Deep Water Podcast

Busy is the word for the day.  I can keep up with anyone in the busy-race.  I can out-busy just about anyone.... not that I'm proud of it. The thing with disciple-making is it works even when you get overwhelmed for a bit.  Here is a short recording I made back in MARCH!!!! It only took my 6 months to move it from my phone to my computer to you.

The other day a friend of mine sent me this message: "Long time no text. Hope you and your family is doing well. My son is struggling with trying to talk and reach some high school friends that are Buddhist. Do you have any resources or tips to help him start a conversation with them." This podcast is an attempt to answer that question.

The other day a friend of mine sent me this message: "Long time no text. Hope you and your family is doing well. My son is struggling with trying to talk and reach some high school friends that are Buddhist. Do you have any resources or tips to help him start a conversation with them." This podcast is an attempt to answer that question.

Many prepare for the initial sacrifice, but few think about the costs the rest of their lives. Its been a while since we posted anything.  After I posted this episode I thought of a dozen different things I wish I had said or added, so maybe I'll make a part 2 down the road.

Who are the ne'er-do-wells in your life?  What are their stories?   This is the talk I mentioned: Tea with Hezbollah: Is it possible to love your enemy? Carl Medearis He has a book with a similar title if you are interested in reading the book called Tea with Hezbollah: Sitting at the Enemies' Table I told a little bit of the story from Peace Child. If you liked what you heard I encourage you to read the whole book.

Learning to run Run a marathon Not a sprint A marathon And, run it well "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." 1 Cor 15:19 (NIV)

What do you do when God asks you to play second fiddle? What do you do when His plan for you is not fame and glory, but anonymity and unrecognized work? Will you follow Him?

Ironically, a short episode on perseverance and encouragement.

Are you all in when it comes to the Kingdom?  What does it mean to be all in?  How do we help grow the people to disciple to be all in?  In this episode, we address some of those questions as well as some of our own struggles in those areas.   Audible book suggestion: (If you like audiobooks you should strongly consider signing up for an Audible subscription from Amazon. You get two books per month for often less than the price of one audiobook.)

Imagine what it would have been like to be a soldier guarding the tomb. It's silent. It's quiet. Until it isn't.   https://www.facebook.com/kentoneasterpageant/

Prayer is hard, and if we were honest with ourselves, most of us struggle to have the kind of prayer life we really think we should.  Today, we are going to be talking about a really great way to grow your prayers and your prayer life.  We'll be talking about praying God's words back to Him.  It is super powerful, and really good to spur us on toward better prayers.  Included in today's episode will be an example and opportunity for you to pray through a passage in Matt 13 together with us.

What can we learn about disciple making from a major tech investor and beekeepers?

Have you ever found yourself facing a decision and not knowing which way is right and which way is wrong?  Each choice has the potential for obedience and each choice has the potential for sin. I recently was faced with a similar problem. For me, the final thing that helped me make my decision was the question in the title of this post.  Which sin would I rather commit... or rather which sin would I want to avoid the most?

Have you ever flunked Matthew twenty-five 101? I'm not even talking about the advanced class. I'm talking about 101.  Dave and I have flunked it a few times.  I actually don't think you can really pass it until you have flunked it a few times. In this episode we discuss some of the challenges of living out this scripture is intentionally.  One of those challenges is escaping our middle class insulation from the poor. Last week, Kris talked about how he takes people from his church down to minister to the homeless in Oklahoma City in order to help them grow and disciple them.  Today's podcast ties in perfectly to what Kris shared.

How do you disciple your future son-in-law while he is in a drug rehab program before he has even met your daughter?  How do you welcome someone coming out of jail and drugs into your house?  Listen to Kris share about the way his church actively brings people into ministry to others, and then listen to his story of how he met and begin discipling a man who would one day become his son-in-law. You can hear Stephen's story on Episode 49.  You can hear Brook's story on Episode 48. This is Kris' story. His story is more than just how he discipled his future son-in-law. In this story you will hear about how following Jesus permeates his life. You'll hear about how his church helps pull people into hands on ministry, about ministry to the homeless in OKC, God using them in Liberia, and much more. This is Kris's story.

This is the story of God's redemption of Stephen Harney.  From meth addict with his life falling apart to solid follower of Jesus, listen in to how God used a jail guard and a Bible to begin Stephen's surrender to Jesus.  Then hear the story of how God used a man named Kris to help Stephen grow spiritually and then get back on his feet.  And, in only the way God can write a story God used Kris to introduce Stephen to the love of his life, Brook. (who was featured on our last episode.)

Can you imagine 85% of your church being in one on one discipleship?  That means it is way more than just the staff discipling.  Listen in and see what you can learn. To see her church's disciple making tools and resources go to www.themovement.church/discipleship. If you want to get in contact with Brook you can reach out through us, or use the contact form at https://themovement.church/contact.    

Towards better scripture memory.  In this podcast we will talk about a simple system for sustainable scripture memory. Then we will talk about a neuro-scientific method that helps you commit scripture to memory faster and better. For the system you will need some some kind of card.  I use the ones from the Navigators. You can buy them on Amazon or from www.navpress.com. Here is a sample of the neuro-scientific method explained in the podcast. This example would be for memorizing Romans 14:1-4. "Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.  One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.  The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.  Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand." To help memorize this I would write out the road map letters like this. "A t o w f i w, w q o d m. O p f a t t e a, b a, w f i w, e o v. T o w e e m n t w c t o w d n, a t o w d n e e m n j t o w d, f G h a t. W a y t j s e s? T t o m, s s o f. A t w s, f t L i a t m t s."

A continuing case study on how to disciple someone.

What can I compare making disciples to? Making disciples is like two rotten plumbers...

Last week was the State of the Union address, with all of the political wrangling and turmoil around it. That is pretty normal. However, I want to respond to a troubling trend I am seeing in our American churches right now.  The problem is we are seeking political solutions to spiritual problems. You can't legislate change in people's hearts.  Only Jesus can change a heart.

A continuing case study on how to disciple someone.

Tac has a story, a brutally crazy story.  God has a story, too.  It's a story of redemption. After you hear his story, I encourage you to check out http://www.bridgestolife.org/ and prayerfully consider if this is something you should be involved with in some form or fashion.

A continuing case study on how to disciple someone.

Dr. Tracy McElhattan joins us to discuss ideas and routines to help you disciple your children. Tracy is the Director of Early Childhood Ministries at a church in Kansas. Prior to working in vocational ministry, she taught early childhood special education or worked in educational research for 13 years. She also writes and edits Sunday School curriculum for children with special needs. She loves preschoolers and their families, especially first-time parents. She has an awesome husband and two super-fun little boys. You can follow Tracy on her blog at www.drtracymcelhattan.com. Resources mentioned: The Jesus Storybook Bible Deut 6:4-9 "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."  

This is a case study on how to disciple someone.  In order to give you a look into what we are doing, I will be sharing what I am doing on a regular basis with a man I'll call "Disciple A."  I hope you enjoy this format, and I hope it will give you insights into how to disciple the people around you. The case study was inspired by this article from the Discipleship.org blog.  I highly encourage you to read it, as well as the follow-up part 2 article. (Part 2 is a MUST read!) Resources mentioned: Episodes covering: 7 Questions to ask in a discipling relationship HEAR Journals - The description of the HEAR journal starts at about 24 minutes and 45 seconds. This is where we get the story clothes I use with the people I disciple. Historycloth.com This is where we get the story clothes I use with the people I disciple.  

“Some want to live within the sound Of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop, Within a yard of hell.” ― C.T. Studd Yeast is does no good sitting inside a yeast package.  It has to mix with the flour before it serves a purpose. Book mentioned: Concentric Circles of Concern: The Seven Stages for Making Disciples  

How did Jesus answer questions? Have you ever thought about that?  Have you ever wished you could have Jesus pinch hit for you when you were asked a hard question.  Today we are going to look at how Jesus answered questions, and we are using the background of a recent controversy a certain Christian singer found herself in after answering a tough question.  Let's see what we can learn about how to answer questions in our lives the way Jesus would. Here is the link where you can listen to a section of the original interview on YouTube.

Download the Discipleship Multiplier now. When I finally "got" disciple making it really changed my world.  It changed the way I followed Jesus, and it changed the way I viewed successful ministry. One day I was reading an example of how the math of disciple-making worked.  Unfortunately, their math was wrong, or at least it didn't make sense to me.  So, in order to flesh out the idea a little more, I built an excel spreadsheet that would model the effect focusing on disciple-making could have. Today, I'm making it available for you to use as well. Just click on this link and fill in your first name and email to get a free download link to the Discipleship Multiplier. Here is how the Discipleship Multiplier spreadsheet works. In the spreadsheet, you can currently change three different variables.  The first variable you can adjust is your age.  Now, you can't really adjust your age, but you can set up the spreadsheet to model your life as it is right now.  How ever old you are, that is what you are.  Many times I have wished I understood this earlier, but that isn't something I can go back and change.  What you and I can do, though, is to make sure our remaining years count, how ever many they may be. Second, you can change the variable of how long, on average, you think it will take you to disciple someone to maturity in Christ.  Maturity in Christ can be a bit nebulous, so for this my definition is they are mature in Christ when they can disciple someone else to the point of maturity basically without your help. In thinking about this number I'll give you a couple of thoughts.  One, Jesus used 3 years with His disciples, so don't underestimate how long it will take. Two, while you may not be Jesus, remember that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are very actively involved in turning this person into a mature disciple of Jesus, so also don't overestimate.  I would suggest that it would normally be between 3 and 8 years.  Obviously, your children will take longer than that, and if you already have someone who is mature and faithful it will be shorter just to teach them the disciple making portion.  Anyway, one of the beauties of Excel is you can play with the numbers and see how they change. The last varaible you can change is how many people you can disciple at one time.  Again, lets look to Jesus. Jesus had lots of people he preached to, healed, taught, etc.  However, He specifically limited His inner circle to 12 men, and some would argue there was another even closer circle of 3.  So I would suggest limiting yourself to no more than 12 at one time.  Also, I would suggest that we can pretty well always disciple at least 1.  So, keep your numbers in between those areas. As you adjust those numbers to fit what you believe to be your reality, take a look at what happens below.  You'll find 4 output columns for you to consider. The first, is how many years have passed since you started focusing on disciple making.  This is a function of how many years you think it will take to disciple someone to maturity. The second column is the total number of disciple makers.  This column increases exponentionally as the people we disciple now begin joining us in making disciples. I added a feature that will highlight certain numbers, or population points.  When you see a light red background, that number indicates the total number of disciples makers has now exceeded the population of the United States.  When you see a light yellow background, the total number of disciple makers has now exceeded the population of the highest populated country in the world, China.  When the background turns gray, the current population of the world has been exceeded. Think about that.  That is crazy.  How could something you do affect the entire population of the world? It's too big isn't it?  You are too small and weak, aren't you? This is why the 3rd column is how many people you personally disciple in the course of your lif...

How much power is in a God-led act of kindness?  We'll never know if we don't give it a shot.  There is a lot of power when we open our eyes, ears, and hands to participate in what God brings our way. Resources mentioned: Alex and Hannah Absalom on stopping to listen to God.  

We all know disciples of Jesus need to be able to study the Bible on their own, but how do we teach them? Do we spoon feed them for years with the hopes they will eventually be able to read and apply God's word to their lives, or do we do something more intentional?  We would argue the latter. Today on this episode, we are going to talk about teaching something called the Cross Bible Study to the people we disciple.  I hope you find it helpful.  I know I did when it was first taught to me by Jim Millard. Below you'll see a picture of a sample Cross Bible Study.  You don't have to do it exactly as I do, but it will at least give you an idea. I like to write out the passage reference and the date, followed by drawing the cross and numbering it to remind me to follow each step with Jesus. Next, I'll go to step 1 and pray.  Then I will make a conscious effort to read with Jesus. After I read the passage once, I will put a number 2) on my paper followed by a letter A).  I will prayerfully write out 3-5 questions (lettering them A-E) while asking Jesus to help me with the questions.  Then I will consider the questions with Jesus. After I have answered all the questions, I will write 3) JESUS - "James,     " I will pause and listen to Jesus.  Sometimes I hear easily and sometimes I do not. On my best days, I listen quietly. If I do not feel like I am hearing anything from Jesus, then I will go to phase 2 of listening. I will imagine Jesus is sitting across the table from me, and I will imagine what He would say to me out of the passage. To me, this is a way of building up my listening muscle or perhaps is another way of listening. Whatever I hear I will write as accurately as I can. Lastly, I will write a 4) and respond with how I will obey, or respond to God in some other way depending on what I heard. I hope you find this helpful.  Let me know. For story framework the website I mention on the podcast is Historycloth.com.    

“You can't take the teachings of Jesus and separate them from the methods of Jesus and get the results of Jesus.” – Jim Putman Let's take an aerial overview from Matthew and see what we can discover about the methods Jesus used. How did Jesus use His time?  Who was He with? What did He do? We are trying something a little new on this episode. Let us know how you like it.

Should you go to church? The answer isn't what you think.

"Aristotle said that some people were only fit to be slaves. I do not contradict him. But I reject slavery because I see no men fit to be masters." -C.S. Lewis Those parts of your life you do not surrender to your owner are the parts most vulnerable to attack from the enemy.

Do we know a lot about prayer, or do we pray a lot? Is prayer an afterthought, or does prayer define our spiritual walk? Prayer is a discipline I know I need to grow in.  What about you?   Referenced in the podcast: British evangelist - Gypsy Smith (1860-1947).  Here are two places you can learn more about his ministry. www.christianity.com and www.biblebelievers.com

Did you realize that if you have been following Jesus for more than two years you are no longer the same culture as your unbelieving neighbor? In fact, while we often think of cross-cultural disciple making as involving people from different countries, there are actually all kinds of different cultures everywhere... even in your hometown. What are some of the key practices necessary to be able to successfully make disciples cross-culturally? In this podcast, we have put together 4 essential practices necessary for successful cross cultural disciple making. Books mentioned: The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken The Insanity of Obedience by Nik Ripken

One of Jesus' most famous commands is to "love our enemies."  Do we dare obey such an unusual command?  Do we dare disobey it? Today in America it is election day.  So, in that vein, we'll talk some about our political enemies, and how we can obey Jesus' command to love our enemies. In the podcast I mentioned several things by Carl Medearis.  Below are some links you can use to watch some of his talks.  I highly recommend the following. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guzoSgd4GJY&t=1s http://carlmedearis.com/ You can also search his name on any podcast application and get to some great stories there as well.

Have you ever felt like you were the only one who cared about something, such as Disciple Making, in your church?  Here are 4 tips for those of you who find yourself frustrated.  Whether you are frustrated with your church, frustrated with the people you are discipling, or just frustrated with everything, these tips will help you evaluate what you need to do and help get you back on a productive track.

Is there a Biblical perspective on refugees?  What would Jesus say about them?  What should you and I do as followers of Jesus in regard to refugees? On the podcast, I didn't mention Matthew 25:31-46, but it is the next logical passage to consider after Matthew 2:13-18.  Other passages we should consider as we weigh our response and perspectives on refugees are: Meditate on Luke 6:27 if you think refugees are our enemies. Meditate of Luke 10:26-37 if you think they are not our enemies, but they are from different countries so that changes our duty as followers of Jesus. What other passages do you think are important?  Let us know in the comments below.  

Here are 7 questions I (James) like to ask when I am discipling someone.  On the show, I talk a little more about the components of a meeting with people you are discipling, as well as fleshing out the importance of each of these questions. How have you been lately? How are you? How is your family? Have you had any difficulties or something that stressed you out since we last met? Alternate question: In what ways has Satan been trying to attack you this week? (I don't use this one often because I want the focus to be on Jesus, not the enemy.  However, sometimes its a great question to ask.) How has God been working in your life? How is your relationship with God? What is God teaching you through His Word? How is your prayer life? Each of these questions are asked in the current context.  (... this week? or .... since we last met?) Also, if you need these in another language let us know and we'll see if we have someone who can translate them. What are other questions you like to use?  

What do you do when you, or the person you are discipling needs healing?  We all know that only God can bring real healing, but what can we do to water the seeds of healing that God has planted there? In this episode, we are talking about counseling.  Sometimes we give it, other times we need to receive it, and still other times a professional counselor can be very useful at helping bring emotional and spiritual healing. To some people, getting counseling is like admitting they are weak or that there is something wrong with them. (Which is actually true for all of us.)  It's like there is a stigma with going to a professional counselor.  The fact is, we all either have gone through or will go through difficult times, and so will the people we disciple.  We may or may not need a professional counselor, but let's weigh our options carefully and see what resources God provides.  One of those resources might be professional Christian counselors.  

In this episode, we wanted to share some other disciple making resources. As John Kelsey mentioned a few weeks ago it really does take a village to make a disciple. I (James) wanted to share with you some of the other resources I use. Also, I wanted to talk about something I heard on "Revitalize and Replant" about praying stupid prayers and how we can pray powerful prayers instead. There are lots of resources.  Here are some I like. www.discipleship.org - Sign up for the National Disciple Making Forum in Nashville, TN October 25-26th.  Also, tons of great resources, ebooks, a podcast, and more. www.thomrainer.com/revitalize-replant/ - This podcast is all about strengthening and replanting stagnant and dying churches. Its got some really good wisdom from personal experience. Its useful to anyone in a stagnant or dying church, but specifically the pastor or other leadership. It is also useful if you are in a healthy church and would like to help a dying church near you.

Today we're speaking with Kevin Braddock about being teachable and about finding people to disciple in his church. Kevin has been discipled and has been discipling people for 20 years. He also has one mentor who has been discipling him for 10 years. Kevin shares some very practical things he does in order to remain teachable.  He also shares some of the ways he goes about finding people to disciple in his church and the ways he uses his time in church intentionally. Listen up, and you can do the same.

Today we are continuing our talk with John Kelsey on the things necessary to develope multiple generations of intentional disciple makers.  You can see his entire post below. Today, we will be focusing on the last 3 points. And, by the way, you need to rely a lot more on the Holy Spirit than you do right now. JOHN’S POST I really thought that I had a robust understanding of intentional disciplemaking. You can't spend 26 years around Max and Sandra Barnett as a student and staff member without growing exponentially! I could not be more thankful for being a part of their legacy! At the same time, I am just beginning to realize the vast depth of developing generations of intentional disciplemakers. Two environments over the last few years are shaping my thinking: 1. Developing generations of disciplemakers in the local church, particularly one focused on serving the poor and disenfranchised. 2. Developing generations of disciplemakers in a diverse professional demographic that includes the technical trades, military, law, engineers, and graduate students. These two environments have led me to several conclusions: 1. Developing generations of disciplemakers to be fruitful over the long haul is much more difficult, and takes longer, than I understood it to be. There are no shortcuts to developing lifetime laborers for the Kingdom. You need to know what you're doing and not give up. You also need to rely a lot more on the Holy Spirit than you do right now. 2. Developing generations of disciplemakers to be fruitful over the long haul requires a greater degree of varied community input than I understood it to be. Tribalism and the inability to connect disciples to a larger movement are enemies to developing lifetime laborers for the Kingdom. You need to help people contextualize the Great Commission in a much broader community. You also need to rely a lot more on the Holy Spirit than you do right now. There's a lot more that I'm chewing on, but I don't have enough coffee to keep writing. ***UPDATED*** 4.23.18 Well, I've made another pot of Ethiopian Jimma. Time to keep going! 3. Developing generations of disciplemakers to be fruitful over the long haul requires a regular re-examination of ministry tools. We are in ministry information overload in this country right now. For those of us in full-time ministry, there is a combination of boredom with doing the same thing over and over and pressure to create something new to offer the Kingdom. The vast majority of lifetime laborers do not make their living from the Gospel. They need simple, consistent ministry tools that they have had time to master in multiple contexts. Those of us leading disciplemaking ministries must offer ongoing 'technical support' for these ministry tools instead of focusing on the latest book or illustration. You also need to rely a lot more on the Holy Spirit than your favorite ministry tools. 4. Developing generations of disciplemakers to be fruitful over the long haul requires a much greater commitment on my part than I understood it to be. The temptation is to focus on creating communities with powerful disciplemaking momentum. However, as much as we need these communities to reinforce biblical principles, we cannot effectively develop lifetime laborers for the Kingdom apart from one-on-one training. Those of us leading disciplemaking ministries must model the process and outcomes we want to see in the individual. You also need to rely a lot more on the Holy Spirit than your ability to do one-on-one. No kidding, I drank all of my coffee. I'll write more later. ***UPDATED*** 5.3.18 My next shipment from MistoBox has arrived. Thanks Jen for the Christmas present! This El Salvador Talmanica is fantastic! 5. Developing generations of disciplemakers to be fruitful over the long haul requires a much stronger commitment to prayer than I ever imagined. I always believed in prayer,

When I interviewed Todd earlier this summer, we found ourselves discussing what it was like to disciple his daughters. It didn't fit in the discussion we were having for that episode, so I saved it as a bonus episode for now. Other episodes with Todd: Episode 16 Todd Tillman - Disciple making with a full time job - Part 1 Episode 17 Todd Tillman - Disciple making with a full time job - Part 2    

A while back, I was on Facebook and saw a really well thought out post from John Kelsey on the struggles and challenges of developing multiple generations of intentional disciple makers. It was so good, I invited John on the podcast to flesh out his points a little more.  You can see his entire post below.  JOHN’S POST I really thought that I had a robust understanding of intentional disciplemaking. You can't spend 26 years around Max and Sandra Barnett as a student and staff member without growing exponentially! I could not be more thankful for being a part of their legacy! At the same time, I am just beginning to realize the vast depth of developing generations of intentional disciplemakers. Two environments over the last few years are shaping my thinking: 1. Developing generations of disciplemakers in the local church, particularly one focused on serving the poor and disenfranchised. 2. Developing generations of disciplemakers in a diverse professional demographic that includes the technical trades, military, law, engineers, and graduate students. These two environments have led me to several conclusions: 1. Developing generations of disciplemakers to be fruitful over the long haul is much more difficult, and takes longer, than I understood it to be. There are no shortcuts to developing lifetime laborers for the Kingdom. You need to know what you're doing and not give up. You also need to rely a lot more on the Holy Spirit than you do right now. 2. Developing generations of disciplemakers to be fruitful over the long haul requires a greater degree of varied community input than I understood it to be. Tribalism and the inability to connect disciples to a larger movement are enemies to developing lifetime laborers for the Kingdom. You need to help people contextualize the Great Commission in a much broader community. You also need to rely a lot more on the Holy Spirit than you do right now. There's a lot more that I'm chewing on, but I don't have enough coffee to keep writing. ***UPDATED*** 4.23.18 Well, I've made another pot of Ethiopian Jimma. Time to keep going! 3. Developing generations of disciplemakers to be fruitful over the long haul requires a regular re-examination of ministry tools. We are in ministry information overload in this country right now. For those of us in full-time ministry, there is a combination of boredom with doing the same thing over and over and pressure to create something new to offer the Kingdom. The vast majority of lifetime laborers do not make their living from the Gospel. They need simple, consistent ministry tools that they have had time to master in multiple contexts. Those of us leading disciplemaking ministries must offer ongoing 'technical support' for these ministry tools instead of focusing on the latest book or illustration. You also need to rely a lot more on the Holy Spirit than your favorite ministry tools. 4. Developing generations of disciplemakers to be fruitful over the long haul requires a much greater commitment on my part than I understood it to be. The temptation is to focus on creating communities with powerful disciplemaking momentum. However, as much as we need these communities to reinforce biblical principles, we cannot effectively develop lifetime laborers for the Kingdom apart from one-on-one training. Those of us leading disciplemaking ministries must model the process and outcomes we want to see in the individual. You also need to rely a lot more on the Holy Spirit than your ability to do one-on-one. No kidding, I drank all of my coffee. I'll write more later. ***UPDATED*** 5.3.18 My next shipment from MistoBox has arrived. Thanks Jen for the Christmas present! This El Salvador Talmanica is fantastic! 5. Developing generations of disciplemakers to be fruitful over the long haul requires a much stronger commitment to prayer than I ever imagined. I always believed in prayer,

Go and be reconciled with your brother.  It's not an easy command to obey, but it is an important one. In obedience, we find peace and joy.  In this episode Dave shares about a recent experience where he needed to reconcile with his neighbors.

Jesus commanded us in the Great Commission to teach them to obey everything he had commanded. Today we are starting a new series about the different commands of Jesus and how we can apply them to our lives. How do we be better disciples? How do we help our people be better disciples through obedience? This won't be an ongoing series that happens every week, but it will be something that we come back to from time to time as we examine different commands of Jesus and wrestle with how to obey them in our lives.

The Bible is the foundational Word of God, but are we actually teaching it to people or are we just teaching them about it? Are we leading them in a process of learning to hear from God as they read His Word, or are we just teaching them knowledge about the Bible?  If we are, where is our proof?  If we cannot point to where we can see evidence of them applying the word of God in their lives and being changed, then maybe we need to reevaluate how we are teaching the Bible.  

Something to chew on today.  Go and be a disciple this week.  Go and make a disciple this week.