Tag Archives: house church
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

Continue Reading
4
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! read more

Continue Reading
3
Church Planting Discipleship Missions

No Fruit Yet? 4 Ways to Stay Motivated

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022
stay motivated

When we work hard but don’t quickly see results, it’s just plain difficult. We need to know how to stay motivated in disciple making and evangelism while we wait for the fruit to come.

Lessons From Our Superheros

“With great power comes great responsibility,”

says Uncle Ben in the Spider-Man movie.

I love that quote. I can see the scene in my head and hear his voice. It’s an “Aha” moment for young Spider-Man. I guess that I just like superheroes.

These champions inspire us. They help us to dream of what might be possible, with a little superhuman strength.

Pursuing a Disciple Making Movement among unreached people requires superhuman strength. It requires God’s strength!

I interviewed some DMM superheroes to find out what they do to stay motivated in disciple making and evangelism when the fruit seems slow in coming. Some of these Super Heroes are people who pursued a Disciple Making Movement (DMM) without giving up for ten to fifteen years and are just now seeing breakthroughs. That kind of perseverance isn’t easy. Many would have quit long ago. These guys are heroes for sure! read more

Continue Reading
1
Church Planting Faith Inspiration

The Struggle to Believe for Disciple Making Movements

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Do you ever struggle for faith that disciple making movements are possible? Or possible in your place? Or possible through you? I certainly have. I’m not proud of it, but it is true.

Sometimes in what Michael Hyatt calls the “messy middle” we stop believing. The “messy middle” is a place between the vision’s beginning and it’s realization. It’s the place where we wonder if our dream is possible.

My Struggle For Faith

There was a long “messy middle” for me. It was 20 years from when I heard about DMMs (back then we spoke of multiplying daughter and grand-daughter churches) and the time I first saw 4th generation groups. On that journey, I often wanted to quit. I regularly doubted it could happen.

struggle for faith

I remember saying, “This isn’t a fair thing to ask people to do. For the vast majority of people, movements are just a dream. It’s like asking a junior league baseball team to attempt to win the World Series.”

Stuck In Unbelief

Let’s just call it what it was. I was stuck in the sin of unbelief. I didn’t believe God was able to do this through me or through the people I was training. Thank God, He took me through a process and convicted me of my unbelief. He renewed my faith. Faith not in myself, but in Him. read more

Continue Reading
0
Church Planting Discipleship Missions

Advent Thoughts: Who Did God Use?

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Who does God delight to reveal Himself to? Who does He so often choose to spread His message of love? Is it the qualified and trained? Or the ordinary person?

This Advent season, I’ve been reading again the incredible story of Jesus’ birth. There is so much to be amazed about, to ponder and think about in this story.

Today I asked myself the question: If I were the Messiah coming to earth, who would I first announce my arrival to?

I’d probably look for people of influence, good communicators, people who are believable and have credibility. I’d want to choose those who are well-educated and could clearly and eloquently articulate the message of my coming.

sheep-2545387_1280

Jesus chose to announce His long-awaited, miraculous arrival to shepherds in a field. Let that sink in for a minute. Uneducated laborers. Common people who lived outside among sheep.

Why in the world would God choose them? Doesn’t He know they don’t understand things very quickly?!! (I’m kidding of course, though I have definitely experienced first hand how it can sometimes be hard to get less educated people to understand certain concepts and principles!) read more

Continue Reading
0
Church Planting Discipleship Missions

What Makes a Church a Church?-Part 1

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022
church what is it

When people typically think of church, they think about a building, pastor, pulpit, church members, and a weekly meeting. Sadly, this is what the definition of a church has become. Even Merriam-Webster defines the word church as “a building for public and especially Christian worship.” This definition, though a commonly used one, is sadly not biblical.

Church – What Is It?

In the New Testament, the original Greek word for church is ekklésia. It means those who are “called out of the world to God.” To the Greeks it meant an assembly of people.*

There are two primary metaphors used in the New Testament to describe the church.

These are 1) the Body of Christ and 2) the Family of God. When the church functions as a body and a family, it begins to look like what the Bible describes as a church.

THE BODY OF CHRIST

The church is made up of people contribution different gifts.

“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” 1 Corinthians 12:12 NIV

In many “churches” only a few special people use their gifts. A highly trained and exceptionally gifted person speaks, professional musicians perform, lighting specialists do their thing…this is what “the church” has become. Many people attend and are entertained, but have no opportunity to use or develop their spiritual gifts. Often, there is little or no discipleship. read more

Continue Reading
2
Church Planting Discipleship Missions

What Makes a Church a Church?-Part 2

By on Tuesday, June 21, 2022
church definitions

Church definitions can be confusing. As a result, this question “What makes a church a church?” is an important question to ask! Last week, in Part 1, we looked at the two primary metaphors in the New Testament used to describe the church; the Body of Christ and the Family of God. Today we want to think about the Church’s function.

Church Definitions – House Church or Preaching Point?

In my organization, we make the end of the year reports about our church planting and discipleship progress. We want to know how many new churches have been planted each year so we can celebrate what God has done and accurately report what has been happening. As we do these reports, we face the question of the difference between a church and a “preaching point” or a “fellowship group.”

Another question arises. When does a Bible study or prayer cell become a church? What needs to happen for us to call it a church?

A good passage to draw clues about how the church is to function is in Acts-Chapter Two where the first church is described. read more

Continue Reading
2
Church Planting Discipleship Missions

Give the “Best Jesus presents” in 2017!

By on Sunday, December 3, 2017

It’s His birthday that we celebrate each year on December 25th, right? He should definitely be given a birthday gift. The question is what? What do you give to the One who made it all? What would really make His birthday a party in Heaven?

present-2891870_1280

In Luke 15, we find three very similar stories; the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son. Each of these stories ends with a description of what happens in Heaven when even one person repents. Can you imagine the party in heaven if 50 people repented? What if it was a hundred? Or 500? That would be a pretty big angelic celebration! I can imagine Jesus joining right in the dance! Woohoo! My beloved ones have come home!

I’m thinking that what really makes a party a party for Him is when there are lots of new names written in the Book of Life He keeps.

This Christmas, what if instead of focusing on our having a great party on earth, we focused on what would give Him a fun party in Heaven? It is His birthday after all! read more

Continue Reading
0