Busyness kills many things. Effectiveness. Energy. Priority. Likewise, busyness kills many spiritual efforts. Discipleship. Time with God. Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Have you ever noticed that Jesus never seemed to rush? Anywhere. Anytime. With any person.Yes, He had a purpose. Yes, He had a message. Yes, He was effective,…
In Part 1, I shared that being a disciple of Jesus Christ means that we are in a living, breathing relationship. Being His disciple is a choice and a life-long process. There I shared five discipleship relational stages: Ignoring, Exploring, Starting, Deepening, and Investing. Listening carefully (full of care) to…
Being a disciple of Jesus Christ means that we are in a living, breathing relationship. Being His disciple is a choice and a life-long process (work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, Phil 2:12, HCSB). Our thinking and conversation often give clues to the stage of our discipleship.…
I know it is hard to separate “your favorite Bible verse/passage” and “your favorite discipleship verse/passage,” but take some time to think about it. Then hit “Leave a comment” at the end of the post. Share your passage and why it is your favorite. Encourage others with your comment! For…
Do you have fear when you think about the future or confidence and hope? Many people I talk with today including church leaders look in despair toward the future. None of us can predict the future. Often someone will have a minute of fame by being on the news or…
Anyone who has ever picked up a guitar has heard of the late, great Chet Atkins. He is a guitar legend. In many ways he helped popularize the guitar like no one else. He played a style that many of us have sought to copy called “finger or thumb style”…
Aubrey Malphurs, in his book, Strategy 2000: Churches Making Disciples for the Next Millennium, discusses eight areas of what makes a genuine disciple. This list or any list depicting lifestyle and behaviors is an outward response of an inward commitment to Jesus as Lord. This is not a legalistic exercise…
One of the most obvious evidences of our walk with Christ is joy. The word joy appears 218 times in the Bible. Deep joy should be a constant quality in the life of a follower of Christ. Happiness is more dependent on your circumstances. Things go well at work or…
But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, “The Lord be exalted!” Psalm 40:16 Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I really love turkey and pie and all the traditional food that makes up Thanksgiving, fellowship with…
A recent survey was published in a book by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner called, The Truth About Leadership. They asked each respondent to select seven characteristics out of twenty. These percentages represent respondents from six continents so it was a fairly large data base. Here are some…
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.