Discern Daily

Discern Daily Ep. 37 - Keeping Christ in Mind In order to follow Jesus' example, and live sacrificially, we must keep Christ at the forefront of our mind. If we don't keep Christ in mind, it's easy to forget about the mission and focus on selfish goals. On this episode we looked at a great, thought-provoking tweet by Dustin Benge (@DustinBenge). [embed]https://youtu.be/xfzegZm1rZk[/embed] Dustin Benge's Tweet Self-promotion creates platforms. Self-denial creates ministries. — Dustin Benge (@DustinBenge) August 11, 2020  View Dustin's original post on Twitter here.

Discern Daily Ep. 36 - Revival Starts With Us As tempting as it is to complain about how much our country needs a revival, we must ask ourselves whether or not we need revived by God. Revival starts with the Church. On this episode, we are highlighting a fantastic article by Obbie Todd, titled, "Waiting for a Revival." Let's go! [embed]https://youtu.be/ZIbwIrl2nuQ[/embed] Quotes From Obbie Todd "The people of God in America continue to hope for, and pray for, a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. While the expectation for revival hasn’t changed, the way in which Americans expect God to bring revival has gradually altered through the years. For centuries, revival was something that began with the people of God, not the country itself." "Today, however, when Christians anticipate revival, many of them seem to expect God to reform American culture before he reforms the church." "It is simply not enough to 'pray for a revival' if we believe that somehow God should reveal to our enemies their sin before He reveals to us the gravity of our own. Indeed, the church has nothing to offer the world unless it is changed by the gospel it proclaims. Reform begins in the church, not the culture." Read Obbie Todd's full article here.

Discern Daily Ep. 35 - How Close Should We Be to Society? On this episode, we are highlighting a great response from a listener named Austin. He felt led to record some thoughts of his own regarding episode #34 and sent it our way. It was too good not to share! [embed]https://youtu.be/T7pFhiTE7nk[/embed] Episode Highlights Many are overwhelmed by the amount of news and information that is thrown around every day. Jesus frequently separated himself from others to spend time alone. (Luke 5:16, Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35) Social media is designed to grab your attention and keep your attention. "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (2 Corinthians 13:5) Shoutout to Austin for keeping the conversation alive by sharing some great, beneficial thoughts!

Discern Daily Ep. 34 - Being a Christian on Social Media On this episode, we discussed how Riley has been engaging others on his personal social media accounts. Recent events have ignited many interesting conversations online, but how should we respond to them as Christians? Join the discussion! [embed]https://youtu.be/iu06moi9Nok[/embed] Episode Highlights Many are quick to label others as racists, but we should avoid slandering one another. Each of us should join together to combat racism or any sin out there. Only, we need to do so righteously without partiality. “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit" (Exodus 23:1-3). Here is one of the main examples of Riley's posts which brought him a lot of heat for pointing out what he did (it will only show a few comments publicly, but the post itself had over 140 comments on it): https://www.facebook.com/ravoth5/posts/10158431857059241 Here is an example of one of his tweets that wasn't the mainstream take: https://twitter.com/rileyadamvoth/status/1267923778018869250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1267923778018869250%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2Frileyadamvoth2Fstatus2F1267923778018869250widget%3DTweet As a whole, social media is currently a hot mess. Do we back away from it and leave it alone, or do we speak up and engage more online? The Kingdom isn't a matter of being on the Right or the Left — it's about whether or not you're spiritually dead or alive. How exactly should we partner online as brothers in Christ in order to make a positive impact?

Discern Daily Ep. 33 - The Most Underrated Way to Get More Time in the Bible If we are going to live intentionally and obediently, we should read the Bible as much as we can. However, it's difficult when our schedules are busy. Sometimes we need to get creative. On this episode, we discuss a way to get more time in the Bible without having to change your schedule. [embed]https://youtu.be/-iF0MiD6ZdE[/embed] [embed]https://twitter.com/DiscernDaily/status/1282356558052184065[/embed]

Discern Daily Ep. 32 - Train Yourself and Those in Your Care Are we training and preparing ourselves to engage with the world? What about those in our care? Are we helping them prepare too? On this episode, we are highlighting an article written by Jared Sparks, titled, "In Defense of Sheltering Your Kids." Join in! [embed]https://youtu.be/DT7ffIz9Zaw[/embed] Quotes From Jared Sparks "I want to protect my children from the world until they are trained and ready to take the world for the Glory of Jesus! They are not yet ready to walk into a worldview that hates God (The World). I won’t pretend like they are. Neither should you. Children are not to be sent to the front lines of battle! That’s for the men! The kids are to be protected, or I guess I should say, sheltered." Read Jared Sparks' full article here. Episode Highlights Not only must we prepare our children for the world, but we must prepare ourselves as well. Are we training ourselves for godliness? What comes to mind when you think about training in the Christian faith? "Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come" (1 Timothy 4:7-8). "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Just like physical training... You may need a personal trainer It takes repetition It's not always fun

Discern Daily Ep. 31 - Suffering Deepens Our Relationship With Christ Some good can come from our suffering. This is the topic we discussed today while highlighting an article by Sean McDowell, titled, "10 Biblical Reasons God Allows Suffering." Join the discussion! [embed]https://youtu.be/PiOpl-mSG3s[/embed] Quotes From Sean McDowell "Believers suffer so they can know Christ more fully (Philippians 3:10)." View Sean McDowell's full article on his blog here. Episode Highlights Reminder: Discern Daily doesn't exist to tell viewers what to think or believe. Instead, every episode exists to encourage listeners to think well for themselves and practice discernment each day. "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith — that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:8-11). Are we too caught up in working for more ways to become more comfortable on earth? Are we seeking to know Christ more? What are we working towards? If we got the opportunity to suffer for Christ today, how would we respond? What must we do to get in the right mindset here to be willing to joyfully suffer for Christ? Share Your Thoughts Take a look at Sean McDowell's article. We only touched on one of his ten points! Feel free to share any thoughts with us and help share this episode on social if you found it useful.

Discern Daily Ep. 30 - Christians Can't Not Forgive Others Forgiveness should be a mark on the life and mind of every Christian. No Christian forgives perfectly, but we should strive to be known as forgiving people. On this episode, we are highlighting Brandon Hanson's article for 1517, titled, "Out of Ammo." Let's seek the truth together. [embed]https://youtu.be/cHpyskqYtcE[/embed] Quotes From Brandon Hanson “We expect the world to shoot its wounded. But not even the world expects Christians to shoot their wounded." "Scripture teaches us to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, and that Jesus isn't for winners, but losers. The Church, as the embassy of heaven on earth, teaches unearned, unmerited favor and forgiveness.” “How often God freely forgives men who return the favor by only forgiving others based on a catch-22 of as many or more conditions. And still, God forgives us, again, and again, and again. For all our talk, maybe our trouble to forgive isn't that we haven't been taught and lectured and preached and talked at enough about forgiveness; perhaps it's that we don't actually believe God in Christ has reconciled the world to Himself." "Maybe it's not that we don't intellectually understand the concept of forgiveness, but that we disbelieve that kind of forgiveness has really been extended to us. We don't take that check to the bank. We're afraid it will bounce. So we stuff it in our Bibles along with another 20 checks there from earlier Sundays this year where we heard the forgiveness of our sins proclaimed. No wonder when we have to forgive others, we can't do it. We have nothing in our spiritual banks to forgive others with." "We can only forgive others as God in Christ has forgiven us. Maybe the command isn't as much of an imperative as it is a call to recognize an obvious fact. When you forgive, you are only forgiving because God has forgiven you in Christ. As you are in Christ, so too are you able to forgive. If God hasn't forgiven you, and if you aren't in Christ, then any attempts at forgiveness are going to be pointless. You will fail to forgive because you've failed to grasp the fact that you've already been forgiven by God of more sins you've committed against God, than all the sins the world could ever commit against you." “A bank account full of forgiveness means your ammunition to shoot others has run out." View Brandon Hanson's full article for 1517 here. Episode Highlights The world is about winning or losing — defeating or being defeated. Therefore, it's about survival of the fittest. However, the Church is supposed to be sacrificial and withhold forgiveness from no one. What do people know you by? Are you known for holding grudges and gossiping? Are you known for being gracious and humble? It's beneficial to examine ourselves. "We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:19-20). If we are going to make a difference in the world, we need to be known as forgiving. We aren't going to make many disciples without it. Withholding forgiveness has consequences. "If you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:15). Share Your Thoughts Did anything s

Discern Daily Ep. 29 - How God Is Moving in Japan God is always at work, even when we can't see it. Sometimes we can't see it because God is moving on the other side of the world. Hearing about Gospel works occurring overseas is exciting and may teach us something new. On this episode, Jonathan Hayashi shares about his recent trip to Japan and how God is moving overseas. [embed]https://youtu.be/nEb2ZMZn5Ms[/embed] Episode Highlights Jonathan made the trip in order to meet with other believers in Japan and partner with others to lead a discipleship conference. The conversation we had on the episode consists of two main parts — what kind of fruit and needs Jonathan saw in Japan. One noticeable fruit that was seen overseas is the amount of younger believers involved in ministry. The Senior Pastor had a great relationship with younger members and gave them opportunities to carry the ministry load. One noticeable need is a lack of resources. There isn't an abundance of articles, podcasts, conferences, books, and other valuable resources at their disposal. Pray for our brothers and sisters overseas and think about ways to get involved in ministry. Share Your Thoughts Did anything stand out to you in the episode? Leave a comment below and help share this episode on social media if you found it useful. Follow Jonathan Hayashi on social media and be sure to visit his personal site here!

Discern Daily Ep. 28 - Discovering and Guarding Our Purpose A plethora of content exists today regarding purpose. Discovering one's purpose in life can take time and requires a sacrificial amount of searching. As Christ followers, we know our purpose is to glorify God, but how focused are we really on glorifying God at all times? On this episode, we are taking a look at an article by John MacArthur, titled, "How Do I Glorify God in the Gray Areas?," found on Grace to You. Let's seek the truth together.  [embed]https://youtu.be/-WaXL8hu4a8[/embed] Quotes From John MacArthur “You might know believers who abuse their freedoms. Their lives are routinely bombarded by temptation—often it’s temptation they’ve unnecessarily heaped upon themselves through their own choices. And the closer they get to the line between sin and liberty, the harder it is to stay on the right side of it. Over time, that kind of lifestyle is an invitation to moral shipwreck." “On the opposite end of the spectrum from unbridled Christian liberty is legalism. In that camp are believers who want to make hard-and-fast rules about matters on which Scripture is silent." “The biblical pattern for dealing with life’s gray areas isn’t found in either of those extremes. While it is true that the Bible doesn’t specifically mention every possible decision you might face, it provides general principles and parameters that help you make decisions that honor God." View the full post on Grace to You here. Episode Highlights Our main purpose in life is to glorify God. It's not a purpose that we decide for ourselves — our purpose was given to us by our Creator. There's a bigger picture to the smaller decisions we make each day. Romans 14:13-23 is a great passage that relates to this. Here, Paul teaches about not causing one another to stumble and uses food as an example. If a brother stumbles by what we eat, we should not eat it. This is not just about food — it's about our heart, mind, motivation, and purpose. We read through 1 Corinthians 10:23-33, where we learn that we're called to do all things to the glory of God. Some may not understand their purpose in life yet, but others just don't like the purpose they've been given. Sometimes a purpose other than the one God has given us seems more enjoyable, comfortable, and entertaining. Hearing from God every single day is vital to discovering and guarding our purpose. The Word of God always leads us to righteousness, peace, and life. We must stay rooted in the Word. Share Your Thoughts Is the Spirit of God speaking to you regarding your purpose in life? What stood out to you in John MacArthur's article for Grace to You? What are some of the challenges you face on this subject?

Discern Daily Ep. 27 - God's Sovereignty Is Our Security Is anything burdening you? What tends to stress you out or cause you to worry? When it comes to spiritual matters involving our relationship with God, it's common to lose our sense of security in Christ at times. But God is our true confidence and security! On this episode, we are highlighting a blog post by Pastor Gabe Hughes, titled, "Predestined By God." Engage the content with us and let's seek the truth together. [embed]https://youtu.be/rsO-SEhPl2I[/embed] Quotes From Gabe Hughes "When you first became a Christian, you had a very elementary understanding of your sin against God and the work that He had done to redeem you—that Jesus Christ had died on the cross and risen from the grave, and that by faith in Him, you have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God. As far as you were concerned, you decided to follow Jesus. But as you grew to understand God's word, your perspective has likely changed." “From the word of God, you come to find that you had nothing to do with your salvation at all. You were a wretched sinner enslaved to sin, incapable of doing anything pleasing to God. You came to faith not because you did anything good but because God is good. You believe not according to the purpose of your will but according to the purpose of Him who wills it.” [Five reasons why this topic is important for us to pursue together] “First, so your prayers would not be hindered. Second, so you would be relieved of your burdens. Third, so you will be more considerate of others. Fourth, so you would understand your sin rightly. Fifth, so you may worship God appropriately.” “If you believe that your salvation is dependent upon a choice you've had to make or it's dependent upon your continued choices to maintain it, then you are being weighed down by an unnecessary burden. I hope you see from the Scriptures that salvation—including faith and belief, even repentance itself—is not the work of man. Salvation is from beginning to end the gracious work of God.” Read Gabe's full blog post here. Episode Highlights Everyone should follow Gabe on social media. He's a great guy and faithful leader. Does anything tend to take away your sense of security or cause you to worry? When it comes to spiritual matters, have you ever doubted God or wondered about not getting into heaven? The best news ever is that our salvation is completely in God's hands, not ours. The big picture of “God's sovereignty" is that God is totally in control. For real. We read through Galatians 3:2-14 together to provide additional encouragement for listeners. Our security in God’s sovereignty is still through faith. God’s promise to Abraham reaches Gentile believers who “receive the promised Spirit through faith” (v. 14). When you heard the good news of Jesus Christ and believed in him, you received the Holy Spirit. We don't earn the Spirit by obeying a law, but receive the Spirit through faith as a gift from God. It's by grace you have been saved through faith, and it's by grace you will stay saved through faith. Share Your Thoughts What stood out to you on this episode? What did you think of Gabe's blog post? We’d love to hear what God is speaking to you. If you found this content useful, share about it on social media!

Discern Daily Ep. 26 - Loving Your Neighbor Through Politics Another season of political discussions is here with the help of the 2020 Democratic primaries. Many Christians stay far away from politics in America; however, politics may be a useful means to bring God's Kingdom to earth. David Closson composed an excellent article for ERLC, titled, "4 Reasons Christians Should Care About Politics," and it's worth unpacking together. [embed]https://youtu.be/zYdrh3hDwfQ[/embed] Quotes From David Closson "The gospel is a holistic message with implications for all areas of life, including how Christians engage the political process." "Here are four reasons Christians should care about politics... The Christian worldview speaks to all areas of life. Politics are unavoidable. We need to love our neighbor. Government restrains evil and promotes good." [Under #3's section] "In a very real sense, politics is one of the most important areas in which Christians demonstrate love to neighbor. In fact, how can Christians claim to care about others and not engage the arena that most profoundly shapes basic rights and freedoms? Caring for the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick and lonely is important to Jesus and should be to His followers as well. Jesus said, 'As you did it to one of the least of these you did it to me' (Matthew 25:40)." "Good government can serve as a conduit for the furthering of the gospel and human flourishing." "Christian withdrawal opens a moral vacuum susceptible to influences that pressure government to move outside the purview designated by God." View David Closson's full article for ERLC here. Episode Highlights The following episode was sparked from lengthy conversations on Twitter about whether or not Christians should participate in voting for presidential candidates. Some refuse to vote because the candidates are not exemplary Christian examples. What's wrong with voting for the best candidate with the most biblical policies and beliefs? If Christians stay completely out of politics, the government loses its biblical influence and godly direction. We must not sit on the sidelines. We must get involved somehow. Christians should both pray and vote. We must vote in order to demonstrate our beliefs, and we must pray in order to receive help and guidance from God. Here's the big question: How are you involved in bringing God’s Kingdom to earth? For some, it’s by getting involved in politics.  Share Your Thoughts Did you find David's article for ERLC helpful? Do you believe Christians should get involved in political matters, such as voting for the next president? Leave a comment below and share this episode on social media.

Discern Daily Are Christians Allowed to Be Financially Rich? The Bible says a lot about money, but it's difficult for people to give their finances over to God. Christians today should have a proper understanding of how to handle money and worship God with it. Bible Gateway published a helpful post, titled, "What Does the Bible Say about Wealth and Prosperity?," adapted from a book by Costi W. Hinn. Let's walk through the post together and seek the truth. [embed]https://youtu.be/sdjSR9Kd7EU[/embed] Quotes From Costi W. Hinn “Is God opposed to a Christian making a high salary? What’s wrong with an employer rewarding an employee for doing his job? Should Christians take a vow of poverty and purposely try to suffer? Is poverty God’s will for us?" “Bragging about not buying shoes (when you can) or using a verse about rich people not getting into heaven to excuse yourself from being a steward is no better than a prosperity preacher living on the other side of the spectrum." “Probably the most important stewardship principle to remember is this: God owns everything. God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Ps. 50:10); he owns everything under heaven, for that matter (Job 41:11). The psalmist declares, 'The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it' (Ps. 24:1). There is no arguing with the Bible on who owns everything. God does." "Even though wealth is not guaranteed on earth, God does give the opportunity to gain wealth. You may say, 'Nobody gave me wealth—I earned it!' The children of Israel thought the same thing, but Moses reminded them that it was God who was blessing them based solely on his sovereign will. Deuteronomy 8:17–18 says, 'You may say in your heart, "My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth." But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.' If God has blessed you with wealth, you ought to humbly thank him and realize that you have a great responsibility. Speaking to the rich, John writes, 'But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth' (1 John 3:17–18)." “Sure, it’s biblical and prudent to leave an inheritance for your children (Prov. 13:22), and it’s good to work hard and save for the future (Prov. 6:6). But you know what the greatest purpose of wealth is? To advance the gospel and do God’s will!” Read the full post on the Bible Gateway Blog here. Episode Highlights There's a spectrum to acknowledge — some Christians believe in a prosperity gospel, and some believe in a poverty gospel. They both fall off track. What the Bible says about money is not for richer Christians only. Every Christian must faithfully steward the finances that God provides for them. God is Lord over all creation. He owns what we have. What we have came from him. If our wealth grew from our hard work, God still deserves the glory because he gave us the ability to work. Money is a resource we should use to promote change and increase gospel works. Far too often, we just use money to comfort ourselves. Having money isn’t sinful; loving money is. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered

Discern Daily Ep. 24 - The Core of the Saving Gospel Our discussion today centered around a tweet sent by Mark Dever. The Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church wrote, "I recently heard someone say 'The core of the Gospel is God's commitment to protect the vulnerable.' What do you think?" What is at the core of the gospel message? What exactly is meant by the term vulnerable? Watch the episode and let's seek the truth together. [embed]https://youtu.be/Fw1b0rAJfRk[/embed] Tweets Mentioned in the Video [embed]https://twitter.com/MarkDever/status/1139009311173201920[/embed] [embed]https://twitter.com/ExFideHarde/status/1139162743737638913[/embed] [embed]https://twitter.com/SlowToWrite/status/1139161199441055744[/embed] [embed]https://twitter.com/dennisdjackson/status/1139254923915403264[/embed] [embed]https://twitter.com/ToddPruitt6/status/1139158747555782656[/embed] Tweets not showing? Want to view them on Twitter? Click here.  Episode Highlights We've got new music for the show! Did you like it? What the original tweet communicated to me was an underlying question as to whether or not we are victims or sinners — did something happen to us or did we cause something to happen? The core of the gospel is not that we are victims; it's that we are sinners, and Christ died to reconcile elect sinners to himself. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:6-11) Why does it matter to clarify that we are sinners? It reveals God's love in a greater light. Which person is harder to love: someone who has been wronged or the wrongdoer? We have done wrong and God made a way to not only forgive us, but also make us righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. Share Your Thoughts What stood out to you in Mark Dever's original tweet? What important truths do you see at the core of the gospel message? Which Bible verses come to your mind on this subject? Leave a comment below and share this episode on social media.

Discern Daily Ep. 23 - Helpful Thoughts on Prayer On this episode, we walked through three sections of a great post found on Focus on the Family, titled, "Seeking God in Prayer." If you're new to praying, this episode will give you a great starting point. If you know someone who is new to praying, this can be a beneficial resource to share with them. If you're already a prayer warrior, you'll find great reminders here. [embed]https://youtu.be/B14D2y3V_zY[/embed] Quotes Via Focus On The Family [On "P.R.A.Y." as an acronym to guide us in our prayers] "Praise: We're to enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise (see Psalm 100:4). Sit quietly and thank God for who He is and what He has done." "Repent: A sober reminder comes from Psalm 66:18: 'If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.' A spiritual cleansing is needed in order to come nearer to the throne of God." "Access: We're not telling God anything new — 'All my longings lie open before you, O Lord: my sighing is not hidden from you' (Psalm 38:9). Even so, He gives us access to talk to Him about our needs and frustrations." "Yield: The fact that we have brought our prayer list before God indicates our trust that He will, in His time and in His way, show us the way we should go (see Psalm 143:8)." [On various postures to take during prayer] "Kneeling shows God that you are entering into His presence or asking Him for something." "Standing shows God that you are ready for 'marching orders.'" "Walking shows God that you are 'on the move' for Him, ready for His battle plans." "Bowing shows God that you honor Him and feel humble because of who He is." "Prostrate, lying flat on your face or back, shows God that you are in awe of Him and are desperate and hungry for Him to come and be with you." "Uplifted hands show God that you are reaching toward Him — in praise or asking for something with arms open to receive it." [On designating specific places for intentional prayer] "There may be an actual closet that you can make your own, a space that's now packed with boxes of old photos, blankets and craft supplies. Soon all the boxes and cartons will find new homes. Before long you will begin to feel God's pleasure at having made Him a sole priority in this area of my home." View the full post on Focus on the Family here. Episode Highlights We must not see prayer as just a spiritual discipline — it's so good for us. Even though we understand that God is all-knowing, and his will will be done, we still need to ask God for things. The Bible does not teach that we must enter a physical posture in order for God to hear our prayers. However, we must worship in spirit and truth. It's beneficial to engage our entire being in prayer. Prayer can take place anywhere, anytime, but it's holy and fruitful to designate specific places to pray routinely and intentionally. Share Your Thoughts Did you find the post, "Seeking God in Prayer," from Focus on the Family beneficial? What are some challenges you face in praying consistently? What advice would you give to others on prayer? Leave a comment below and share this episode on social media.

Discern Daily Ep. 22 - What Happened to Convincing One Another? In order to move forward together, we need to create a healthier environment for dialogue. We shouldn't retreat to those who agree with us and shame those who disagree. We should seek to convince and persuade everyone. Blake Long composed a new article on his blog — Theology & Life — titled, "The New Intolerance," where he explains how the Left is redefining intolerance and how Christians ought to respond. [embed]https://youtu.be/zHhPojR99fA[/embed] Quotes From Blake Long "The big ideological elephant in the room is that the word intolerance has been, as a whole, redefined by the Left. They have taken that word and redefined it as acceptance or approval. If you don’t approve—no, even celebrate!—their views, then you are an intolerant bigot." Read Blake's full article here. Episode Highlights What happened to convincing one another to believe what we believe? When did it become a bad thing to think for ourselves and want to persuade others in the truth? Miley Cyrus recently provided a great example how to fail at convincing others when she licked a cake that included the words, "Abortion is Healthcare." [embed]https://twitter.com/scrowder/status/1136017501769256960[/embed] How hard should we try selling truth to others? How far should we go in trying to convince others what to believe? Shaming others into accepting new beliefs is not the way God leads us to communicate. Acts 17:1-9 is one relevant passage that reveals the Apostle Paul reasoning with non-believers. We must learn how to ask better questions, and we need to give others better feedback about what's not very convincing to us. Share Your Thoughts What are your thoughts on the matter? Have you seen the Left try to redefine intolerance, as Blake proposes in his article? How hard should we strive to reason with others from the Scriptures? Share this episode and leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Discern Daily Ep. 21 - Humbly Examine Your Calling A discussion about God's "calling" can provide beneficial guidance for us as we seek to follow Christ. Many look to pillars of the faith, such as the Apostle Paul, and wonder when their own special calling from God is going to come. Is Paul's calling experience the standard? Greg Handley composed an article for IMB, titled, "Let’s Rethink Our Language of ‘Calling'," where he provides wise counsel about God's calling.  [embed]https://youtu.be/JkvFMuRE3gg[/embed] Quotes From Greg Handley “Paul refers to a unique sense of call as an apostle of the Lord Jesus (Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1). The error in application I’m referring to happens when we make his experience the necessary requirement for anyone serving as a pastor or missionary. Paul’s language points in the other direction. He refrains from applying his 'calling' vocabulary to other co-laborers in the New Testament (Col.1:1; 1 Cor.1:1; 2 Cor.1:1)." "Here are four ways to think about calling that can help us pave a more helpful way forward... Commanded before Called ...Obedience to him doesn’t wait for some additional revelation of his will. It gets to work. All Christians have been drafted. We either go or we send... Objective before Subjective ...In Romans 1:15–17, Paul outlined what generated his eagerness to preach the gospel in Rome. What compelled him wasn’t the memory of his Damascus Road experience. His eagerness stemmed from the power of the gospel to save sinners... Desire before Destiny ...Desire opens up a discussion and calling pulls the divine trump card, functionally closing the conversation. For the quality of our labor, we need to open ourselves to others’ feedback before we’re sent out... Corporately Affirmed before Privately Called ...The good desire to serve as an elder must be coupled with an identifiable blamelessness in the differing spheres of life in order for one to serve. These qualifications must be met by the individual and affirmed by the congregation..." Read Greg's full article for IMB here. Episode Highlights We read through Galatians 1:11-24, where the Apostle Paul tells of his calling from God to preach the Good News, and we noted a few things. No one should disregard the general call to follow Christ, according to the Word of God, as they wait, expecting to receive a special calling from God. One characteristic lacking today is humility. Many buy into the message that they've been called to be an individual world changer. Therefore, they perceive a special calling from God, and begin to seek out ways to be empowered as they follow their special, perceived calling. However, we are not that special. It's not about us; it's about Jesus and his glory. “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Share Your Thoughts How do you properly inspect or examine a calling? Have you wrestled with this before? What stood out to you in Greg Handley's article for IMB? Did anything resonate with you? If so, share about i

Discern Daily Ep. 20 - Seeking Truth in a 'Post-Truth' Culture The culture and Christ seem to collide often. Many today operate with a postmodern mindset. Do we get to determine what truth is? Can something be true for me, yet false for others? Owen Strachan wrote an article for Reformanda Ministries, titled, "Why So Sensitive? Ministry in a Post-Truth Culture," and it provides much insight regarding a "post-truth" culture. Let's take a look and seek the truth together.  [embed]https://youtu.be/P326oUHWaII[/embed] Quotes From Owen Strachan “By this formulation people commonly mean that life in a ‘postmodern’ age means that we steer clear of absolutes in our thinking and our speech. We don’t speak of what is true for all peoples at all places in all times; we speak of what is true for me.” “To embrace a ‘post-truth’ perspective means that one has effectively evacuated the Word and the gospel of any timeless, once-for-all authority.” "Let me suggest six ways a secularistic post-truth mindset might filter into our lives and ministries... First, we excessively qualify even basic statements... Second, we downplay actions and emphasize feelings... Third, we move away from apologies, clouding them with qualifiers... Fourth, we negotiate instead of drawing clear lines... Fifth, we lead only with great hesitancy and fearfulness... Sixth, we see doubt as true and truth as doubtful." “This is really the age of the antagonist, isn’t it? A post-truth culture supports the rise of the perpetual naysayer, the endless nuance-proclaimer, the inveterate bone-picker. Many of us have experienced this phenomenon on Twitter, where even basic statements are picked over like bone-in filets dropped into piranha tanks. This tendency has bled over into contemporary conversation. We excessively qualify ourselves in our discussions, our brains churning like those of $400-per-hour lawyers as we try to stay a step ahead of our interlocutors, furiously trying to recognize loopholes and weaknesses in our verbiage.” "When you say one declarative sentence—'The Bible is true'—but then feel the need to say eleven consecutive sentences about what your first sentence does not mean, you are a post-truth communicator. You may not know it, and you certainly may not intend to be, but the point stands: a post-truth culture is influencing your speech (and thinking) in a major way." “Let the world be post-truth. The church of Christ must know, love, live by, proclaim, and lead according to the truth. This truth—God’s own truth—is not conditioned by any prefix; it is firmly fixed in the heavens, and stands forever according to the counsel of God." Read Owen's full article for Reformanda Ministries here. Episode Highlights I recently tweeted on my personal page about wanting to find more users that boldly preach Christ without tweeting about what Christ is not. Shortly after, I came across Owen's article, which touched on exactly what I've been wanting to communicate. [embed]https://twitter.com/paytej/status/1123908788644401152[/embed] We must be ready to defend o

Discern Daily Ep. 19 - The Whole Trinity Saves Salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone is not a work accomplished by the Son of God alone — the entire Trinity is involved in every salvation. On this episode, we are learning from an article by Ryan McGraw, published on Tabletalk magazine, titled, "For Whom Did Christ Die?" Let's seek the truth together. [embed]https://youtu.be/YTjCaKxf9-Y[/embed] Quotes By Ryan McGraw “I came to Christ by understanding that God counted our sin to His Son in order to count His incarnate Son’s righteousness to us (2 Cor. 5:21). As soon as someone pointed out that all people must be saved if Christ did these things for all people, I was sold on limited atonement." "We can best understand the fact that Christ came to save His people, and them only, from their sins (Matt. 1:21) by rooting Christ’s death in the saving work of the whole Trinity, and by answering two common questions." "Why, then, do some passages of Scripture seem to universalize Christ’s death (e.g., 1 John 2:2)?" "Does limited atonement limit the gospel offer to the elect only?" “The united work of the Trinity shows clearly why Christ died for the elect only. The Father chose believers in Christ before time began (Eph. 1:4–5). The Holy Spirit is the Father’s seal of ownership on the elect (vv. 13–14). No one receives the things of God or confesses that Jesus is Lord except by the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10–16; 12:3). The Father calls His elect to Christ by His Word and Spirit (2 Cor. 3:16–18; James 1:18). The Trinity is undivided and indivisible. Christ’s death extends as far as the Father’s electing purpose (Acts 2:23) and the Spirit’s effecting power (13:48)." “It is not that the Father chose some and the Spirit changes some while Christ died for all. The Father saves by particular election, the Son by particular redemption, and the Spirit by particular calling." “God is triune, and the atonement is a unified Trinitarian act in purpose, production, and perfection.” Episode Highlights A true salvation is a work accomplished by the entire Trinity, not just Jesus Christ. Someone has to pay for the consequences of our sin. The payment is needed once — either Christ pays the debt for our sin or we pay the debt. Limited atonement is a doctrine worth studying, related to our discussion. To better understand what limited atonement is all about, you can view a great resource by R.C. Sproul, for Ligonier, here. There's great encouragement to be found in learning about the work of the entire Trinity in our salvation. The Father chooses us, the Son dies for us, and the Spirit fills and empowers us. Share Your Thoughts Follow @DiscernDaily on Twitter and share this episode on social media. What are your convictions on limited atonement? How does it change things for you knowing the entire Trinity, not just the Son, is involved in your life?

Discern Daily  Ep. 18 - Are All Public Schools Bad? The trajectory of the public school system has many Christians worried. It seems homeschooling is the best option for many families that want to train up their children to follow Christ. On this episode, we are taking a look at an article, titled, "Burn All the Schools," by Douglas Wilson. This topic is certainly worth discussing. Let's seek the truth together.  [embed]https://youtu.be/gXq_eB-Jvwo[/embed] Quotes From Douglas Wilson "H.L. Mencken once suggested a shrewd educational reform that has somehow not caught on. He said that there was nothing wrong with our current education establishment that could not be fixed by burning all the schools, and hanging all the teachers. Now some might want to dismiss this as an extreme measure, but visionaries are often dismissed in their own day." "Millions of evangelicals still have their children in the government school system. Get them out now. Having Christian children in the government school system is what theologians of another era would have called sinnity-sin-sin." "In order for all Christians to get their kids out of the maw of this government school system, what would it take precisely?" "What it would take in 2018 is a very different question than what it will take twenty years from now, in 2038… Things that pass without comment today would have caused riots forty years ago. And that which would cause riots today is what you are prepping your great-grandchildren to eventually put up with, provided they learn your evasions." "Government schools are institutions controlled by the fatherless, staffed by the fatherless, with curriculum written by the fatherless, and attended by evangelical children who are functionally fatherless." View Douglas Wilson's full article on his site here.  Episode Highlights Whether or not Christians should place their children in the public school system is certainly worth debating. How should we view all public schools today, and what should we do with them? Children are being molded by the school systems they're in. Children are moldable, and they need molded by trustworthy leaders. Parents should be the primary molders and teachers. Some parents have to work. Homeschooling is not an option for every family. What should these families do about troubling public school systems since they cannot homeschool? "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). Let's Seek The Truth What are your convictions on the matter? What kind of changes are you seeing in the public schools in your neighborhood? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Share this episode on your social media. Let's seek the truth together.

Discern Daily Ep. 17 - Reviewing 'The Cross Worked' by Zach Maldonado An important keyword we keep in mind on episodes of Discern Daily is abide. Learning to abide in Christ is a must for every Christian. The Cross Worked by Zach Maldonado is a great resource that encourages its readers to rest in the gospel of Jesus Christ. On this episode, we are reviewing a portion of The Cross Worked and giving away a free copy! Let’s seek the truth together. [embed]https://youtu.be/7E24Jxjl56E[/embed] An Excerpt From Zach’s Book “Instead of worrying about what we’re doing, we get to fix our eyes on Jesus. Instead of trying to do more or be better, we get to simply enjoy our Father. Our total forgiveness means we’re free to just be with Jesus without any pressure to do more for Him. The standard has been met. The expectations were fulfilled. Now Jesus is asking us to sit down, kick up our feet, and trust in what He has done. The goal of the Christian life is not to do more things for God. The goal is to simply know Jesus. God is not a task-master. And God is not your boss. He’s your friend, your Savior, and your Father. He’s not asking you to try harder, but to trust. After all, it’s our trust, not our effort, that pleases Him (Hebrews 11:6)." Chapter 14, section 4, paragraph 1. Episode Highlights The format of The Cross Worked is simple and sweet while supporting its main objective. The book is broken down into three sections (reasons), detailing, “Why you can have confidence on the day of judgement.” Zach Maldonado was kind enough to send me a copy of the book last year. I read it right away and took many notes. Chapter 14 is titled “God Is Not An Accountant.” Here, Zach explains how we will give an account before God one day — we will be judged. Will our account before God reveal that we trusted in Christ, or ourselves? As children of God, we know God, not as an accountant, but a good Father. Enter to win a FREE copy of The Cross Worked on the Discern Daily Twitter page. Follow @DiscernDaily on Twitter. Retweet the giveaway tweet. Like the giveaway tweet. Selected Scriptures “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:4-7). “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-18). Get Your Copy Of The Cross Worked  Click here to view the book on Amazon. Let’s S

Discern Daily Ep. 16 - Concerns with Roman Catholicism Doctrines within the Roman Catholic Church have sparked numerous conversations through the centuries, which are still very much alive today. Can devout Roman Catholics be genuine Christians? That is the type of question John Piper fielded from a listener on Desiring God. On this episode, we are taking a look at an interview with John Piper on Desiring God, titled, "Can a Devout Roman Catholic Be Genuinely Born Again?," and discussing important concerns with Roman Catholicism. Let's seek the truth together. [embed]https://youtu.be/XjS5hyJK_WU[/embed] Quotes From John Piper's Interview “Before I answer that specific question, let me lay out again the reasons we should be seriously concerned with Roman Catholic teaching. At numerous levels, its contradictory stance toward Scripture produces a kind of religion that I fear has led many people astray, even into destruction.” Seven Concerns Tradition Versus Scripture The Virgin Mary Baptismal Regeneration Indulgences Justification The Lord’s Supper Purgatory "Now, having waved a flag of concern for those seven matters of Catholic belief, my answer to the question, nevertheless, is yes. I think there are genuine Christians who are devout and inconsistent Roman Catholics. Devout in the sense that they’re earnest, serious, and sincere. Inconsistent in the sense that their true heart embrace of Jesus is better than their mental ideas or doctrines." View the full interview on Desiring God here. Episode Highlights Piper's answer was hard for me to swallow. He believes that devout Catholics can be genuine Christians. My conviction is that a truly devoted Catholic is an educated Catholic. They understand the following concerns mentioned and devote themselves to them. The seven concerns mentioned in the interview are great concerns to address. We spent the episode talking about number four — indulgences. In summary, the selling of indulgences is a Roman Catholic belief that involves forgiveness of sins offered to those who buy papal indulgences from the Church. Roman Catholicism teaches that Christ delegated authority to forgive sins to leaders in the Church, and forgiveness can be offered to those who earn merit. To learn more about the selling of indulgences, you can view a credible lecture on the history of indulgences by Dr. R.C. Sproul on Ligonier here. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Salvation is not a matter of purchasing indulgences or earning your way whatsoever. "By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Let's Seek The Truth Is there anything that spoke to you in this episode? What are your thoughts on the list of concerns John Piper provided on Desiring God? How familiar are you with the sale of indul

Discern Daily Ep. 15 - Does God Still Speak Today? Healthy relationships involve good communication. It’s no different in our relationship with God. Many Christians have different convictions on whether or not God still speaks directly to people today, and if God does still speak, how does he speak? We are spending an episode on this subject. Let’s seek the truth! [embed]https://youtu.be/v9B-XJpHkdY[/embed] Episode Highlights A poll went live recently on The Majesty’s Men’s Twitter page, asking people if God speaks directly to people today beyond what is written in the Bible. Does God speak directly to people today beyond what is written in the Bible? Comments welcome. — The Majesty's Men (@themajestysmen) February 16, 2019 The winning vote (214 voters) was no — God does not speak directly to people today beyond what is written in the Bible. It was a very close race that could have easily went the other way. It was 50/50 basically the length of the poll. Great comments arose in the poll’s thread. View all the comments here. The Bible is the sufficient Word of God that shares everything we need to live an obedient, faithful life on earth. At the same time, God is able to speak directly to anyone if he wanted to because God is God and can do whatever he wants. The question is — does he? If you believe God does still speak directly to people beyond what is written in the Bible, how can you be sure it is the voice of God? If you believe God does not still speak directly to people beyond what is in the Bible, what evidence do you have that supports this belief? Let’s Seek the Truth We must spend time studying this subject! In order to have a healthy relationship with God, we must understand how God speaks today so we can listen obediently. Share your convictions and sources in the comments below.

Discern Daily Ep. 14 - Discussing the Document on Human Fraternity Pope Francis and The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, publicly shared the "Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together," which supports all world religions locking arms in the name of peace. On this episode, we began unpacking the document in order to seek the truth. [embed]https://youtu.be/GlBTjQi-YnU[/embed] Excerpts from the Original Document "It is a document that invites all persons who have faith in God and faith in human fraternity to unite and work together so that it may serve as a guide for future generations to advance a culture of mutual respect in the awareness of the great divine grace that makes all human beings brothers and sisters." "We, who believe in God and in the final meeting with Him and His judgment, on the basis of our religious and moral responsibility, and through this Document, call upon ourselves, upon the leaders of the world as well as the architects of international policy and world economy, to work strenuously to spread the culture of tolerance and of living together in peace; to intervene at the earliest opportunity to stop the shedding of innocent blood and bring an end to wars, conflicts, environmental decay and the moral and cultural decline that the world is presently experiencing." "We therefore condemn all those practices that are a threat to life such as genocide, acts of terrorism, forced displacement, human trafficking, abortion and euthanasia. We likewise condemn the policies that promote these practices. Moreover, we resolutely declare that religions must never incite war, hateful attitudes, hostility and extremism, nor must they incite violence or the shedding of blood." "Freedom is a right of every person: each individual enjoys the freedom of belief, thought, expression and action. The pluralism and the diversity of religions, colour, sex, race and language are willed by God in His wisdom, through which He created human beings. This divine wisdom is the source from which the right to freedom of belief and the freedom to be different derives. Therefore, the fact that people are forced to adhere to a certain religion or culture must be rejected, as too the imposition of a cultural way of life that others do not accept." View the full document here. Episode Highlights There's so much to unpack from the document shared. Furthermore, we don't have a complete understanding on what everything is seeking to accomplish, but there's plenty worth discussing here. We looked at a few different headlines and excerpts from articles written about the document from different perspectives. All world religions vary in theological differences; however, we should all strive for peace. Everyone should be free to follow their own religious convictions. It seems this document protects families to choose their own faith in peace. The biblical gospel both unifies and divides. Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:34-36). Jesus does not endorse violence.

Discern Daily Ep. 13 - Join the Fight to End Abortion Abortion is arguably the hottest topic to discuss today, and rightfully so. Two videos went viral recently about new abortion laws in New York and Virginia that would increase access to abortions. On this episode, we looked at an article by Josh Wester for ERLC, titled, "Another Abortion Video Goes Viral: Virginia and the Repeal Act," which summarizes what's going on today regarding new abortion laws. Let's take a look at what's going on and seek the truth together. [embed]https://youtu.be/UyPBxpJx0C0[/embed] Quotes from Josh Wester's Article for ERLC “This week, a second video about abortion went viral. But instead of New York, this one was from the general assembly in Virginia. The video features a Democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates offering comments in defense of proposed legislation that would dramatically expand abortion laws in the commonwealth.” "Abortion advocates once called for abortions to be 'safe, legal, and rare.' But the goalposts have moved. We now live in an age where women are encouraged to 'shout' their abortions.” “Polling shows that young adults are more likely than other demographics to support abortion restrictions, including the gradual implementation of pro-life legislation. These efforts to expand access to abortions in New York, Virginia, and elsewhere do not necessarily represent the future or a permanent trajectory.” “Those committed to the cause of life, who would see this dreadful movement reversed, must continue to work and pray. Advancing the cause of life takes many forms, from voting in elections to supporting crisis pregnancy centers. It includes showing up at city council meetings and cultivating churches that are prepared to receive and care for women, children, and families in need. It means showing the love of Christ and being a neighbor.” View Josh Wester's full article for ERLC here. Episode Highlights Abortion can be a complicated subject; however, most of the time, it's not complicated at all. Simply put, abortion is murder. This is the sound from the NY Senate chamber after the 38-24 vote to: - Add abortion to the NY Constitution - Allow non-physicians to commit abortions - Allow abortion through third trimester - Repeal protections for surviving babies Pure evil. pic.twitter.com/K54vYGfb2G — Live Action (@LiveAction) January 23, 2019 It's important to dig beneath the surface of abortion and think about its process fundamentally. Heartbreaking... This isn't in New York, this isn't in California, this happened just this week right here in Virginia. @VAHouseDems proposed legislation to provide abortions up to ju

Discern Daily Ep. 12 - Wasting Your Life on Social Media Social media isn't something only the kids are using these days — everyone's on some platform. Facebook continues to be the primary platform users prefer to connect with others online. The user statistics for this social media platform are shocking. On this episode, we looked at an article by Gordon Donnelly for WordStream, titled, "75 Super-Useful Facebook Statistics for 2018,” with special guest Josh Kilsch. Let's seek the truth together. [embed]https://youtu.be/wEvZabEwgYU[/embed] Quotes From Gordon's Article "With 1.32 billion daily active users, Facebook is the most widely used social platform by quite a bit." "400 new users sign up for Facebook every minute." "Users access Facebook an average of eight times per day." "Given that each video gets approximately 3 seconds per view, Facebook generates over 3,000 years of video watch time each day." View Gordon's full article, along with his sources, here. Episode Highlights Josh Kilsch joined the episode as a special guest to share a bit of his social-media journey and personal convictions. View his personal blog and social profiles here. It's quite possible that social media can become an addiction. If we aren't careful, it can turn into something we seek identity from and become obsessed with our routine posting habits. Some people are only reachable through Facebook! We certainly don't have the "master plan" for social media use, but we recognize that social media is a great tool that can become a dangerous distraction. We must guard against wasting our life away online, and learn to steward social media well. Do you think social media is primarily used today to be ‘social’ or used for the ‘media’? — Discern Daily (@DiscernDaily) January 26, 2019 We should spend a moment reflecting on our personal social media use so that we don't get lost in it. Thinking about how much time we spend online relates to the subject of stewardship. "How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone" (James 4:14, NLT). Let's Seek The Truth What are your convictions on this subject? Check out the statistics Gordon Donnelly shares on WordStream and let us know what you think. Do you carefully watch your time on social media? There's some important, relevant information worth discussing here, and we'd love to hear what you think.

Discern Daily Ep. 11 - Honor Those Who Don't Deserve It There's a surprising number of people who aren't afraid to withhold honor from those in authority. From the presidency to the pulpit, Christians are called to show honor, even to those who don't deserve it. On this episode, we also looked at an article by Dr. Roger Barrier for Crosswalk, titled, "Should I Honor a Parent Who Doesn't Deserve It?" Let's dive into the discussion and seek the truth together. [embed]https://youtu.be/Xfg6bjcuRS8[/embed] Quotes From Dr. Roger Barrier “Honoring mom and dad is the first commandment on the second tablet. God’s concern here is for the ongoing functioning and security of the family unit. As the family goes, so goes a society. Cohesive family units center around mom and dad—their actions, morals, values and beliefs. As these are passed on to children, society itself remains strong and functional. This is what 'so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you' refers to—a strong familial foundation for the society and culture involved.” “I think that the operative word for you is 'grace'. Give them grace. They don't deserve it. You can't respect them; they are not respectable. 'Honor them' may mean that you extend mercy and grace to two people who may never deserve it.” See Dr. Roger Barrier's full article here. Episode Highlights The United States government is still shut down. President Trump is receiving a lot of the blame and getting all kinds of negative publicity. People have been quick to disrespect and blame him entirely. When the gospel is deeply rooted within us, we begin to treat people differently. One practical change is showing honor to those who may not deserve it. Immature Christians look for every opportunity to be right, while mature Christians look for every opportunity to glorify God. Why does showing honor matter? What difference does it make? It keeps people unified and working together. It would be disappointing to be known by our criticisms — we should be known by our love. Sometimes, treasuring the truth involves calling out falsehood, but this should not be something we strive to be known for. — Discern Daily (@DiscernDaily) January 18, 2019 How well do you remember to honor others? Examples of people we must show honor to: Parents Siblings Boss President Teachers Pastor Coworkers Spouse

Discern Daily Ep. 10 - Jesus' Twelve Disciples Were Probably Teenagers Jesus launched his earthly ministry when he was thirty years old, but how old were the twelve disciples who followed him? Does the Bible say? Are there indicators from church history? On this episode, we discussed how old the disciples might have been, while looking at an article by David Paul Kirkpatrick, titled, “Jesus’ Bachelors – The Disciples Were Most Likely Under The Age of 18.” Let's seek the truth together. [embed]https://youtu.be/RYN0AQbxumI[/embed] Top Quotes From David's Article "Unlike the cinematic portrayals of the past and even in the latest TV miniseries, The Bible airing now, the disciples were probably not middle-aged men. Not only is it against the historical times but flies in the face of Scripture. The only one who might have been older, other than Peter, was Matthew. He had a profession as a tax collector.” "In Matthew 11:25, Luke 10:21, and John 13:33, Jesus calls his disciples little children, 'little ones'. This would be a bit insulting if they were men, no matter how radical or gentle the rabbi!” [On James and John] “These guys were brothers. They had a pushy mom named Salome who wanted to arrange where they would sit with Jesus at the table. Salome’s pushiness wouldn’t make sense if the brothers were grown men (Matthew 20:20-24).” "In Exodus 30:14-15, Jewish law states that every male over the age of 20 is to pay a half-shekel as a census offering when they visit the temple of God. In Matthew 17:24-27, Jesus instructs Peter to 'fish up' this tax. And to find a four-drachma in the mouth of the fish he catches; enough to pay the tax for two men, himself and Jesus. Jesus requests this only for Peter and for Jesus. You could conclude that the others were underage and did not need to pay.” “A youthful discipleship doesn’t change the Truth of the Gospel. It simply adds a different tonality to its music.” Read David Paul Kirkpatrick's full article here. Episode Highlights Hoping 2019 has been a great year for everyone so far. We are making many more Discern Daily episodes this year. A recent poll was posted on The Majesty's Men's Twitter page, asking about the age range of Jesus' twelve disciples. “Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age” (Luke 3:23). About how old were Jesus’ disciples during his ministry? — The Majesty's Men (@themajestysmen) December 8, 2018  One of the main target demographics for The Majesty's Men is younger men who aspire to glorify God. Discussing the age range of the twelve disciples involves large implications, especially for younger men. Younger Christians should not buy into the ideology that they cannot involve themselves in the work of God yet. Jesus invested his time and energy into younger men who changed the world for the glory of God. Let’s Seek The Truth What are your thoughts on the matter? Are there indicators you know of that support an answer to how old J

Discern Daily Ep. 9 - True Repentance Truly Hates Sin It's true—not everyone's repentance is true. There is a difference between hating sin and hating the consequences of sin. On this episode, we dove into an article by Adriel Sanchez for Core Christianity, titled, "True vs. False Repentance: What’s the Difference?" Watch the episode and join the discussion. [embed]https://youtu.be/tdFm_kUVTXM[/embed] Top Quotes From Adriel's Article “In repentance, a person is given a true sense of the heinous nature of sin and, hating it, they turn to God through Christ with the desire to part ways with it. It is a gift that God gives to us and true repentance leads to eternal life (2 Tim. 2:25).” "False repentance is scary because it can trick us into thinking we’ve truly repented when, in reality, we’ve only found more crafty ways to hold on to our sin.” "True repentance does not regret parting ways with sin; false repentance does." "True repentance hates sin; false repentance hates the consequences of sin." "True repentance accepts godly counsel and accountability; false repentance avoids accountability." "False repentance is less concerned about the glory of God and more concerned with getting caught. This type of concern is what Paul calls 'worldly grief.' True repentance often takes the initiative in bringing sin into the light (through confession) since it hates the sin itself, not just its consequences.” “If you’ve been 'faking' it, pray for forgiveness, and ask that the Lord would give you a true sense of your sin so that you might part ways with it. Go to spiritually mature brothers or sisters within the church and embrace godly accountability.” View Adriel's full article on Core Christianity here.  Episode Highlights Twitter is the best. However, most people on Twitter love to throw themselves in the middle of the latest controversies. We should slow down and look at the heart of each matter. We tweeted Adriel's article a few days after it was published (September 25, 2018).  Our focus was set on Adriel's second main point in the article: "True repentance hates sin; false repentance hates the consequences of sin." Do you fear God, or just fear getting caught in sin? Genuine repentance doesn't hide sin, but hates sin and desires to destroy it completely. Each of us should pray fervently for our hearts to match Paul's desire found in Romans 7:15-20. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (ES

Discern Daily Ep. 8 - Responsible Disciples Don't Skip Church The number of Christians who attend a worship service every week at their local church is a disappointingly low number compared to the total amount of professing Christians. Faithful disciples of Christ should not regularly skip church for a number of important reasons. On this episode of Discern Daily, we discussed an article written by Nathan Rose, titled, "5 Spiritual Dangers of Skipping Church," published on For The Church. Let's take a look at the piece and seek the truth. [embed]https://youtu.be/T0Pb2oaRsbE[/embed] Top Quotes from Nathan's Article “I read recently that my denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, has a total of 16 million members, but on a typical Sunday only 6 million of those members attend their local church’s corporate worship gathering.” “Below, I want to list some reasons and explain why skipping church is a really bad idea. 1.  You will miss out on God’s primary design for your spiritual growth and well-being. 2.  You disobey God. 3.  You make a statement to the world that God is not worthy of worship. 4.  You can’t minister to anyone. 5.  You skip out on a foretaste of heaven." [Posted as a footnote] “These reasons do not pertain to people who are providentially hindered. I believe there are circumstances in which it is appropriate and even necessary to miss corporate worship with your church family. Sickness, physical disablement, being out of town to take care of one’s elderly parents are just a few examples.” "Too often people think that corporate worship is only about getting their own spiritual needs met. And therefore if they don’t have any spiritual needs at that time then there is no reason for them to attend.” "Missing church robs you of an opportunity to serve someone other than yourself.” Read Nathan's full article on For The Church here. Episode Highlights I really appreciated Nathan's article. It's not a newly published article, but it resonated with me this week. As a pastor, I can tell you from experience that not all Christians care to serve at church each week. Number four on Nathan's list is worth discussing. If we are going to be fruitful, responsible ministers of the gospel, we must be consistently involved in a local church. By skipping church, you really can't minister to anyone. The Apostle Paul talks about spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. In this passage of Scripture, Paul is not spreading compliments, but delegating responsibilities. We have a role to play for the body of Christ to function well. Our spiritual gifts aren't given to us to make us feel better about ourselves. They're meant to benefit others in the church. Others miss out when you skip church.  You cannot practice the “one another's” in the Bible — love one another, serve one another, submit to one another — if you're not around one another. We need to appreciate being members of the body of Christ and learn how to better function as a single member of an entire body of believers. Let's Seek the Truth What spoke to you in this episode? Do you agree with Nathan's

Discern Daily Ep. 7 – Seek Unity, Not Diversity On this episode of Discern Daily, we walked through Shai Linne’s new article for The Gospel Coalition, titled, “6 Ways to Show Your Child God’s Design for Ethnic Diversity.” Discussions about race and skin color flood social media. Shai Linne’s article touches on some important lessons we must teach our children on the matter. Check out the episode and let’s seek the truth. [embed]https://youtu.be/ki5C7rf5rAk[/embed] A Summary of Shai Linne’s Article Six ways to help your children appreciate God’s design for ethnic diversity: Teach them what the Bible says about ethnic diversity. Correct common errors regarding the Bible and ethnicity. Educate yourself and your children about cultures other than your own. Seek out interactions and relationships with people of different ethnicities. Model loving confrontation of prejudiced words and behavior. Be hopeful for a future where the Spirit will break down barriers between people of different ethnic backgrounds. “Countercultural, biblical views don’t just happen. They must be taught.” “One of the greatest barriers to pursuing God’s design for diversity is the lack of proximity many have with people from different ethnic backgrounds. Depending on where you live, it may take more intentionality to develop these relationships.” “If there’s ethnic diversity in your church, be intentional about having dinner/family outings/activities with people of different ethnicities so that these interactions would be the norm, rather than the exception, for your child.” See the full post on TGC here. Highlights of the Episode I’ve been following Shai Linne for a few years now. I appreciate his ministry and have deep respect for him. Number four on Shai Linne’s list didn’t quite resonate with me, so I want to challenge it. No biblical Christian is against diversity. Every born-again Christian hates racism. Born-again eyes are color blind. A person’s skin color should never determine how we treat them, even in regards to favoritism. Many conversations are happening today online regarding skin color. Some prominent leaders are even encouraging people to pursue reading from authors that are not Caucasian. This line of thinking won’t fix anything. It’s way off. Take a look at Jesus’ example — his twelve disciples were all Jewish men. Jesus did not actively seek relationships with people of different ethnicities. I’m thankful to have friends that are not white. However, we aren’t friends because our skin color is different. Together, we love the truth, not our diversity. The Enemy could very well use today’s discussion around skin color to make some feel ashamed for not having friends or disciples from different cultures. We don’t get to decide who one another should be faithful around. Be faithful and loving around everyone equally. Heaven will include people from every tribe and tongue (cf. Revelation 5:9-10), but should the Church strongly seek diversity of ethnicities or unity in the truth? We’ve got enough diversity and not enough unity. Seek unity in the truth with all, not diversity of color with some. Truth is so powerful that it cannot be controlled by skin color. Don’t choose your leaders and authors based upon their skin color. Simply pick the ones that teach the truth no matter what they look like. And all God’s people said, “Duh!” Let’s Seek the Truth What do you think about the article and its content? Should we pursue ethnic diversity harder? Read Shai Linne’s article for The Gospel Coalition

Discern Daily Ep. 6 – Christianity Is Bigger Than a Political Party Many associate with a particular political party in order to communicate their convictions and beliefs. Christians, however, should communicate their beliefs using a different method. On this episode, we’ll walk through some thought-provoking truths from Jeff Christopherson’s article for Christianity Today, titled, “When Conservatism Isn’t Enough.” [embed]https://youtu.be/tcVCuvrgsBQ[/embed] Top Quotes from Jeff’s Article “The sociological, political, and cultural realities of our day have pushed trees over the path — they’ve marred our ability to walk the same way. And, they make it futile to try to walk that path anyway. Of course, we could climb over broken limbs and under hanging branches, but the journey would be slow, cumbersome, and unhelpful. Better to create a new path to the same, inalterable destination.” “As I look at the challenges facing the church, I’m increasingly skeptical that our well-worn categories of liberalism and conservatism are a helpful distinction to describe faithfulness to Christ.” “We must dive deeply into our disciple making assignment and undertake a change in regime by winning hearts and minds with a sincere belief in the preeminence of our good news over the power of a political force.” “The white-knuckled instinct of clutching to yesterday’s forms is not an instinct propelled by a Great Shepherd searching for his lost sheep. It’s a darker instinct motivated by safe and selfish sheep, deaf to the frantic bleating of their neighbors.” Highlights of the Episode We cannot keep doing the same thing and expect different results. Jeff’s article for Christianity Today left me hanging a bit. Should we dive into what conservatism truly means or put it aside altogether? Some strive to educate people on what certain words mean while others avoid certain words altogether based upon how some will respond to those words. Be open to new strategies for reaching the lost because if what has existed or been tried in the past hasn’t reached them,  it probably won’t work during a second attempt. Discipleship involves meeting people where they’re at, not forcing others to meet you where you’re at. Where do you have traction? What discipleship tactics are working for you? Stick with it and fuel it with Scripture. Many associate themselves with a particular political party to communicate their views and beliefs. Christians should rely upon personal discipleship to communicate their convictions and beliefs. If we are going to reach people with the gospel, it’s not going to be on a political level but a relational one. Let’s Seek the Truth What do you think about the article and its content? Have you discovered what works for you in your discipleship efforts? Share this episode. Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Discern Daily Ep. 5 – Interviewing Jonathan Hayashi on His New Book Ordinary Radicals On this episode of Discern Daily, Jonathan Hayashi and I discuss his brand new book on discipleship, titled, Ordinary Radicals: A Return to Christ-Centered Discipleship. Jonathan and I have become great friends this year. We first met on Twitter (follow him here). After the first few conversations I was able to have with him, I knew we could work together and begin a growing friendship. In fact, he is beginning to work with us at The Majesty’s Men, which I’m totally stoked about. I have nothing but good things to say about Jonathan, and I hope you will be encouraged by his latest work. Before you watch the episode, I must apologize for the video quality. It is rather terrible. If you’re like me, it’s easy to skip a video because of it’s poor quality. Bear with me! Play the audio alone if you have to. There’s a lot of good content worth listening to. Let’s seek the truth together. [embed]https://youtu.be/iyE7sM1Lo2s[/embed] My Favorite Quotes from the Book I want to share my favorite quotes from Jonathan’s book with you. I’ll provide one quote from every chapter. Ordinary Radicals is filled with solid, tweet-able thoughts. Each of these are the ones that resonated with me the most. Feel free to tweet away! “Many pastors think their greatest impact comes from preaching to many. Not true. Our greatest impact is in discipling a few. Jesus did life with the disciples in close proximity. You won’t create radical disciples from a pulpit; you’ll only create an audience. You must walk closely with people.” (Chapter 1, section 5, paragraph 3.) “Being a Christian today sadly has no connection with being formed into the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). The apostle Paul constantly reflected on his example and his walk. He said that what others saw in him, they were to pass on to others (Phil. 4:9).” (Chapter 2, section 2, paragraph 3.) “One living demonstration of the gospel is far better than a hundred explanations of many sermons.” (Chapter 3, section 6, paragraph 2.) “Radical discipleship takes place in a relational environment where people feel comfortable exploring their personal and spiritual issues and learning what it means to be a follower of Jesus.” (Chapter 4, section 4, paragraph 2.) “When we look at the life of Jesus, we see that He didn’t draw large crowds for the sake of counting heads or logging attendance. He never gauged effectiveness by nickels and noses. Therefore, the goal of the church should not be to build a megachurch. The end goal is to build a healthy church with mature believers.” (Chapter 5, section 4, paragraph 3.) “Relationships take time, but we don’t want to take the time. In reality, too busy is a myth. People make time for the things that are really important to them.” (Chapter 6, section 4, paragraph 6.) “The church is filled with people who think they are participating in the mission while binge-watching from the sidelines and criticizing how others are making disciples.” (Chapter 7, section 2, paragraph 3.) “Your success as a disciple of Christ is not something you do; it is someone you disciple to also become a disciple-maker.” (Chapter 8, section 9, paragraph 3.) Get the Book Pick up Ordinary Radicals right here and read it!

Discern Daily Ep. 4 – What Americans Believe Today Ligonier Ministries and LifeWay Research partnered to provide an excellent resource for the Church. Ligonier’s 2018 State of Theology survey has been published and there’s a lot to unpack from it. The State of Theology’s site home page writes, “Every two years, we take the theological temperature of the United States to help Christians better understand today’s culture and equip the church with better insights for discipleship.” Let’s walk through the survey together to see what Americans believe today and begin seeking the truth. [embed]https://youtu.be/NNBmumF8qac[/embed] A Summary of the Survey Results 52% agree, “Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.” 51% agree, “God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.” 91% agree, “God counts a person as righteous not because of one’s works but only because of one’s faith in Jesus Christ.” 97% agree, “There is one true God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.” 78% agree, “Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God” (In 2016, 71% agreed). 23% agree, “Even the smallest sin deserves eternal damnation.” 58% agree, “Worshiping alone or with one’s family is a valid replacement for regularly attending church.” 60% agree, “Religious belief is a matter of personal opinion; it is not about objective truth” (32% of evangelicals agree). 44% agree, “The Bible’s condemnation of homosexual behavior doesn’t apply today.” 52% agree, “Abortion is a sin.” 62% millennials agree, “Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.” 64% millennials agree, “There will be a time when Jesus Christ returns to judge all the people who have lived.” 53% millennials agree, “The Bible, like all sacred writings, contains helpful accounts of ancient myths but is not literally true. 36% millennials agree, “God is unconcerned with my day-to-day decisions.” 57% millennials agree, “Abortion is a sin.” 54% millennials agree, “Sex outside of traditional marriage is a sin.” 51% millennials agree, “The Bible’s condemnation of homosexual behavior doesn’t apply today.” 46% millennials agree, “Gender identity is a matter of choice.” View the full survey results here. Highlights of the Episode I’m grateful for the following Discern Daily has gained already. Interacting with everyone here on the blog and Twitter has been enjoyable. Jesus was not created, but incarnate. He is the eternal God who became flesh. Jesus was actively involved in creating the universe (cf. John 1:1-14; Colossians 1:15-20). Our Christian beliefs do not come from within us, but outside of us. Our beliefs come from God, to us, through the Bible. Our feelings and opinions do not define our beliefs. The sexual revolution isn’t coming; it’s already here in America. It has been here and it has deep roots. More people in the Church will begin struggling with this subject. We must preserve God’s design. Albert Mohler speaks about these subjects on The Briefing. James White also provides relevant biblical insight on his program, The Dividing Line. I encourage you to support their hard work and follow their fruitful programs. Here’s Ligonier’s conclusion from the completed survey — “These results show the urgent need for sound biblical teaching and the bold preaching of the gospel. Millions of people do not understand the holiness of God, the reality of sin, and the one way of salvation in Jesus Christ. There

Discern Daily Ep. 3 – God’s Will for Marriage and Divorce Looking around, it’s evident that we need to have a conversation about marriage and divorce. The Church needs to be sharpened in this area in order to preserve God’s design and remain in God’s will. Now, many resources exist to exegetically reveal God’s view of marriage. The intention of this episode is to get a conversation started and look at a few important truths together. Tim Challies composed an excellent article on the subject of marriage and divorce, titled, “10 Common but Illegitimate Reasons to Divorce.” Let’s run through the article and begin seeking the truth. [embed]https://youtu.be/-B_VEH8C8CA[/embed] Highlights View Tim Challies’ ten common but illegitimate reasons to divorce here. Marriage is a big deal. It’s about more than just relationships. It involves understanding and portraying the gospel of Jesus Christ. God created marriage. He has provided guidelines and instructions to follow regarding marriage and divorce. We have no other option besides following God’s Word. Are there any biblical grounds for divorce whatsoever? Yes. “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery” (Matthew 5:31–32, ESV). “To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife” (1 Corinthians 7:10–11, ESV). People have their own opinions about relationships and marriage, but God’s Word trumps every opinion. What has God revealed in Scripture? That’s the question. Share Your Thoughts What do you think about the topic? What are your biblical convictions on the matter? Can you think of any common but illegitimate reasons to divorce that we didn’t cover? What about abusive situations? Let’s chat and seek the truth.

Discern Daily Ep. 2 – Saved by Faith Alone, or Not? Are we saved by faith alone? Greg Morse, a Content Strategist at Desiring God, published an article relating to the topic, titled, “How to Train Your Dragons.” It was a thought-proviking piece that got many people thinking. The big point being made in the article is this — kill your sin before it kills you. I’m absolutely in 100% agreement that we must 100% repent of all sin. I’m with Greg on that one. However, some of the things he put forth were troubling to me. For instance, Greg wrote, “But what about being saved by faith alone? You’re not.” That’s a problem. In this episode of Discern Daily, let’s review the article and seek the truth together. [embed]https://youtu.be/dnJasIyfgRc[/embed] Highlights Desiring God is a great organization. I’m a big fan, but this article was unsettling for me. Is salvation promised to those who merely have faith without a desire to repent of all their sin habits? Is our salvation dependent upon our killing of sin? Morse makes a distinction between justification by faith and final salvation. But what about The Golden Chain of Redemption? “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30). Salvation comes when we place biblical faith in Christ. Repentance is produced out of that faith. Therefore, we really are saved by faith alone. A Helpful Excerpt of Calvin Now, since Christ confers upon us, and we obtain by faith, both free reconciliation and newness of life, reason and order require that I should here begin to treat of both. The shortest transition, however, will be from faith to repentance; for repentance being properly understood it will better appear how a man is justified freely by faith alone, and yet that holiness of life, real holiness, as it is called, is inseparable from the free imputation of righteousness. That repentance not only always follows faith, but is produced by it, ought to be without controversy. For since pardon and forgiveness are offered by the preaching of the Gospel, in order that the sinner, delivered from the tyranny of Satan, the yoke of sin, and the miserable bondage of iniquity, may pass into the kingdom of God, it is certain that no man can embrace the grace of the Gospel without retaking himself from the errors of his former life into the right path, and making it his whole study to practice repentance. Those who think that repentance precedes faith instead of flowing from, or being produced by it, as the fruit by the tree, have never understood its nature, and are moved to adopt that view on very insufficient grounds. ( Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin. Kindle edition, Book 3, chapter 3, section 1.) Share Your Thoughts What do you think about the article? What are your biblical convictions on the matter? None of us have a perfect theology, but together we can seek the truth and become sharper. Hope to connect with you.

Discern Daily Ep. 1 – Learning from Baptist Missionary William Carey This morning, I came across Nathan A. Finn’s article for IMB, titled, “Missionaries You Should Know: William Carey.” After reading through the article, I felt compelled to think upon its content and openly share a few thoughts. I thank God for William Carey and his legacy. Let’s dive into the article and unpack a few things. [embed]https://youtu.be/kpIZ8Adle9Q[/embed] Highlights Nathan Finn sums up Carey’s legacy — “Carey has been called the father of the modern missions movement in the English-speaking world because of his forty-plus years as a missionary in India and the role he played as a missions apologist.” You don’t need formal education to be a fruitful disciple. Carey was known as “mostly uneducated.” However, he is one of the most well-known missionaries ever. This reminds me of Acts 4:13 — “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” Every single believer should make disciples, baptize, and teach. Who is the Great Commission meant for? Can any disciple of Jesus baptize someone? Carey’s heart was to motivate every believer to take the gospel to foreign lands. We all have a role to play in the mission.