What Does it Mean to “Make Disciples”?
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”—Matthew 28:19 (NKJV)
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In this theme
Where is the Fruit?
Jesus concluded His earthly ministry by commanding His disciples to reach out to people beyond the walls of the Church and to make disciples of all nations.
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Becoming Spiritual Mothers and Fathers
I tell people now that I feel we are pastors to the people we encounter on our outreach adventures. We are pastoring people outside of a traditional church setting because many of the people we…
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Protect the Seed
I still remember this encounter vividly—not because of what was said, but because of the physical reactions of the two ladies we encountered.
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Hurting People with Good Intentions
In the 3rd chapter of Acts, Peter fastened his eyes on a lame man and said, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6 KJV). Then he took the hand of the lame man and…
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Crossing Over to the Dark Side of Ministry
“For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; but [to the one who has shown mercy] mercy triumphs [victoriously] over judgment.”—James 2:13 (AMP)
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Violating People Spiritually
Almost a year ago, a couple from our outreach group went into the store where Ginger worked at the shopping mall and told her that they were learning to interpret dreams. They asked Ginger if she…
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The Ministry Approach: Asking Questions That Draw People Out
I recently lost a good friend. Kent and I had known each other for several years. He was a very insightful person and a deep thinker. When we met for lunch, he often would tell me about the books…
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Good Soldiers in God’s Army
Each of us is called to be a “good soldier of Jesus Christ” and to endure the hardships and suffering that come with that calling (2 Timothy 2:3).
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Submission vs. Lawlessness
Jesus’ actions as a 12-year-old in the temple created chaos and distress for his authorities.
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Choose Character Over Gifting
John Paul Jackson taught us that if we insist on pursuing what we are gifted to do, while disregarding the limits that our authorities have placed upon us, then we are exalting our gifts above our…
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The Blessings of Waiting
It really doesn’t matter how gifted you are, how much education you have received, how close to God you are, or how much wisdom and insight you have.
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Waiting for Your Commissioning
“But if I submit to my parents or my church authorities, I will never be able to enter into God’s calling for my life!”
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The First Test
We usually think that Jesus’ first real test came after His baptism when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, but actually, the first testing of Jesus that is recorded in Scripture…
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Principles of Jesus' Ministry
In my previous book, Doing the Works of Jesus: Becoming a Disciple Who Loves, certain principles were presented that were fundamental to Jesus’ ministry. It is helpful to remind ourselves of these…
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Our Ultimate Model
"But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus."—Ephesians 4:20–21 (NKJV)
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Self-Evaluation: How Prepared Are You Now?
Appropriate preparation is essential to maximize our effectiveness in ministry. Jesus did not send out the twelve on the first day of their discipleship; and He did not send them out without…
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Preparation Piece 5: Availability
Appropriate preparation is essential to maximize our effectiveness in ministry. Jesus did not send out the twelve on the first day of their discipleship; and He did not send them out without…
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Preparation Piece 4: Confidence
Appropriate preparation is essential to maximize our effectiveness in ministry. Jesus did not send out the twelve on the first day of their discipleship; and He did not send them out without…
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Preparation Piece 3: Practice
Appropriate preparation is essential to maximize our effectiveness in ministry. Jesus did not send out the twelve on the first day of their discipleship; and He did not send them out without…
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Preparation Piece 2: Training
Appropriate preparation is essential to maximize our effectiveness in ministry. Jesus did not send out the twelve on the first day of their discipleship; and He did not send them out without…
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Preparation Piece 1: Equipping
Appropriate preparation is essential to maximize our effectiveness in ministry. Jesus did not send out the twelve on the first day of their discipleship; and He did not send them out without…
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The Greater the Darkness,The Greater the Anointing
In Jesus’ ministry, part of the reason for His great impact was the contrast of bringing such great light into a place of such great darkness.
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Look on the Fields
In some outreach events, we consistently have people lined up, waiting for their chance to receive ministry, sometimes waiting for over an hour in unpleasant conditions. When we've offered…
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My New Best Friend
During our ministry encounters with people outside the walls of the church, we build rapport. We accept and love people as they are. We don’t require them to change in any way before we minister…
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Accepted Just as They Are
During our ministry encounters with people outside the walls of the church, we build rapport. We accept and love people as they are. We don’t require them to change in any way before we minister…
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As the Father Draws Them
We have noticed that when people come to us in outreach settings, they tend to open up to us. They let their defensive “walls” and barriers down. They share openly with us about their problems and…
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"I Send You Out"
When Jesus commissioned his disciples, he did not send them into churches. Jesus sent them out into the cities and towns, after His example.
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Who Do We Love?
If you believe that we are supposed to love everybody, look again. Surprisingly, God never commanded us to love everybody. That’s God’s job. He’s big enough to handle it.
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Seeds of a Great Harvest
God’s justice provides compensation packages for our pain and losses that more than make up for the losses that we’ve suffered, even if we’ve suffered the devastating loss of a child. If we have…
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The Greatest Problems Can Lead to the Greatest Blessings
Think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel. They were thrown into a fiery furnace. Big interruption in their plans, right? But they declared to the king their complete…
Read more →Thank God for Problems!
If we can get a glimpse of how God orchestrates the seemingly insignificant circumstances of our lives on a daily basis, we would feel a great sense of security and peace, knowing that God has…
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Seeing Interruptions from God's Point of View
Divine appointments come disguised as interruptions. They come with bad attitudes, at inconvenient times, acting inappropriately. Examples from Jesus' life include the Gaderene demoniac, the…
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The "In-Between" Times
One thing that you may notice as you study the significant events in Jesus’ ministry is that very few of them were scheduled. For example,
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Outside the Church Walls
As we examine the ministry of Jesus, it is remarkable to realize that most of the significant events in Jesus’ ministry happened outside of the “church” meetings of His day—meetings in the…
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Step into Maturity
We may be motivated with a desire to help others, but how can we best do that? What should we look to as our model for ministry? I believe it can be found in Jesus' words in John 14:12 (NKJV):
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The Desires of Our Hearts
If you will put God first in your life, seeking his Kingdom, doing His will, and giving priority to His concerns, you will see that He will honor that by personally taking care of you in return.…
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Always on Time
If you will put God first in your life, seeking his Kingdom, doing His will, and giving priority to His concerns, you will see that He will honor that by personally taking care of you in return.…
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The Challenge
You may have a desire to do God's work and to serve Him in ministry, but other needs may seem to be taking priority. You may have thought, "How can I get involved in ministry to others when I have…
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What Does it Mean to Do the Works of Jesus?
(An updated excerpt from Doing the Works of Jesus: Book 1: Becoming a Disciple Who Loves)
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