled from sermons? Consider these simple ideas this Sunday: Be on time: Avoid rushing and missing preparation (see below). Enter worship with prayer: If you expect to encounter God in worship, you will be less likely miss to Him. Choose the…
The beginning of each new year is an opportunity to start things, to start over, to start again. It can be a time of commitments and resolutions, a time of review and desire to improve. At minimum, the Christian should stop to reflect on what God has done in the…
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.