There is a threshold we are daily called to—a renouncing of honor and power and prestige on the world’s terms, a renouncing of what spiritual writer Fr. Ronald Rolheiser calls the “pleasure principle” as the guiding factor of our lives,17 …
This article is an excerpt from the book, We’re Stronger than We Look: Insights and Encouragement for the Caregiver’s Journey. Jill and David Brown lived full and healthy lives until David took a violent fall off his bicycle and into …
Read more5 Sabbatical Rhythms of Life for Caregivers and Their Loved One
We’re all busy, and our pace of life doesn’t leave much room for anything other than the highest of priorities. As you choose to place Jesus’ call to make disciples as a high priority in your life, you may find …
Many years ago, I conducted a weekend preaching mission in a congregation known for its liveliness and charismatic expression. Using the words of the Father to Jesus at his baptism, “You are my beloved son in whom I delight,” I …
Read moreHow to Know that We Are God’s Beloved in a More Personal Way
New research from a Barna study on discipleship revealed four qualities common to disciplemakers, which I believe can help us not only understand the mindset of those who prioritize disciplemaking but also adopt this mindset ourselves. For all US Christians, …
When I was a student in The Navigators ministry at the University of California in Irvine, I noticed that my campus director almost always discipled in a public space—like the student center or the public living area of the dorms. …
What does political discipleship look like for those in the pews of our churches? It may be preachers’ work to begin the gospel proclamation in our communities, but it is our church communities who must continue that gospel proclamation by …
Read moreThe Church’s Call to Embody and Extend a Kingdom Politic
Many were upset by Batman v. Superman because their heroes seem to become corrupted. (After all, why would Batman be fighting Superman?) But this movie addresses more theologically rich questions about God, evil, and our culture than any other Batman …
Let’s say you’ve settled on someone you believe God would like you to disciple. Now what? When you’re beginning a disciplemaking relationship, have an open and honest conversation about your intentions for the relationship. If you don’t, you run the …
Jim Downing, the Pearl Harbor survivor who I had been meeting with every Tuesday for a few years, and I were talking about how he first came to faith in Jesus. “Virgil Hook is the one who helped bring me …
Read moreHow the Most Fulfilled Person I Ever Met Discovered His Spiritual Gifts