Inspiration

Discipleship Inspiration

When Pride and Insecurity Raise their Ugly Head in Disciple Making

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022
pride and insecurity

Arrogant, cocky, and with more than a little bit of attitude, a South Asian movement leader stood before me. “I’ve seen hundreds of people come to Christ this month and started over 60 new groups,” he declared, bobbing his head side to side. His demeanor made me sad, though I couldn’t deny the fruit he was seeing. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen these kinds of attitudes displayed by a movement leader. Young, apostolically gifted movement leaders need mentors to encourage and train them. They also can speak into issues of arrogance and pride when there is a strong relationship. We all need to check our attitudes and motivations as we pursue DMMs.

Success in Disciple Making Movements can breed pride. Failure to see results can lead to insecurity. Both are unhealthy and ungodly. Keeping a strong grip on our understanding of why we do what we do and of God’s unconditional love for us keep us grounded. This is crucial as we attempt to catalyze (start) movements.

Reminded of Grace

Since I mentioned an arrogant leader above, let me share the other side of the coin as well. His head hung down, and his shoulders drooped. Heaving a great sigh, he finally looked up. I could quickly see the sadness and grief in his eyes. “I’ve tried everything. I did all the steps you told me to do. No one is responding. Maybe I’m not the right person to be trying to do this.” read more

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Books & Movies Inspiration

Experiencing God As He Prepares For A DMM Around You

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022
experiencing God

At first, the Bible study looked overly simple. I thought I already knew the Biblical truths presented. Perhaps I did know most of it. God wanted me to experience those spiritual realities, even though I did not make it a priority at the time. The name of the life-changing study was Experiencing God.

A Bit of Background

Rewind a few years earlier.

I did not grow up in a family of Christ-followers. A classmate in high school first shared the good news of God’s kingdom with me back in 1984. My friend, Tyler, looked like the other teenagers around me. I could tell there was something different about him —a sense of peace and purpose.

I wanted to experience God’s peace and purpose, but my youthful rebellion and self-centeredness got in the way. For the first time, I heard Jesus Christ was the Way, the Truth, and the Life, yet I was still living life my own way.

During college, God’s love broke through my hard heart and began to change me. Then, while still in that season, God used a few older Christian brothers to disciple and mentor me. At that time, I remember hearing about a dynamic Bible study called, Experiencing God. It was by Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby, and Claude King. This study is based on seven spiritual realities of knowing God and doing His will. read more

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Facing Obstacles Faith Inspiration

Do Your Actions Demonstrate a Faith in the God of the Impossible?

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022
demonstrate faith

It is easy to say we believe God can do anything. “He is a God of the impossible,” we declare. In reality, our actions speak louder than words. Does your daily lifestyle reflect this? What steps of faith are you taking that lean hard on God to do what you can not?

As we pursue movements, we must continually grow as people of faith. Those who catalyze, or lead movements, have a robust faith in the God of the impossible. They demonstrate this faith through both their words and actions.

How Faith Grows in Us

Faith and trust are similar. In our relationship with God, trust grows as we know Him better and experience His work in our lives. We learn to depend on Him and believe Him for greater things.

These are a few things that grow our faith in God.

  • Spending regular time in the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)
  • Intentionally choosing to take faith risks and stretch ourselves.
  • Examining our childhood memories and asking God to heal. (Basic trust issues)
  • Reminding ourselves of who He is and what He has done for us in the past.

Throw Me Higher, Daddy

When our kids were little, one of the things they loved for my husband to do was to throw them up in the air. They delighted in the thrill of this. The higher he threw them, the louder they screamed “Again, daddy, again.”

He would hurl their little bodies up into the air, then catch them and pull them tight as they came down. Soon his arms would tire and he’d have to stop. They were always begging for more. read more

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Discipleship Inspiration Leadership

Don’t Let Your Hands Hang Limp- Overcoming Fear

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022
overcoming fear

Fear can be a hidden emotion. It manifests as anger, anxiety, or passivity. Like a deer that sees a car coming toward it, we freeze. It is not wrong to fear, but we can find ways of overcoming that fear. We can move courageously forward through our fear.

Fear paralyzes, but love activates.

As you think about the past week, have you been active in making disciples? Or passive?

When you notice yourself growing spiritually inactive, examine the cause. Is fear playing a role? Maybe you’ve been active, but you notice it’s difficult to motivate your disciples toward action.

His Love Activates Us

God’s personal and unconditional love is the source of a Jesus follower’s courage and hope. As we take in the reality of His great affection for us, we find strength. Knowing the Mighty One delights in us empowers us to reach out with His love toward others.

“Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you…”

Zephaniah 3:16-17a NIV. italics added.

Lead Them to The Lover of Their Souls

“How do I get the disciples in my group to be more active?” she asked in a coaching call. It’s a common question. We start the first group of disciples and it’s going well. But they don’t want to share the story or scripture with others. They seem paralyzed by fear. For some, it’s fear of persecution from their families or neighbors, for others, it is fear of rejection. The pandemic doesn’t help. read more

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Discipleship Facing Obstacles Inspiration

5 Important Reasons to Face Persecution With Joy

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022
persecution

It’s strange how we tend to overlook certain phrases in scripture while emphasizing others. It happened to me the other day. I was reading James 1:27, a verse about pure religion. I’ve always noticed the part about orphans and widows, but overlooked the phrase about keeping myself from being polluted by the world. Lately, I’ve felt a bit polluted when watching the news. I need to be careful. We do the same thing with scriptures about persecution. The fact that we easily overlook them is a bit troubling.

Persecution is something followers of Jesus must be trained to expect.

C. Anderson

They need help in how to respond to it appropriately. This is our responsibility as Disciple Making Movement catalysts, trainers, and spiritual leaders.

Back to ignoring parts of scripture. Another classic case for this is the part of the Great Commission that says we are to baptize. The go and make disciples phrase is emphasized while the baptizing part overlooked.

Turn your attention to the Sermon on the Mount. We emphasize the first seven beatitudes and overlook the eighth, “Blessed are those who are persecuted…” (Matthew 5:10). read more

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Inspiration Prayer

Important Questions As You Start the New Year

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022
Important questions

Happy New Year! As this year begins I find myself doing what I do in a 3 part disciple makers meeting. Taking time to reflect, pray, and listen is one of my important rituals each New Year’s Eve and Day.

I’m looking back, looking up, and looking forward.  Here are some questions I’ll ask myself.  Perhaps you’d like to use them too.

Important questions for LOOKING BACK:

– What has God done that I can thank Him for?

– What have I learned about who He is this year?

– What have I grown in as far as being a more effective and obedient disciple maker and minister?

Important questions for LOOKING UP:

– How does God feel about me at the close of this year?

– Is there a scripture passage that has been particularly meaningful to me in this past year?  

– What prophetic words or messages did I receive in the last year?  Which have come to pass and which are yet to be fulfilled? 

Important questions for LOOKING FORWARD:

– What does God want to say as I start a New Year?

–  Is there a particular Word or Promise He has for me? read more

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Church Planting Facing Obstacles Inspiration

When You Press Through and Persevere

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022
perseverance

“What is the most important quality in a disciple maker or church planter’s life?” she asked. I was thoughtful for a moment. Many things rose to my mind. Diligence, prayer, passion for the lost, ability to call others into the vision, my list was long. One thing rose to the top. Perseverance. Without an ability to stick to the task, in spite of obstacles, to resist distractions and press on, Disciple Making Movements don’t get launched.

God gave you passion and vision or you wouldn’t be reading this blog. Somewhere along the line, He breathed His heart into yours. It caught. A dream of multiplication began.

On the dusty, long road toward the release of a movement, we can get discouraged. Other ways of working seem appealing. Whatever happened to that promise that we would see a rapid multiplication of disciples transforming our area? Was it a crazy idea, or a missions fad?

You still long to see this happen, but doubts fill your mind. Maybe I’m not the right person to do this. Maybe it happens in other countries but can’t happen here. This is hard work! read more

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Facing Obstacles Inspiration Leadership Uncategorized

Will You Miss What God Is Doing In This Crisis?

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022
crisis

Crisis brings out the best and worst within us. Some personalities love a challenge. Adversity inspires them. Climbing Mount Everest, participating in a Triathalon, winning an Olympic medal…these people amaze me! Not everyone has an extreme adventure personality. Some of us freeze when there is a crisis. We have no idea what to do. Others are pessimistic by nature. When a major problem hits, they see all the possibilities of what could go wrong.

In the midst of the COVID-19 global crisis, what kind of person will you be?

While much of our natural response to a crisis is driven by our personality or background, we have a choice to make as well. Will we respond in faith? Will we look to God and seek Him for the opportunities these difficulties afford us? Or will we freeze, paralyzed, and pessimistic?

Hope is contagious. Faith is too. The world is looking for those who are full of hope, who are confident in this crisis. They will notice those who are compassionate and responsive to the needs around them. read more

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Evangelism Inspiration Prayer Strategy

Will You Focus on the Living or the Dead this Easter?

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022
dead

The news has been full of death statistics of late. New York Post headlines from April 8th read “Coronavirus kills 1,000 in NYC in just 36 hours.” Not good news! On April 5th, the death toll in Spain had crossed 12,000 dead. How are we to celebrate Easter in such a time?

If there ever was a time for us to proclaim the incredible news of Christ’s resurrection it is now.

Jesus is alive. He conquered death and the grave. By His stripes, those He suffered on Calvary, we are healed (Is. 53:5). The coronavirus has no grip on Him…nor on us! What a wonderful message we have to share.

And God’s people are sharing it! There is evidence that Disciple Making Movements are growing in this season. Many are coming to Christ. It is time to press in and make disciples like never before.

Accepting Christ Online

One of the Nepali church planters I previously coached shared this. “A Nepali brother in Malaysia accepted Christ online yesterday. He was having trouble sleeping. We prayed for him and shared the good news.” Others from Africa report similar online responses to the gospel. It’s important that these people are followed up and trained as disciple makers. We don’t want to just see “conversions.” We want to see multiplication! read more

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Inspiration Missions Prayer

A Holy Dissatisfaction- My Prayer for 2020

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022
holy dissatisfaction

This is an inside look at my heart, an invitation to pray with me today. I invite you to join me in holy dissatisfaction.

As I do each year, I’ve been pondering my goals for the coming year. What is God wanting to do? What is He laying on my heart to believe Him for? I want to be focused on the right things…the God things not just the good things or the many things.

You likely do too. It’s the start not only of a new year but a new decade.

As I pray, I find myself filled with what is best described as a holy dissatisfaction. I’m longing for more.

Instead of an informational blog this time, I’d like to share the prayer I wrote in my journal yesterday.

A Prayer for 2020

Lord, as I look to the New Year, You know I cannot do more. I can’t work harder. I can only choose to abide in You more attentively…to seek You, boldly asking You for more. Jesus, You are the One who can do the impossible, not me.

Stir in me a holy dissatisfaction with the status quo. Let my measuring stick be to become like You, to reflect You to the world, to see Your Kingdom come on Earth. read more

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