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There are plenty of churches that say they have a discipleship plan, but what most of them actually have is an education plan. The word “discipleship” is used in a lot of different ways in churches. It is amazing how many definitions we come up with for discipleship. In reality, the only meaningful definition of a disciple is the…

This summer, we’re partnering with Barna Group, a leading Christian research organization, to explore timeless principles around manhood. In this article, we’re exploring men and relationships, and why it’s always a good idea for men to do life with other men. We have an epidemic in our nation, and I’m not talking about COVID. This…

We are called by God to be disciples of Jesus. And the core mission of the church is to make disciples. So the most fundamental question is, “What is a Disciple of Jesus?” At Discipleship.org we recommend the following simple answer: A disciple of Jesus is someone who is following Jesus, being changed by Jesus,…

In 2017 on a return flight from Orlando back to Ohio, I sat quietly contemplating one main question posed at the Exponential conference I had just attended. And that question was, “What if when Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself, he meant your actual neighbor?” I’m certain there were many other great ideas and points…

In May 1971, a Texas newspaper featured an article titled “What They’re Saying” that quoted Frank Outlaw, president of the successful supermarket chain BI-Lo: “Watch your thoughts, they become words; watch your words, they become actions; watch your actions, they become habits; watch your habits, they become character; watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” It…

Becky and her husband had been looking for a church home. They stopped going to church during Covid and their combined anxiety and her history of addiction made them leery of being judged by church people. They knew Jesus and knew they needed to be in church, but it was hard to start over at…

If you were to ask a few of your friends, “What is a biblical worldview?”, what thoughts and emotions might be awakened within them and emerge across their tongue? My experience tells me that if these friends were an accurate cross-section of today’s western culture, some might respond with painful words like judgmental, arrogant, narrow-minded,…

We have a man in our church that is a chef…like 5-Star chef! He happened to be in my Life Group a few years ago and for our Christmas party he volunteered to cook a meal for our entire Life Group, kids included. The amount of food and the quality of the spread was unreal!…

Let me take a moment to share one of the most embarrassing moments of my entire life. I have changed some of the names in the story to protect the innocent. I have kept my name in the story, even though I would love to change it. The year was 2002, and I was settling…

Clarity breeds brevity. Lack of clarity leads to lots of words. Our churches today lack clarity on disciple making. That confusion is evident by the long list of words used interchangeably such as discipleship, coaching, mentoring, disciple making, and shepherding. Unfortunately, these words aren’t synonyms. Instead of clarifying the call to make disciples, they complicate…

There has been lots of discussion in disciple-making circles about the best size of group for your discipling relationships. Which size do you think is the best size? Some believe the best group is a missional community (20-50 people), some believe small group (10-15 people) is best, while others believe the transparent size group is…

My wife, Cindy, and I are currently enrolled in Parenting 2.0; some people call this season grandparenting. We are now six years into this course, and our five teachers are helping us learn much about ourselves, what we wish we had known in our first parenting experience, and our relationship with God. One reality that…