Discipleship Archive
by Sean Nolan, Family Life Pastor at Christ Fellowship Church in Fallston, MD It is likely that your children’s church environment includes a time of prayer. My experience has been that in most children’s ministries this time generally looks like this: teacher asks students about their weeks and asks if anyone has any prayer requests teacher writes down requests and then prays for class off …
“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” —Rudyard Kipling Stories capture our imaginations. Stories clarify abstract concepts. Stories imprint long-term memories. A well-told tale will both instruct and motivate any audience. Jesus often laced unforgettable stories into His sermons. Via stories, the Lord related truths that rebuked His detractors and energized His followers. As educators who grasp the …
Discipleship Truth: Saints from previous centuries left a clear trail to follow. They walked by faith, not by sight. They stored up treasure in heaven (their true home). They fixed their eyes on Jesus, not allowing distractions, travails, or personal pleasures to alter their course. They remained faithful to the end. As a result, God is not ashamed to be called their “Father” (Hebrews 11:13-16). …
Empowering volunteers is a critical, yet challenging process. Failure to empower others inevitably leads to the “do it yourself” mode. This culminates in volunteer under-utilization and leadership exhaustion! The solution is simple. To create a culture where volunteers are enabled to solve problems without requiring constant supervision, they need intentional, hands-on training. Volunteers who internalize the mission, heart, and policies of the church can make …
Discipleship Truth: In the upper room, Jesus prayed that friendships among all His followers would mirror the oneness that Christ enjoyed with His heavenly Father. “May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent Me and that you love them as much as you love Me” (John 17:23). Jesus prayed for Christians to love, to worship, and to serve alongside …
God has given parents primary responsibility for the spiritual training of their children. But many parents don’t know where to begin. They feel overwhelmed with this responsibility. So, parents often entrust this task to the Church or to chance. In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus Christ commissioned the Church with the task to “make disciples.” Regarding children, many churches today are doing a poor job discharging that …
Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly. (Proverbs 14:29) Our culture certainly doesn’t promote patience. People are accustomed to drive-through banking, fast food, instant oatmeal, and on-demand entertainment. Making someone else wait is considered poor customer service or rude behavior. Because our fast-paced world expects instant results, patience is often in short supply! When personal challenges drag on and …
