discipleship

  • Selected Passages from Acts, Part 2

    Discipleship Lessons from the Life of Barnabas.

    Before leaving earth, Christ left a task for each believer in the church: to make disciples as a way of life (Matthew 28:19). Last week, we saw three requirements of disciple-makers from the life of Barnabas. This week, we will look at four expectations in the discipleship process.

  • Selected Passages from Acts

    Discipleship Lessons from the Life of Barnabas.

    Before leaving earth, Christ left a task for each believer in the church: to make disciples as a way of life (Matthew 28:19). We flesh out what it means to love God and others through disciple-making. As we exercise our own spiritual gift, each believer is also to be teaching truth from God's Word.

  • 1 Timothy 5:22-25

    Respect shown to worthy pastors ensures longevity with integrity for the church.

    In the second half of 1 Timothy 5, Paul teaches Timothy and the Ephesian churches how to obtain quality leadership. We have already looked at how pastors are to be compensatedand how to handle an unrepentant pastor. Paul reminds Timothy that that shepherding God's people is a sober undertaking done "in the presence of God." Next, Paul instructs Timothy how to choose church leaders so he can avoid dealing with the same issues in the future.

  • Matthew 4:12-25

    Jesus is a King like no other, with the divine right to rule your life.

    The book of Matthew was written to a Jewish audience to convince readers that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Our passage immediately follows Jesus' coronation (His baptism by John) and His testing by God. Unlike any other king, Jesus performed perfectly under the test. He resisted the tempter, commanded his worship, and finally banished him.

    What will the reign of this King be like? Matthew 4:12-25 shows the first three acts of King Jesus which set the tone for His rule.

  • 1 Timothy 1:12-17

    The Protective Value of a Genuine Testimony.

    Every believer has been born again of a supernatural cause. Paul gives his testimony in the first chapter of his letter to Timothy to remind him that spiritual new birth is what keeps the church revived, refreshed, and protected. A healthy church is one that sees people being saved, discipled, and serving. This is the natural progression that God uses to build His church. One person who walks with the Lord can have a spiritual influence so great that only the Lord knows its true extent.

  • Luke 9

    Who Comes First?

    A disciple is simply someone who follows Christ. Luke 9:57-62 and a parallel passage in Matthew 8:18-22 tell of Jesus' interaction with three different disciples. It is easy to follow Jesus when doing so is popular, but many disciples leave when things become difficult (John 6:66). Jesus' response to each disciple highlights the question of who they will follow first. Each one's heart attitude is revealed in what the Lord says to him.

  • Psalm 43

    What does an ungodly nation need from the body of believers?

    This psalm asks a significant question on this July 4th weekend, a question relates to the current moral character of our country. Any ungodly nation needs believers in its midst to send out God's light and truth to individual men and women.

  • 1 Timothy 1:2

    Spiritual Fathers — Spiritual Sons

    Paul wrote the book of 1 Timothy to encourage the believers at Ephesus, then instruct them about the structure of the church so they could make spiritual progress. First he had to encourage their leader, his "true son in the faith," Pastor Timothy. Paul was Timothy's spiritual father. He had mentored Timothy in personal growth and in ministry. What fruits did Paul desire to see in his spiritual son -- and what should we pray to see in our spiritual children?

  • Mother's Day

    Mothers Who Prepare Their Children to Be Spiritual Leaders.

    From preachers to presidents, good leaders have often praised the value of virtuous mothers. We celebrate motherhood this week because the Bible also honors women. Jewish genealogies did not include women, yet Jesus' mother is mentioned by name in Matthew 1:16. The Bible mentions Mary because she displays several virtues that should characterize all Christians. What can we learn from her godly example?

  • 1 Timothy Introduction

    The Personal and Corporate Integrity of the Church.

    Corporate purity in a church comes from the personal purity of its people. In God's divine order, people will become like their leaders. Paul wrote Timothy to watch his own life and doctrine so he could lead the church of Ephesus well. When it comes to doctrine, there is no "wiggle room." Even though Paul spent the most time establishing the Ephesian church, some people there were okay with deviating slightly from biblical doctrine. A thread of falsehood can creep into the most well-taught church. We are all prone to this error in our fallen natures, but the Word of God acts like a hammer to correct both our doctrine and our practice of it.

  • Acts 16, Part 6

    Learning the Development of the Church.

    We continue to follow Timothy's journey as he learns how God builds His church. The normative pattern we see in the book of Acts is not churches being grown around programs or a person. God's primary way to grow a church is through people getting saved as a result of believers interacting with the unsaved. A church grown around the Bible will have the desire to plant other churches, then network together to reach even more regions in the world.

  • Ephesians 3:14-21, part 2

    Theme: The enjoyment of unseen spiritual realities prepares our hearts for unified daily living in God’s glorious church.

    This week, we finish up the doctrinal teaching portion of Ephesians. Paul’s main point can be summarized in 1 sentence: God desires to take every soul on the globe, from various cultures and backgrounds, and blend them into one family in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

    This pinnacle passage takes the form of a prayer, preparing us for the practical instructions to come in chapters 4-6. Last week we discussed God’s Enablement and Indwelling. Remember that these four aspects flow into one another as a natural Spirit-given progression. If we’re governed by the Spirit, Christ will feel at home in our hearts. As Christ is at home in our hearts, we will know the infinite measure of love God has given to us in His Son Jesus Christ. As we know that love, we will know increasing maturity over time.

  • Ephesians 3:7-9

    Theme: We have adequate, divine resources to fulfill Christ’s mission in a way that honors Him.

    Paul continues discussing the resources available to Christians in service of the “mystery.” What was not formerly understood by everyone is now revealed: God offers the Gospel to all the world. Paul’s focus shifts back to his person for these verses – but he is also describing you! All members of the new, unified Christian family have a responsibility to carry out the mission.

  • Ephesians 2:1-10

    Living Contrasts: From Death to Life in Christ

    Paul often describes our lost state to set up a contrast with our new life in Christ.

    The structure of this passage reveals its main points. The Greek only contains 2 sentences (verses 1-7 and verses 8-10) but three sections. This week we will look at the first sentence, which outlines two different states of being: lost and saved, dead and living.

  • Ephesians 1:3-14

    Theme: Our Eternal Foundation, part 2 – Every Spiritual Blessing is in Christ.

    You may not have a million dollars waiting to be claimed by you, but Christ has something of indescribable value with your name on it. Our passage today may be the most exhaustive description of the value of our salvation in Scripture. Though these spiritual blessings are outlined as experienced in the past, present, and future, they all came to us at the moment we believed.