One day as Jesus and His disciples were walking along the road, a man boasted to Jesus, “I will follow You wherever You go!” In the answer Jesus gave to Him, I find the following three requirements of discipleship: 1. Mobility. A big part of discipleship is following Jesus. Bill…
Have you ever mentored a new believer? If not, plan to do so in the near future! It is one of the most exciting and inspiring assignments you will ever accept as a Christian. Here are some basic, fundamental steps a person might take during the first year as he/she mentors a…
One of these days, all of us who are Christians, will be welcomed home to Heaven. Our race will be complete. I imagine that God will pull out all the stops. No earthly event, regardless how spectacular, will compare to that moment when we first see Jesus! All that will…
Every racing fan knows that yesterday was the 50th running of the Daytona 500. Although I did not get to see the race live, I watched the race in its entirety on my DVR last night. Wow! What a spectacular pre-race extravaganza. The France family (owners of NASCAR) pulled out…
I grew up on a variety of two-wheeled, speed-producing machines. Bicycles, homemade minibikes, and Honda motorcycles of all sizes and shapes. We had Trail 70s, TL-125s, CR-250s, 650s, 750s, and Gold Wings. We even had a couple of pieced-together Harleys along the way. Recently, I owned the Yamaha 1600cc Roadstar…
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Col. 2:6-7 (NIV) As believers, our ultimate goal is to become like Christ. He is the bullseye.…
What is the most important spiritual discipline? What is the one thing that is paramount when it comes to maturing as a follower of Christ? I believe the Bible is the key. As a follower of Christ, I have discovered that my intimacy with Christ rises and falls in connection…
Is a person who teaches a Bible study class on Sunday morning a Sunday School Teacher or a Disciple Maker? I believe they are both! I commend men and women who faithfully teach the Bible every week in our churches. After preparation during the busy week, they share information from…
Dr. Chuck Lawless, Dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth as well as Director of Professional Doctoral Studies is a person I highly respect. He is thorough, consistent, relevant, and approachable. I have been privileged to have him speak in one of the churches where…
As a young pastor, I read several books that impacted my life and gave focus to my ministry. One particular book that impacted me the most was The Disciple-Making Pastor by Bill Hull. In his book, Hull challenges and encourages the pastor to adopt disciple making as his primary assignment…
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.