The topic of “missionary calling” can make Christians fidget in their seats or even break out in a cold sweat. Many of us want to quickly shrug off the idea by saying we were never called—when in fact it is often …
Some Christians who want to do what is right—who want to witness effectively—have wrong assumptions. Eventually, this can be devastating. And when you put fear and wrong facts together, you find Christians who really wind up in a pickle. They …
We typically think of discipleship relationships in the category of mentoring. A mentoring relationship is where someone who has more experience or knowledge seeks to transfer that information to someone younger or less mature. One person, the mentor, sets the …
For those of you who are church pastors, church staff, or lay leaders, and are responsible for the overall culture and strategy of discipleship, the thought of implementing simple discipleship strategies may seem daunting. Oftentimes, our discipleship programs have grown …
As followers of Christ, we certainly thrive when discipleship and evangelism work synergistically in our lives. God created us for both! Sometimes, however, we misunderstand the relationship between discipleship and evangelism and therefore perceive them as mutually exclusive. I think …
Advice (or Not): Advice about Advice At a women’s retreat, I open up for the first time about my illness. I talk about how I feel ashamed of it, how it redefines me. I speak about how I used to …
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” – Luke 2:15, NLT I read recently that close …
“If I am honest, I’ll admit that I don’t really know how to make disciples.” I remember when those words came out of my mouth. I had been in the pastorate for almost a decade, and despite sermons, programs, Bible …
What do spices, Solomon’s temple, and Seattle have to do with making disciples in every nation? Maps of the ancient Near East usually include caravan trading routes, and show how they intersected on the coastal plains of the eastern Mediterranean—the …
Why should I practice hospitality in spiritual friendship? To me, hospitality is a natural thing you do in friendship. You open your home to your friend whenever she needs to come to you—and she would do the same for you. …