What did I learn about Jesus? Jesus’ own brothers didn’t believe in him early in his ministry. (5) Our souls will not thirst if we believe in Jesus. (37-39) What did I learn about disciple-making? We must help people learn the facts about Jesus so they can make well-informed decisions about following him. Sometimes people […]
John 6
What did I learn about Jesus? Jesus uses the phrase “I am…” in John’s gospel to teach important truths about himself. I will never be hungry or thirsty if I feed on “the bread of life.” What did I learn about disciple-making? Disciples will sometimes stop following Jesus because of his “hard sayings.” When we […]
John 5
What did I learn about Jesus? Jesus demonstrates that a person’s will and attitude has much to do with their personal healing. (1-8) How is my attitude contributing toward my mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health? What did I learn about disciple-making? Jesus seeks the Father’s will in everything he does. (19-20) We disciple others […]
The Last Lap
We are on day 73 of our 90 Day Challenge. For 73 days our church has been reading one gospel chapter a day together. It has been one of the most enduring and unifying spiritual practices in my 27+ years here. I continue to receive emails from folks whose lives have been touched and changed […]
John 4
What did I learn about Jesus? Jesus wasn’t afraid to break custom and “cultural taboos” to reach people with the gospel. We need to reach out to people with the gospel who are outside our normal circle of relationships. What did I learn about disciple-making? Jesus builds bridges with non-believers that lead to discussion about […]
John 3
What did I learn about Jesus? Jesus taught that a person must be reborn spiritually to enter the Kingdom of God. (vs. 3-8) We must each believe in Jesus to receive eternal life. (v. 16) What did I learn about disciple-making? John the Baptist taught that he must “decrease” and that Jesus must “increase”. We […]
John 2
What did I learn about Jesus? Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding celebration without great fanfare. We need to serve God humbly without expecting great recognition. What did I learn about disciple-making? Jesus showed others the importance of giving their best. We must give our best in service to the Lord. Extended thoughts […]
John 1
What did I learn about Jesus? Jesus existed in the very beginning with God. When he came into the world, the world did not recognize him. (10) We are children of God if we believe in Jesus and receive him. (12) What did I learn about disciple-making? Jesus made disciples by being with people. (14) […]
Luke 24
What did I learn about Jesus? Jesus rises from the dead! And can walk, speak, and eat in his resurrected body. All the Old Testament scriptures make sense when seen in the light of Jesus, God in the flesh (verse 27). What did I learn about disciple-making? It is Jesus who opens our minds to […]
What should we expect of our leaders?
You don’t have to read very far to discover examples of behavior on the part of pastors and church leaders that brings reproach to the Lord and embarrassment to the Church. In recent conversations with denominational leaders, I learned of several mega-churches across the country in which the pastor is accountable to no one within […]