Tag Archives: dmms
Church Planting Discipleship Evangelism Missions

3 Things That Increase Bold Evangelism

By on Sunday, June 4, 2023
bold evangelism

“I have tried and tried to get the believers in our fellowship to share the gospel, but they are fearful, shy and just don’t seem able to witness. Bold evangelism just isn’t happening!”

This is not unusual to hear from the church planters I am coaching. What can we do to increase boldness and help the disciples we work with to overcome their fears?

3 Things That Increase Bold Evangelism

1. Receiving the Holy Spirit

The classic biblical example is Peter in Acts Chapter 2. When Jesus was being tried, three times he denied even knowing Him. He certainly wasn’t witnessing at that point! But after he received the power of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, he stood in front of thousands and boldly proclaimed the gospel with authority and conviction. If your church members aren’t witnessing, pray for them to receive the power of the Holy Spirit. It will make a world of difference.

2. Practicing

Many people lack confidence to witness. They are embarrassed when they stumble over their words or don’t know what to say, how to answer questions, etc. After teaching them how to share their testimony, make sure to take time practicing it in a safe environment with other believers. Let them share it several times and get feedback. Do the same when training people to share a Creation to Christ story. Practice builds confidence and helps them to overcome fear of failure. read more

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Church Planting Discipleship Missions Women in ministry

When God Restores- Women Get Included in the Inheritance

By on Sunday, May 21, 2023
women in missions

God created women in His own image. They hold a special place in His heart. God is using women in missions today like never before! It has always been His intention to uplift and release women into their full potential. It is part of His salvation and His restoration process that women receive their inheritance in the Kingdom.

At the end of the book of Job, we see a picture of restoration. He has been through testing and trials and now God blesses and restores. When He restores, He doubles all Job had. Job 42:10 says, “When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!”

Another interesting thing comes up in this passage at the end of Job. It is about Job’s daughters. As God restored Job’s life, he gave him seven more sons and three more daughters. Here is the interesting part. It says in Job 42:15, “In all the land, no women were as lovely as the daughters of Job. And their father put them into his will along with their brothers.” Job, after God had tested and then restored him, included his daughters in his will- he gave the daughters an inheritance! This was very unusual in his culture and time. It speaks of the change of heart and the transformation in Job that God had brought about. It was a preview of how God wants to use women in missions!
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Church Planting Discipleship Missions

Baptism Questions- Are They Ready?

By on Sunday, May 14, 2023
baptism are they ready

There is a question many disciple makers face with new believers. It centers around baptism- are they ready?

In the last few blogs, we have been looking at questions and issues around baptism. baptism-are they ready?People often delay baptism thinking the new believer is not ready to take this step. They need to grow more in their faith first, they say. Maybe we are waiting for new believers to stop certain bad habits like smoking or drinking. Sometimes we wait to baptize because we want a large group to be baptized together. Others delay for a long time because they are hoping a spouse will also believe and they can be baptized together. Some delay because the person isn’t yet a legal adult. Perhaps we don’t want to have to fill the baptism tank too often, or take time out of our church service to include this ceremony more than once or twice a year.

How Do You Know If They Are Ready To Be Baptized?

When do you baptize someone after leading them to faith in Christ?

Again, it is important to look to scripture on these issues rather than looking for guidance only at our church traditions or what we have seen done around us. Baptism- are they ready? We need to examine the scriptures for answers. read more

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Church Planting Discipleship Missions

Discipleship Accountability: Avoid or Embrace?

By on Sunday, April 30, 2023

One of the things I appreciate about the T4T (Training for Trainers) approach is how every meeting begins in the first section with reporting in on what you have done the past week to apply what you learned before. Likewise, every meeting ends with the setting of new goals. How are you going to obey and put into practice what you learned in the lesson or story? This accountability loop is a very important part of making obedient disciples.

Friendly accountability

It goes much further than this though. We must develop an appreciation, even an embracing of friendly accountability in our lives as leaders personally. As we model this, our disciples see it. They begin to value it as well.

This will ensure that friendly accountability becomes part of the DNA of the movement. By upholding this value, the movement will be stable and strong even after you, as the coach, trainer, initiator, or leader move on. Accountability seems an unfriendly, even “dirty” word to many though.

Granted a lot of people have had bad experiences in their lives with heavy-handed or unkind accountability. Some leaders demand accountability. Some abuse it. In my context in Asia, many have had teachers who were harsh and cruel when they didn’t measure up to what was expected. As we introduce friendly accountability in these contexts we need to be aware of this. It is a big shift of mindset for people to welcome and embrace friendly accountability! read more

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Church Planting Discipleship Missions

What NOT to Depend on in Disciple Making

By on Sunday, April 2, 2023
discipleship

Discipleship, especially when you are wanting to make true disciple makers, is a process that can seem long and difficult. We often look for shortcuts.

Have you ever found yourself trying to go somewhere fast and then decided to take a shortcut? You see this little lane and you are pretty sure it will cut through to the main road? “I’ll go for it,” you think. It seems like a good idea that will save you time and get you there faster.

As you are driving along on your motorbike or in your car, suddenly, the road narrows and there is a huge truck parked in the road. You can’t get by because the road is too narrow. That has happened to me more than once. Another time, I came up the road and suddenly found a big pile of rocks dumped in the road for the construction of a nearby building. Then there were the times I took a shorter road but hit an avalanche. When this happens, you back up, turn around, and by the time you get back to where you started from, you are frustrated, annoyed and it is 15 minutes later but you are still at the same place. read more

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Church Planting Discipleship

5 Things That Destroy Discipleship Movements

By on Sunday, March 12, 2023
Death Factors

Some months ago I wrote about 6 Factors That Get Your Movement Moving.  It’s always good to look at positive things we can do to see greater fruit and growth!

It is also important to be aware of what kinds of things kill a Disciple Making Movement(DMM).  Sometimes we call these “Death Factors.” These are things to be extremely careful about.  While seemingly normal or innocent, if your goal is a multiplying movement, they will definitely “sink your ship.” When these things start to happen, you can be sure that the movement will stop growing.  If you are just getting started, the movement can die before it every really starts.  There are other “death factors” to consider, but here are five of the most common.

1. Bringing Outside Funding Into The Movement

In Acts 20:34-35 Paul says,  “You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.  In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”  Paul went the extra mile to model tent making. He gave an example of locally generated funds. We need to train local believers that it is more blessed to give than receive.  We must protect the movements we start from the huge dangers of foreign funding. read more

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Church Planting Missions Women in ministry

Women Cry Out- Give Us Our Inheritance!

By on Sunday, November 27, 2022
spiritual inheritance

An interesting and profound story is found in Joshua chapter seventeen. It speaks of a man named Zelophehad who had no sons but only daughters. This is an amazing tale with many lessons about spiritual inheritance.

Inheritance For the Daughters

There must have been others in Israel who only had girls. These daughters of Zelophehad were different though. What was different about them? What does this have to do with seeing disciple making movements released??

Joshua 17:3 “However, Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. 4 They came near before Eleazar the priest and before Joshua the son of Nun and before the leaders, saying, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So according to the [c]command of the Lord he gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers. 5 Thus there fell ten portions to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is beyond the Jordan, 6 because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons. And the land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.” (NASB)
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Church Planting Discipleship Missions Prayer

Prayer- A Leader’s First Ministry

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022
prayer and leadership

A Disciple-Making Movement (DMM) leader’s most important job is to intercede for those they lead. Leader’s who accomplish much, do so on their knees. It is in the place of prayer that we hear His voice, gain direction, strength, perspective, encouragement and where ultimately our real breakthroughs happen. Prayer in leadership is essential.

Prayer Can Not Be Delegated

The work on our knees can not be delegated to others. It is the responsibility of every Christian leader to pray themselves. We need to lead the way in prayer. That is not to say that we don’t also mobilize and raise up many others to intercede. We do. We must. There are others who may spend more actual hours in prayer than we do, or who may carry the work of intercession in very significant ways. As leaders, delegation is an important skill. This is one that you cannot delegate away though.

Biblical Leaders Prayed

In scripture, there are many examples of leaders who considered prayer and intercession for their people as one of their most important tasks. We read of Moses and the way he interceded on behalf of Israel. We read of King Hezekiah’s prayers of intercession. Paul prayed much for those he was discipling and training. read more

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Church Planting Discipleship

Disciple Making Urgency and the Kingdom of God

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022
disciple making movements

Whether it is a cricket match between England and Australia or two teams playing in the Super Bowl- we like to pick a side. Who are you cheering for? The same is true in many other aspects of life. Disciple making urgency or transformational discipleship? Which is more important? Put more simply- what matters most? Getting people saved or transformed?

Both-And Not Either-Or

Many Kingdom priorities are not either/or issues. Instead, they are very much both/and. Jesus is both God and man. We must both love God and also love our neighbor. Our human tendency, however, is to put ourselves into one camp or the other on theological issues.

The Urgency to reach the lost versus transforming disciples in Disciple Making Movements (DMMs), is a both/and issue. We can not emphasize one and forget the other.

note-2762271_1280

Apart from a relationship with Jesus and accepting Him as Savior, unreached people are on a path toward a literal Hell.

and

Discipleship that changes lives and brings the Kingdom of God to Earth is a critical part of the gospel message.

We don’t get people saved just to give them a “get out of Hell” card and then think our work is done. They are not saved “from” something alone. They are also saved “to” something- a new life with Jesus here on Earth!

We have to fully embrace both of these things to see Disciple Making Movements that lead to the transformation of individuals, communities, people groups, and nations.

How I Accepted Christ- Is Hell A Real Place?

My own personal testimony connects with both of these important theological truths.

I was born in a missionary family and grew up in Africa. My mom and dad taught me from childhood about Jesus. I learned about God’s story from the time I was a baby.

When I was about four years old, I remember asking my mother a question. Is Hell a real place? My mom stopped whatever she was doing and took the time to talk to me.

“Yes, it is. But, you don’t have to be afraid of Hell. Put your trust in Jesus, ask Him to be your Lord and Savior. You can know for sure that you will go to Heaven when you die,” she explained to me. After a bit fuller description of the gospel message, she asked me, “Do you want to invite Jesus into your life to be your Savior?”

I wasn’t sure. Off I went to play. I kept thinking though. After some time I returned with the same question for my mom. “Is Hell a real place?”

This happened a time or two until finally I knelt beside my mother’s bed and prayed to invite Jesus to be Lord of my life. Though I was very young, I still remember the sense of joy that entered my little heart. I knew I was saved! My sins were forgiven and Jesus was now my best friend!

From that point so many years ago, I’ve been sure that if something happened to me and I died, I would spend eternity in Heaven with Him. The critical journey of discipleship, however, has been lifelong.

Lake Of Fire And The New Earth

In Revelation 20:15 and 21:1 both Hell and the New Heaven and Earth are mentioned together. That is interesting. Remember, chapter breaks and verses were added later.

“Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.” Rev. 20:15-21:1 NIV read more

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