Posts Tagged ‘Discipleship’
Encouragement for Fainting Disciplers
Does this story sound familiar to you? A young man walks into your church. You eagerly follow up with him, maybe even take him out to lunch. You might even have the chance to lead him to the Lord! As you prioritize your time over the coming weeks, you begin pouring your life into…
Read MoreWhy the Dearth of Young Preachers? (Part 2)
As part of a study on why it is becoming increasingly difficult for churches to find young pastoral candidates, the president of Barna Research, David Kinnaman noted, “There are now more full-time senior pastors who are over the age of 65 than under the age of 40.” A shortage of young gospel ministers is not…
Read MoreYOU Gotta Go to Catechism
The neighborhood in which I grew up teemed with kids my age with whom I had great fun, mostly playing backyard, alley, and ballfield sports, where I made many fond memories. But I recall many an occasion after school trying to round up a pickup game, and my buddies would say, “I gotta go to…
Read MoreDisciplined by Faith: Part 2
In Part 1, I described two inadequate responses to spiritual dryness and practical crisis. First, many turn to worldly methods of addressing their problems or of drowning their sorrows. Second and more importantly for my purposes, many submit to the tyranny of the urgent. Their Christian life is defined by urgent concerns and finding answers…
Read MoreDisciplined by Faith: Part 1
Most Christians know the feeling. You sit down to read the Bible and pray, wanting to enjoy a passionate experience of God, but … crickets. You struggle to focus on the text, and what you grasp seems irrelevant to your pressing concerns. Your prayer time is dry, and your burdens don’t feel any lighter afterwards.…
Read MoreGrowth: Potential vs. Actual
Two years ago, we harvested two small shoots from a mature fig tree. We planted them in pots and kept them side by side in the sun. The following spring, they both budded and put out leaves, but neither grew much at all. This spring, we had room to plant one fig tree in the…
Read MoreDelivered From This Present Evil World
Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia that Christ “hath delivered us from this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4). He was not speaking to them of a future salvation, a home in heaven though that awaits every believer. Rather, the emphasis is on a deliverance that is both here and now. How are we to…
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On June 25, 1876, Officer George Armstrong Custer found himself surrounded by over 2,000 Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors. Needless to say, this put Custer in a terrible spot. He was not one to sit and wait, but the odds were greatly stacked against him. The only chance he had to win this battle…
Read MoreFollow Me
The scandals and secrets that are coming out about ministries and denominations are very scary. Witnessing sexual accusations and claims of abuse against pastors and ministry leaders is extremely disheartening and sickening. One can’t help but ponder and ask how did they get to this point? What drove one of my friends in ministry to…
Read MoreWhat It Means to Follow Christ
Following Christ is a joyful life, but it is not an easy life. It requires personal discipline to study his word, learn his ways, and walk in them. The Lord challenged his audience on one occasion, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow…
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