Long-term, pioneer, frontier missionaries can get a bit cynical. We’ve seen lots of problems. Many things have gone wrong over years of service. It is easy to start to see the negative, rather than the positive in both people and situations. When God sends young people your way on short-term mission teams, seeing them as …
He opened the Bible, flipping pages. “Which scripture should our Discovery Bible Study (DBS) be about today? Hmmm. I really like the book of Psalms!” He thought. “But my last two Bible studies were also from Psalms.” Pages turned as his hand swept through them. “Maybe the New Testament is better. How about something from …
Have you ever heard a catchy jingle on the radio, and then found yourself singing it later? These tunes get stuck in our heads. Advertisers know the power of repetition and simplicity. As we work to motivate disciples to become disciple-makers, we can use the power of repetition to influence them toward action. Jesus knew …
We looked down the path and saw him there. A young man lying on the ground, thrashing back and forth. His body out of control with some kind of seizure. Was it epilepsy? A demonic manifestation? What was going on? What should we do? Casting out evil spirits was something Jesus instructed His followers to …
Many disciple-makers hope to see God do something great among the unreached, but they follow a strategy that moves slowly from prayer into evangelism and then discipleship. They start by beginning prayer cells. If you are unfamiliar with this term, it’s when people are invited to attend a worship time and to receive prayer for …
Kids are easily distracted. When my children were young they’d start crying. Maybe they were angry about not getting a piece of candy they craved. I’d point out the window. “Look! See the birds?” Suddenly, their attention shifted. Now I do this with my grandkids. We can be like kids too – easily distracted from …
We moved around the room silently. One person was given a watch. Graciously receiving it, he silently prayed. Should he keep it or pass it on to someone else? Another person turned to his neighbor, he gave him a newly purchased jacket. The power of generosity was being released in the room as we did …
They stood in front of my gate, a group of angry men. Impatiently, they rang the gatebell again and again. They came with demands. Emotions ran strong. Who were they? Angry Hindu fundamentalists? No. Surprisingly (or not), they were a group of Christian pastors from our city. A sometimes unexpected obstacle we frequently face in …
“You are like a bulldozer,” he said. That was an unusual thing for someone to say! I wasn’t sure I liked that classification. What did it mean? As time has passed, I’ve come to understand what this prophetically gifted man was referring to. To release Disciple Making Movements (DMMs), you need to bulldoze your way …
“Here is water! Can you baptize me?” Philip was asked this question by the Ethiopian (Acts 8:36). Without hesitation, he immediately took action to help this new believer obey Jesus’ command. I wonder if we would have done the same. We may have said, “I’m not sure I am allowed to do that. I need …