Even though you haven’t implemented the entire Distinctive Discipleship process yet, hopefully, you are already beginning to see some growth. In this last session, you will put all the pieces together and initiate your plan. While you have experienced progress, now it is time to define your distinctive strategy which you will use for the months to come. CONSIDER While we all …
Paul described discipleship in a complex way when he wrote, “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within us” (Col. 1:29). God’s work and our efforts are both expected for our growth. In the last session, we studied the need for discipline as we toil for progress, but any successful improvement is due to …
What are the most popular books of the Bible? According to the Bible Gateway blog, here are the top 10 books read on their website. Psalms Matthew John Romans Proverbs Genesis Luke 1 Corinthians Isaiah Acts Granted, many of these books are referenced for verses but may not be read as entire works. Any surprises out there for you?
Paul described his work in discipleship as something for which he toiled (Col. 1:29). If that sounds like work to you, it is because spiritual disciplines require consistent, diligent effort on your part. In Session 6 of Distinctive Discipleship, you are going to select the most vital spiritual discipline to strengthen at this time in your life. You will determine which …
“But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam…” (Rev. 2:14). In the beginning chapters of the Book of Revelation, Jesus serves as a church consultant to seven churches throughout the Asian region. Among each congregation, he gives specific commendations and other condemnations. The church at Ephesus was victorious in resisting and …
Are you confident in the fundamentals of your faith? Maybe the better question is, do you believe what you believe? As a follower of Jesus, you have a set of doctrinal beliefs that come along with the territory. Biblical Christianity is blatant on topics in which the culture will struggle to accept. In Session 4 of Distinctive Discipleship, we are …
…that altar with the high place he pulled down and burned, reducing it to dust (2 Kings 23:15). To confront the recurring disobedience in our lives, we may need to resort to some drastic measures. We don’t send an alcoholic to a bar for rehab. We get them away from the source of temptation as much as possible. For you to …
There is a sin or a few sins that easily entangle you. While we all can struggle with every possible sin imaginable, there are certain sins with which we regularly drift. In Session 3 of Distinctive Discipleship, we are going to narrow down a list of sins to the 1-3 areas which are critical for you to address right now. CONSIDER …
“They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf…” (Ex. 32:8) God’s miraculous deliverance was short-lived in the minds of the Israelites. As Moses lingered in the presence of the LORD on Mt. Sinai, their impatience led them to idolatry [You can read to see what happens in Exodus …
SESSION 2 – DISCOVERING DELIGHT Session 2 of Distinctive Discipleship is all about discovering delight. If we can truly comprehend that the fullness of God dwelt in Christ (Col. 1:19), and now the fullness of Christ dwells in us (Col. 1:27), it should cause us to become overwhelmed with a joy that energizes our desire to take advantage of that …
With school in session, it is important to remember the God-glorifying pursuit of receiving knowledge. We are to love God with all of our mind as well (Mark 12:30). While we attempt to do that, here is an additional 10 Bible verses on learning. Prov. 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. …
After every test taken within the halls of academia, at least one student is praying that the teacher will graciously grade on a curve. Due to a lack of preparation or a believed impossible standard, the student just hopes that enough of his classmates did as poorly as he thought he did that the teacher will be forced to bump …
Does God change his mind? The typical response is in the negative, but what about all those times in the Bible when it appears that God changed his mind? Does the change of direction reveal that God is actually mutable? For if he has changed in the past, that implies he could possibly change in the future. If he has …
In every arena of our culture, we have grown more accustomed to viewing leaders speak to crowds from video screens. Preachers preach, teachers teach, trainers train, comedians entertain, doctors prescribe, and musicians inspire all from the convenience of a video screen. From the comfortable safety of our devices and the detached nature of their mediums, we have grown accustomed to …
At every stage of life, we each know the annoying nature of having to ask permission from a higher authority. As a child, we longed for the days when we could eat as many cookies whenever we wanted, ignite fireworks in the most confined of places, and entertain ourselves with whatever mediums that suited our fancy. Those pesky parents were …
Each of us could use more peace in our lives. The Bible teaches that the true source of peace is found in God. Here are some pivotal verses on this important topic. Isaiah 26:3 – You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 – Now may the Lord …
The contestant fearfully strolls up to the microphone. Attempting to stay calm and maintain a certain degree of composure only makes her breath quicken more. She couldn’t have practiced more for this moment, but she inwardly panics wondering if it was enough. With the bright lights blinding, she can hear the crowd offering generous applause, but she knows that if …
While we live in a divided political time, citizens of heaven, who happen to also be temporary citizens of the United States, should pray for this country. Just as we would pray for another nation far from the Lord, we should pray as well for the people and government of the United States. I have compiled some verses regarding government …
You can spot a fuddy-duddy a mile away. Their pants are too high, their shoes are too outdated, their music is too quiet, and their schedule is too lame. Everywhere they go, these old-fashioned fossils just exude a boring traditionalism. As card-toting sticks-in-the-mud, their square conformist mentality flees from anything remotely fun or exciting. Their frowns have been frozen …
My daughter Gloria has two types of voices. She uses a soft voice for the public. She employs a loud voice for the home. You know how comfortable she is around you based on how loud she gets. We were reminded of this dynamic on a recent trip to the beach. Before a meal, I asked who wanted to pray. …
A pollster in our culture is someone who organizes, conducts, and analyzes opinion polls. Due to their research, they can take a cross-section of society, ask some pertinent questions, and provide the rest of the culture with information regarding the leanings of the majority of people polled. In light of this information, many people will acknowledge the trends, adjust their …
For the summer of 2019, our sermon series will be Psalms [Vol. 1]. Here are some of the reasons we are doing a series on the psalms during the summer: The psalms teach us how to speak to God. The psalms cover every range of human emotions. This huge section of Scripture is often overlooked in preaching and teaching. Since …
Is prayer your first attempt or your last-ditched effort? Corrie Ten Boom was a Dutch Christian who not only survived the Holocaust but also rescued many Jews during this horrific time in history. Her famous quote is a wonderful question to ask today: “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” This question seeks to understand if is prayer …
Wiki God is finally available. It is a book I authored on the attributes of God. Despite the fact that I wrote it, I do think it is a book worth reading. In fact, I have 714 reasons why. As I completed the book, I decided to compile a Scripture index at the back of the book. In the case …
After the Israelites spent decades in exile, they finally were able to return home. Due to comfort and convenience, some Israelites never returned. A remnant came back to the land to reestablish the nation and await the Messiah. Life In Exile Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther conclude the historical section of the Old Testament, and they highlight Israel’s return to their …
This Sunday, it will be the first time in over a year when I will not start the sermon out this way: “I want to invite you to turn with me to the Gospel of Mark…” While I have loved what God taught our church family during that time, we are moving forward to exploring further truth in the Scriptures. …
After the division of the kingdom into Israel and Judah, the nation continued to spiral out of control. As sin increased, God sent prophets to warn the nations about impending punishment. Their disregard led to their exile. 16 – Exile The Purpose of the Prophets Prophecy does not simply mean foretelling the future. The primary job was to speak for God to …
When I became an adult, I watched my metabolism drastically slow down and significantly affect weight gain. As a teenager, I could eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted and never really had to worry about extra pounds. Now, I can tell in a day if I have missed the mark on my calorie intake. I can skip carbonated drinks …
Every wrong committed will be wholly punished. God doesn’t play with sin. There are no cute or playful sins in his book. “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it” (James 2:10). The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23), and the destination for sinners is hell. No one can …
I started this podcast up with the intention of helping people go over and beyond in their walk with Jesus. Within myself, I see the tendency to do the bare minimum. Among the people that I interact with, I see the same drift as well. Instead of doing all that we can, we want to do only that which is …
After the prominence experienced during David and Solomon’s reign, the kingdom was divided and gradually descended into a shadow of what the nation was intended to be. Led by many ungodly leaders, the nation drifted further from God’s instructions. Division Handout OVERVIEW The division phase of the Old Testament focuses on when Israel endured a civil war of sorts and divided …
As part of the sermon’s conclusion on Jesus and Barabbas, I wanted to summarize the powerful concept of substitution. Early on that Sunday morning, I started writing this as an element to conclude the sermon. I Am Barabbas I am Barabbas The true son of my father, Adam if you care to bother I was born into original sin Steeped …
After the people got what they desired in King Saul, God appointed another king to lead his people. As David took the throne, the kingdom of Israel was established. THE FALL OF KING SAUL After David defeats Goliath, Israel begins to praise David more than King Saul (1 Sam. 18:7). King Saul tries to kill David, but David will not seek …
Since the people got stuck in a cycle of sin during the time of the judges, it showed the need for a stable leader. Instead of relying on God or a godly leader, the people rejected the model of a king they needed. The Rejection of Yahweh Judges 21:25 sets the stage: “In those days there was no king in …
I am nearing completion on a book that has been simmering in my soul for years now. It is called Wiki God. The book is my attempt to remedy theological misunderstanding by teaching the biblical attributes of God. It has been a difficult yet rewarding endeavor. While I am in editing mode, I wanted to share the description of the book …
After Joshua settled the people into the Promised Land, the people failed to finish the task of removing idolatry from the area. The people got stuck in a cycle of sin which God would alleviate through the hands of judges. OVERVIEW OF JUDGES In between Joshua’s leadership and the establishment of King Saul, Israel was led by a line of judges. …
Let’s go a little deeper into the makeup of this wonderful portion of the Bible known as the Psalms. The following info is gathered from Holman Old Testament Commentary: Psalms 1-75. Here are 10 things you might not know about the Psalms: The Book of Psalms is the original hymnbook. Psalm comes from a Greek word meaning “the plucking of strings” indicating …
After wandering through the wilderness for 40 years, Joshua leads the Israelites into the Promised Land. As they move into the land, they are to remove any trace of idolatry from within Canaan or within their hearts. JOSHUA OUTLINE Entering the Land (1:1-5:15) Taking the Land (6:1-12:24) Dividing the Land (13:1-21:45) Occupying the Land (22:1-24:33) ENTERING THE LAND Joshua is charged …
While we see today closely, remember yesterday vaguely, and anticipate tomorrow anxiously, God sees every single day of history as clearly as another. While each of those days have enough to overwhelm us, the eternity of God provides a grounding like no other. “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before …
After the Israelites’ receive the commandments, they begin their trek to reach the Promised Land. Due to their disobedience, they suffer through the wilderness wanderings for forty years. THE REASON FOR THE WANDERINGS The Israelites wandered 40 years in the wilderness before ever reaching the Promised Land. Part of their delay was due to worshiping other gods or idols. One …
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