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“I speak from the heart. If a seed is unplanted, it remains only one seed, but if it dies, falls to the earth and enters the ground, it will then grow and become many seeds.” John 12:24* I love reading this indigenous translation of the New Testament. Because the native languages have a tradition of…

Why don’t more Christians make disciples? It’s a problem that church leaders have been trying to solve for decades, if not centuries. The problem is straightforward, but the solution is anything but. Despite the efforts of disciple makers a break-through in this challenge has been elusive. The challenge is complicated by the disciple maker’s limp….

How do you make a disciple? Where do you begin? You may have never invested your life in another person. You may not really be sure how to get started. If that’s the case, don’t worry. God is preparing you right now to make a lasting investment in someone’s life that is going to result…

The dusty caves of Qumran, which are on the western shore of the Dead Sea, currently lie vacant. There are hundreds of caves covering the landscape. Roughly one thousand years prior to Jesus’ birth, young David hid for his life from the avenging King Saul. It was also from this wasteland that John the Baptist,…

Leadership is often synonymous with personal gain and recognition. However, true leadership goes beyond personal success to focus on investing in others and nurturing the future leaders. Cultivating disciple-making leaders The gospel’s call to create more leaders who can spread the message across the world resonates deeply with the essence of leadership. In John 15:8,…

Over twenty-four times in the gospels, Jesus spoke the words, “follow me.” In Greek, the word for this is akoloutheo, which means “to follow” or “to go behind” someone, either physically or in behavior and mindset. It carries the idea of being completely shaped by another’s example; to put your foot in the footprints of…

Lessons learned from climbing the Rockies The day was clear as we cautiously climbed our way up the steep northern slope of Challenger Point, a mountain summit in the Sangre de Cristo range of the Colorado Rockies. There are only ninety-five other “fourteeners” in the United States, and Challenger Point towers 14,087 feet into the…

A disciple-maker once said, “Justin, you must learn to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.” When I first heard those words, I was conflicted. On one hand, I wouldn’t say I liked the statement because I wanted results. I enjoyed the results of all the hard work I did for Jesus. Results that looked good…

“You!” The shift in tone cracked through the dusty lecture hall, abruptly interrupting the monotonous drone of the lesson. All eyes turned away from their studious notes or distracted doodles to focus on the weathered professor. “Hey, you!” the professor repeated, capturing the attention of every freshman in my Intro to Old Testament class. We…

Abiding with Jesus in the Chaos: Navigating Addiction, Parenting, and Faith “What is that annoying sound? Why won’t it stop?” I look at the clock, it’s 2 am. My phone is ringing and it’s an unknown number. My thoughts are racing, and my heart is pounding. I frantically grab my phone and sit up in bed…”hello…hello”…silence….

According to any personality test I have ever taken; I always scored in the 98th percentile of extroverts. Even before my relationship with Christ, being around others left me energized and felt life giving. In my walk with Christ over the years I am learning the value of relationships; especially within the context of disciple…