Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19a, ESV). My wife and I — along with Rick and Heather Ives, my two daughters, and three grandchildren — leave today for the Philippines. I’m looking forward to this trip. When someone asks me how many short-term mission trips I’ve taken, my answer is, “About 100.” I’ve […]
On a Plane to the Philippines Read More »
C. S. Lewis writes. . . There exists in every church something that sooner or later works against the very purpose for which it came into existence. So, we must strive very hard, by the grace of God, to keep the church focused on the mission that Christ originally gave to it. An insightful and
The Purpose of the Church and The Buckeyes! Read More »
These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7a, ESV). My wife, Barbara, has been discipling our granddaughter. A few weeks ago, she taught Lila that God wants her to pray and that He will answer specific requests. My wife created an
Discipling Children and Grandchildren Read More »
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him (1 John 5:14-15, NIV). I’m in the Philippines with my wife and team from the USA. For
Continue to Pray for Us! Read More »
Encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near (Hebrews 10:25b, NASB). Let me note that all discipleship, no matter if it is foundational or not, is better than no discipleship. But a friend recently said, “I can summarize the discipleship practices of most churches in two words.” Intrigued, I responded, “And
One-to-One Disciplemaking Read More »
All authority. . . has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18b-19a, ESV). For years, I’ve had a secret fantasy to open a bike shop. During my decades as a pastor, I thought about it whenever someone got angry with me or said my sermons were too long. The bike
Opening a Bike Shop Read More »
…Fully carry out the ministry God has given you (2 Timothy 4:5, NLT). As I left my former role as a senior pastor, I felt that God wanted me to develop the content that He had given me through the years. I’ve been discipling through First Steps Conversations for years but also noted that one-to-one
I’ve Written a Book Read More »
The Bible is very clear on the first priority of all believers in the last days. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of
Latter Day Disciplemaking Read More »
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world (James 1:27, ESV). My wife traveled to Romania in 1991. A group from our church had listened to a newscast on ABC’s 20/20 entitled “Shame of a Nation” describing thousands of
He said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19, ESV). The Greek word for disciple is mathetes. The word is found about 250 times in the New Testament and the book of Acts. The method of discipling found in the Gospels isn’t found in the Old Testament. With the word
Origins Of Disciplemaking Read More »