Discipleship Archive
“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.” (Psalm 37:3-5) Discipleship Truth: God is the supreme centerpiece of the universe. He eclipses everything else. Without the Lord’s vigilant attention, all life would end—matter …
“I love coming to church, ‘cause I get to see my friends!” Trevor announced to his mom as they entered the children’s area. As Trevor walked into his kindergarten classroom, he immediately greeted Caleb and Mei. They invited Trevor to help build a tall block tower; then he regaled his friends with a new joke. At ages 5 and 6, children typically love to make …
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25 ESV) Discipleship Truth: Jesus often surprised His disciples by giving them tasks that they felt incapable of performing. To expand …
Going Hoarse? During my first summer as a camp counselor, I lost my voice almost every week. Each game, devotional, and worship time seemed to require loud yelling to control the kids. I stumbled through my weekly responsibilities with hoarse, cracking speech. And the joy of the job was fading! Thank heaven for Steve, then. As our camp leader, Steve had mastered the art of holding …
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17 ESV) Discipleship Truth: Jesus made …
FIRST, imagine you are a mom visiting your church nursery: As you enter the doors of the new church, you silently pray that God will smile on your day. You hold your child snugly—feeling hopeful, yet fearful. The colorful pastel nursery hallways please you; the happy voices and faces encourage you. Maybe you’ve found “home.” “Please, Lord, make this a ‘good’ day!” Your smiling face …
In 2008 our family was hit hard by the recession. With the financial downturn, we knew that a “normal” Christmas was not possible. After much discussion, we decided to participate in a very simple, homemade gift exchange with inexpensive and creative gifts. As Christmas approached I wondered how our family would do—gift giving was a huge part of our holiday tradition. Would Christmas feel the …
