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Another objection to following Jesus’ model goes like this: “Okay, Jesus may have had a plan, but he’s JESUS…I’m not. There is no way I can do what Jesus did.” Underneath that objection is a faulty Christology. Most pastors embrace the truth that Jesus is fully God.  Colossians 1.15-17 states it clearly. “He(Jesus) is the image of the invisible God,…

The very first discipleship group I ever led met once a week in the basement of my parent’s home. I lived there at the time, and they allowed me to have a group of five guys come over each week to invade their house and hang out in the basement for an hour or two. …

Five years ago, Sarah* and I traveled with two African teammates for two days over bad roads to a town in a remote corner of West Africa. It was hot and dusty, and our vehicle had no air conditioning. We had a tire blow out one night on a remote stretch of road. But it…

I have been in ministry for over forty years and I have been the pastor of one local church for almost thirty-four years. Being in ministry that long means some things get really old, besides the pastor! Certain tasks get old. Some meetings get old. Complaints and criticisms get old. Certainly, you can understand why…

Among the Maasai People in East Africa, older men (those over 50) live outside, tending their cattle. They rarely enter buildings and would never consider entering a church building. For years, missionaries visited the Maasai to preach to them. The men were skeptical and felt foreigners had an agenda to convert them from their way…

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away . . . I was an art student. In fact, I was once certified to teach art in grades K-12. Why didn’t I pursue this career? A deciding factor was a grade on a watercolor painting. The painting was a collection of nondescript bottles gathered…

Farrah,* a woman deeply rooted in her Islamic faith, stood strongly against other religions. One day, our team conducted a Discovery Bible Study (DBS) in her village, and her children attended. When she discovered they were there, she called them home and beat them badly.  Despite that, her children continued to come back to gatherings,…

“It’s not what we do but who we are”. This phrase has become a common cry by many of us in the Relational Discipleship Network. Wow! The last year challenged this statement in my life. Relationships and areas of my life that once were simple are now complicated. It seems with every 30 days we…

How do you define love? In the old movie Love Story, love means never having to say you are sorry, but I have never found that to work. The word love brings many thoughts and feelings to our hearts and minds. Many poets have expounded on it’s virtues, describing it romantically. Old rock and rollers…

Just about every news cycle shows people on a college campus, city hall, and even at the U.S. Capitol yelling at each other. There is no curiosity to investigate the real facts; it is usually driven by emotion and a sense of self-righteousness. There is no relationship or willingness to listen to another viewpoint. Many…

IDENTITY “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone: a new life has begun.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 Richard Dietrich, a youth pastor friend, was leading a student mission trip to Poland years ago. Knowing that his wife had Polish ancestry, he decided to find the…