In our fast-paced, digitally connected world, the concept of friendship has often been reduced to superficial interactions and casual acquaintances. But what does true friendship look like from a biblical standpoint? Let’s explore this profound topic and uncover the deep, transformative power of genuine friendships. The Loneliness Epidemic Despite being more “connected” than ever before,…
In our fast-paced, individualistic world, it’s easy to lose sight of the importance of genuine connection within our faith communities. Yet, the heart of Christianity beats strongest when believers are truly connected – to God, to each other, and to their purpose. This interconnectedness is not just a nice-to-have; it’s essential for spiritual growth and…
So how can we know what God’s will for us is in our everyday lives? How do we make decisions that align with His purposes? The key lies in us recognizing and understanding how God communicates with us. God speaks through the Holy Spirit, using four primary channels: the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church.
“Discover the paradoxical journey to true peace in ‘The Paradox of Peace: Finding True Harmony in a Chaotic World.’ Explore how internal transformation, spiritual humility, and divine wisdom can help you become a peacemaker. Learn to navigate life’s challenges with compassion, grace, and a profound sense of purpose, and uncover the deeper truths that lead to lasting harmony in a world filled with discord.”
In the world of wrestling, coaching is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Each wrestler on a team is at a different level of skill and development, requiring a tailored plan to help them progress. As a coach, it is crucial to understand where each individual is in their journey and to provide guidance that suits their…
Welcome to the first episode of the Church is a Team Sport Podcast with Jim Putman! As many of you know, Jim grew up in a Christian household, but walked away from the faith during his High School and College years. Sports became his God and he became an All-American 3 times as a wrestler…
It is not surprising that first-time leaders will often experience feelings of nervousness and fear when stepping up to lead a group. Even when you feel like you have some tools to navigate this new role, understanding the next steps for your group can be challenging and feel like a journey into the unknown. In…
The bottom line for spiritual maturity is love, according to 1 Corinthians 13. But what is real love? Have you noticed that many of the songs we listen to are about love? Most movies on the big screen offers some kind of primary or secondary romantic plotline. Most TV shows portray a love interest. Most…
It has been 25 years since we came to North Idaho to plant a church we called Real Life Ministries. As a young man I had determined I was never going to work in a church, let alone plant a church, but God had a different plan. This year is the 25th anniversary of Real…
When it comes to Christianity, there have been various issues that have sparked debate and disagreement throughout history. At Real Life Ministries, we divide these issues into three categories: salvation, unity and peace essentials, and preferences. The first category focuses on the core beliefs necessary for salvation. These are the beliefs that someone must…
What is a Disciple? When it comes to Discipleship – we try to empower our leaders with tools that they can utilize as they are both living out and teaching others along their journey. One of these tools is our powerful Head, Heart, and Hands analogy. Here is where that comes from: At Real Life…
How do you measure the impact your Church’s discipleship culture having in the homes of your people? Church leaders usually have ways to discover if the discipleship culture they’re trying to promote is actually happening throughout the church. But how can we know the impact of church discipleship in the home? For instance, how can…
Ten years ago I partnered with Bobby Harrington to write the book DiscipleShift, where we talked about the the need we were seeing for relational disciple making in churches around the country. Since that time we have actually seen many churches and church leaders make a shift towards disciple making, at least in their language…
I am excited to share with you a new workbook put together by myself and our Real Life Ministries Team. For many years leaders who have gone through our Real Life Discipleship Manual have asked us if we had something with a similar format that was for everyone, not just leaders. This is that…
In the beginning, God created a world where God and man walked together – they were in relationship with each other, and man’s identity was defined by his creator. There were no barriers between them. But God also gave man the ability to choose, to decide for himself if he wanted to remain in that…
I am the lead pastor/minister of a church in Post Falls, Idaho, but many people who know me have heard about my past in wrestling. At the collegiate level, I wrestled in national championships. They also know I was an unbeliever who took my skills learned in wrestling to the streets. Unfortunately, fighting was a…
We often read the gospels to study the person of Jesus, and the teachings of Jesus, but we miss that within the story there is a method and model to follow. As we read, we should be looking at how Jesus SHARED, when Jesus SHARED, and who He SHARED with. We should look at where…
In the book of Genesis, we see that God created the perfect setting for us to be in relationship with him and with each other. His plan included us walking with God, walking with our spouse, doing the job of managing the world, and then creating a community. And God said – I want to…
You are called to be a disciple. Let me start you off with making it clear that if you have truly accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord, you are a disciple. A disciple has not only been drawn to Jesus, they have also accepted the invitation. If God drew you then He has a purpose…
The work of studying Scripture and really looking at what God’s word has to say about discipleship has been the journey of my life. It’s what I care most about – it also leads into everything that Real Life Ministries is as a church, from our programs and leaders to our staff and our…
In this world many find it hard to stay committed to each other for the long haul in a marriage. It is even harder to stay committed to a church, where you’re dealing with the personalities of not just one person but many. Many may not be mature at loving others or even have a…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] I am excited to share with you something that I have been working on – a new book called The Revolutionary Disciple, written by myself and my friend Chad Harrington. We are releasing the book this September. In the book we lay out a path for navigating the Five Spheres of Discipleship in the…
I often share with the church leaders I coach, some of the important shifts I have had to make in my thinking in order to continue to lead and protect the culture we have at Real Life Ministries. One of the things I had to learn the hard way, was that we needed to protect…
In 2003 the Commission on Children at Risk published a study called Hardwired to Connect: The New Scientific Case for Authoritative Communities. The commission, made up of doctors, research scientists, and youth service professionals, described “recent scientific findings suggesting that children are biologically ‘hardwired’ for enduring attachments to other people and for moral and spiritual…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] “Wisdom is the quality of discerning what is true, what is ethically right, and what should be done in different situations.” That is hard enough to do under normal circumstances – but how do we strive for wisdom in our decisions and choices when we are under fire from an unstable world around us?…
Here are some thoughts I shared with my congregation on where I think our mindset should be at all times as disciples of Jesus, but especially when we go in to place our vote in a political election. 1: Christians have a responsibility to vote. 2: What kind of people should we be?…
A few months ago I sent out an email to my readers asking them to share their number one problem when it comes to making disciples. I received many, many emails. A number of different themes came up as I read through them, but one thing in particular stood out. A large number of you…
Every January 1st people tend to take time to look back at the year they have just finished, and look ahead to the one that is coming. It is a time to set personal goals for the future – things they want to achieve or change in the upcoming 12 months. Initially, the local gym…
Bill Hull, host of The Bonhoeffer Show Podcast, interviews Jim Putman about his story – and how a National championship wrestler who had turned his back on God, became a world wide disciple making leader- “The Bonhoeffer Show is a no holds barred interaction around religion, culture and politics. The shows purpose is to call…
I am often asked about the tools I use for discipleship, and our church has been working on putting together a library of some free downloadable discipleship resources on our website. As many of you know, my Dad was my main disciple maker and extremely instrumental in bringing me from atheism to belief in God. My…
If you are a disciple of Jesus, you have two families. The first one, the family of origin, is the one you were born into. You had no control or choice in this matter. Your family of origin may have been very nurturing, or it may have had disfunction. Either way – your family of…
If you have read my books or posts or listened to my sermons, there should be no doubt in your mind that I believe discipleship begins with and is sustained by relationship. However, disciple makers also must be ready to give an answer, defend the faith, and teach their disciples the truth of the Bible…
I find that people who often have the hardest time becoming relational are those who have been in church a long time. If you ask personal questions, they don’t want to talk. They will often point to the Bible and say, “This is all we need for spiritual growth. Read it. Study it. Learn it.”…
As a senior pastor of Real Life Ministries and a board member with the Relational Discipleship Network, I am passionate about the importance of a relational environment to making disciples of Jesus. Small Groups are one such relational environment that works well when trying to create a culture of disciple making in your church. Because…
Spiritual maturity should be the goal of every Christian, but we need to be sure we are on the journey ourselves before we attempt to help the body of Christ become more mature. Some people will “check out” of church because they will not get what they had hoped or expected. They will think of…
On part two of this Focus on the Family podcast, Pastor Jim Putman and his dad Pastor Bill Putman, representing three generations of prodigals, candidly discuss the difficult challenges they and their families have experienced, and offer practical advice and encouragement to families with prodigals. You can watch the video of this podcast by clicking…
On part one of this Focus on the Family podcast, Pastor Jim Putman and his dad Pastor Bill Putman, representing three generations of prodigals, candidly discuss the difficult challenges they and their families have experienced, and offer practical advice and encouragement to families with prodigals. You can watch the video of this podcast by clicking…
With the rise of technology and social media platforms in the past few years, people now have a 24/7 window to look into the lives of those around us or in our world at any given time. Because of this, the temptation to compare our lives to others is one that is hard to avoid.…
Download pdf It is both the job and privilege of every Christian to be a disciple of Jesus. And part of that job is the call to disciple others. You can disciple someone without holding a Bible degree – Jesus did a good job of demonstrating that by the men he chose to be his…
For many years now – Churches in general have struggled with what is called the 80/20 rule. The rule in its most simple form, says that 80% of effects come from 20% of the causes. The way we have seen it played out in church is that 20% of the leaders in the congregation are…
Why is it, that when many young adults leave home, they also choose to leave the faith they grew up in and never go back? What is happening to cause this? We’ve all seen good parents who do their best to raise their children to love Jesus, then end up having to watch their children…
James 5:14–15 asks, “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will…
Some good friends just left our small group. And they aren’t coming back. It’s been a little over six months since we invited them. Over that time we have had them in our home, barbecued together, and vacationed together. We celebrated together and walked through difficult situations together — taking our turns at both…
Jesus choose twelve men, and then built a relational environment in which to teach and care for them. By the time he left them, they were equipped to do the same thing for the people they would go on to disciple. He spent time with them, modeling the characteristics they should aim for, and teaching…
Fifty-four inches of rain fell on the Houston area in 48 hours. Our little church plant put aside business as usual and assembled “mud out” teams to go help families in our community. At the first house my team was sent to, I met Greg, Laura and their three daughters. They were sorting through the…
Have you ever had a moment in time when you realized you were doing or thinking about something that you had never intended on doing or thinking about? As a highly hypothetical example, imagine that I was on a diet. A diet where I ate things that were good for me, or at least healthier…
When we talk about the 5 different stages of spiritual growth in a disciple as found in the Discipleship Wheel, we use terms that correlate with basic physical stages of growth. The 5 stages are Dead – Infant – Child – Young Adult – Parent. When we are looking at spiritual growth, the difference between…
Jesus modeled relationship by being with His disciples. Being an intentional and relational leader means making time to spend with those you are discipling. Disciple Makers are more likely to accurately evaluate their disciples growth stages and aptitude if they spend time together. If Jesus had interacted with His disciples only once a week for…
Mileposts on a pathway may not be the ultimate destination, but they are very important. Mileposts remind us we are on the right path. They also help us stay on the path and headed in the right direction. They serve to help us determine the location of the people we are discipling. When we hear…
The word accountability has been subtly stolen from us by our enemy. He’s happy to distort accountability by either of two errors. Many call their small groups “accountability groups”, but all they do is share their struggles. They don’t do anything to help one another change, usually because they don’t know how and they don’t…
Jesus modeled the importance of relationship in the way He taught His disciples: He followed the Deuteronomy 6:7 exhortation. God’s commands were on His heart and He talked about them as He spent time with the disciples. He talked about the truth when they ate and when they went to bed. Jesus was with His…
Although discipleship itself has been around a long time, in the past 6 to 8 years the term has been a catch word in the Christian Arena. Many have had a hard time not only defining the term, but also nailing down what it consists of. There are some common misbeliefs about what it means…
Most people who study the church in America lament the fact that the church has a crisis in leadership… one of the problems I see is that we have redefined leadership, and now we are looking for the wrong thing. All too often we are looking for men who can entertain or teach, rather than…
This weeks podcast features Real Life Ministries new Online Campus Pastor, Patrick Annotti. Patrick and Lance are discussing the topic of Discipleship and how it integrates with the digital world we find ourselves in. Some of the things they cover in this episode include: What are some of the reasons people might attend church online?…
What comes to mind when you hear the term Conflict Resolution? Are you someone that runs away from conflict? Or are you the kind that runs head-first towards it? I personally have tended to do the latter – (And by the way, neither of those options is the best choice) You have heard me say…
If you feel like you are not qualified to be a disciple or a disciple-maker, welcome to the majority – good disciple-makers don’t start out ready – we become ready as we start out. In my post Six Habits Of An Effective Disciplemaker I talk about the importance of establishing habits in your life that…
We often think of teaching as something that is accomplished through words alone, but the truth is, sometimes the best teaching happens through a combination of words and actions. Even in formal education, much of the training includes both classroom and practicum (lab) sessions. And it turns out that is an excellent way to ensure…
You have heard me talk often about Spiritual Maturity and what it consists of. Today I want to talk about some of the character traits you will find in someone who is in the parent stage of the discipleship wheel. (You can read more about the wheel HERE) These 5 character traits, when found in…
Too many believers think they need a special kind of qualification or training when it comes to making disciples. We have a saying around here – “Discipleship is simple, it’s just not easy.” You have heard me talk before about the model and method of discipleship that Jesus gave us in the gospels. We call…
Jesus was the greatest disciple maker in history. After just three years spent with 12 men – he commissioned them (and us) to go out and make disciples, and from that beginning the Good News was spread throughout the world. We have a record of those three years in the 4 gospels and the book…
The best vehicle for discipleship is relationship. And a small group is a great environment where relationship can take place. But it can’t be just any small group. Your soccer team getting together may be a small group, but the group is not aiming for the purpose of encouraging discipleship. There are a few intentional…
One of the aspects of relational discipleship is spending time with the person you are discipling outside the formal church or classroom settings. This gives you a chance to discuss things that might not come up in a small group/bible study environment. And quite often these discussions can give you tremendous insight into the spiritual…
The art of asking questions, listening to answers, and directing the conversation is something Jesus was a master at. And this process is one of our biggest tools to use in discipling others and determining where they are in the process. With that in mind, here are 4 questions that can help you both build…
Imagine this. My wife and I just had our first child – a son. We are beyond excited! We leave the hospital, putting our son in a brand new safety checked rear facing carseat – like we are supposed to. I am super cautious driving home – protecting my little family from harm. We get…
Do you ever find yourself trying to determine where the people you are discipling are in their Spiritual maturity level? Often people try to get a sense of someones Spiritual maturity by looking at things like church attendance or Bible knowledge. These outward signs, however, don’t always indicate an inward heart change. Now I am not saying those things don’t play a part – but…
Welcome to a new year! January is always a time for us to reflect on the year gone by, and determine what we want to achieve in the year to come. I hope and pray that you have this same mindset when it comes to disciple making. Don’t forget about our Great Commission as you…
“Too many Christians have accepted an improper definition of spiritual maturity, rather than understanding God’s definition. And this improper definition is only causing frustration, disappointment, and chaos in their lives, not to mention the lives of those they are discipling.” I’m sure some of you may consider this a bold statement, and wonder how I…
Up until 30 years or so ago, the term disciple was not a common word among American church-goers. They referred to themselves as Christians, or maybe believers and Christ followers, but were rarely called disciples. However, in the last 5-10 years, it has become a buzz word among church leaders, authors, and in social media.…
Great coaches create winning teams because they have an intentional and reproducible system. Through this process, they not only create winning teams, they create players that become great people that go on to become successful leaders themselves. Jesus was a masterful coach. His apostles knew how to make disciples themselves because of what He had done intentionally and…
Why Believe (Free Resource) I started as a pastor’s son in a Christian home. My parents were sincere, faithful followers of Jesus, but because sin entered into my life at a very young age, guilt and shame isolated me from them and from God. When I went to college, the professors taught me that there was…
If we are ever going to grow up in our faith, we will need spiritual relationships to help us do so. A mature person in Christ has deep relationships that help him or her remain mature and even grow further. There is absolutely no way around the need for real relationships. Scripture teaches us this…
Last week I sent out an email to my readers asking them to share their number one problem when it comes to making disciples. I received many, many emails. A number of different themes came up as I read through them. One thing that particularly stood out to me was the number of people who…
A good disciple maker or leader does not allow his lesson or training to be limited to a once a week study or a classroom. He does not need to attempt to execute the perfect lesson plan by trying to control every possible distraction. Jesus was flexible – Jesus met people where they were, on their…
(Be sure you scroll to the bottom to download your free pdf Guidelines CHART) Do you find that you have a hard time getting people to connect in your small group system? Or are you a church launching small groups, and you’d like to set up for success? Either way, getting people to connect and develop relationships with each other, outside of a…
What is wisdom? The dictionary defines wisdom as the ability to discern what is true or right. This is a problematic definition for me because our modern culture believes that what is right for you is right for you and what is right for me is right for me. So–how do we discern what is…
“The God who created an earth with such complexity and power and design is the same God who ordered the marriage, gender, the family, … He created order in his design. I believe that when we try to depart from God’s design for gender and marriage, it leads to chaos in the family and chaos in…
Small Group Leaders play a vital role in accomplishing the mission and vision of your church. They help create and develop environments in which members can connect with God and each other for the purpose of discipleship. They present an example and model of what being a disciple of Jesus looks like in action. Because…
When I talk about the necessity of relationship in the body of Christ, I don’t mean just shaking hands with a few people during the welcome time in a weekend service. I don’t mean asking how someone is in passing and accepting the words “I’m fine”. The core of relationship isn’t about just being polite…
When Jesus said to go and make disciples, he defined his methodology by his own example. Jesus’s methods were more involved than just standing up in front of people and teaching them biblical truth. He walked alongside people – holding conversations with them through the course of the day. He held them accountable and demonstrated…
At the church where I serve we are always looking to raise up people who are spiritually mature and also have the spiritual gift of leadership. These are the people that have the potential to become strong organization leaders in the church, their community, and the world. We try to keep the process of…
Bible Study Curriculum is simply a tool in the hands of a disciple maker. No curriculum itself is going to make disciples. There is a Discipling Method, however, that makes an excellent curriculum. It is something we have used off and on quite successfully at Real Life Ministries, both in our Church’s Small Groups and…
Have you ever found yourself in a position to lead a discussion, and you are unsure how to engage people to participate, let alone lead them to discover something new and helpful? There is a big difference between facilitating a discussion and teaching a class. When you are in the position of a teacher, you…
What does an ideal home, one that is hard to leave but easy to come back to, look like? This type of home will have love and relationship, boundaries for our own good, and respect for all. It would be a home where people are loved no matter what, and there are restoring conversations, grace, and…
Whether you a newcomer to the Church Community or you’ve been around it your entire life, you are sure to have run across some of the following terms: Sunday School, Small Group, Cell Group, Bible Study, Life Group, etc: These are all terms that have fought for position in numerous churches throughout time and…
From the beginning, Jesus told the disciples that He would make them into something different: “Come, follow me,…and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Their occupation of catching fish changed into a mission of fishing for people. Each step along the way, Jesus taught them to share with others, connect people to…
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the stress and anxiety of life? Are you worn down and tired from the day to day battle? You are not alone – fifty million Americans will feel the effects of a panic or anxiety disorder in any given year. Anxiety disorders in the US are the number one mental…
Have you ever watched a toddler learn how to walk? It can be excruciatingly nerve-wracking for the parent! Watching your little child ‘toddle’, fall down, get back up, try again…you tend to hover over them ready to catch them if they fall, making sure they don’t get near real danger like a stairway or a…
Most pastors in the US long to teach to a huge crowd of excited people on Sunday mornings: people packed into pews, pens and notebooks in hand, waiting for a download of all kinds of top-rated, inspiring information from the Bible. But this kind of learning environment is exactly what a good schoolteacher would hate: a…
As intentional disciple-makers, it is important for us to evaluate where our disciples are on their spiritual journey so that we can determine what they need from us. In order to do this well, we must be in relationship with them. As a disciple maker, our role is to help the disciple mature and grow…
Core values are the fundamental beliefs of a person or organization. These guiding principles dictate behavior and can help people understand the difference between right and wrong. Core values also help companies to determine if they are on the right path and fulfilling their goals by creating an unwavering guide. The core values that you hold have the…
Have you ever had a moment in time when you realized you were doing or thinking about something that you had never intended on doing or thinking about? As a highly hypothetical example, imagine that I was on a diet. A diet where I ate things that were good for me, or at least healthier…
The journey of making a disciple who makes disciples does not end with conversion—it starts there! Once we’ve shared Jesus with someone, and they’ve decided to follow Jesus, it is up to us to teach them what it means to follow Jesus. This harkens back to Matthew 28 where we’re commanded to baptize, and then…
Do you know anyone that is an armchair quarterback? You know – the guy who sits in his Lazy Boy and watches a game while criticizing every move made on the field? That guy that played 20 years ago back in high school, (and he honestly wasn’t that great even then) and would rather pass…
Family.. that word probably brings many thoughts to your mind. You may have memories of fun and loving holiday times together with lots of food and laughter. Or you may be one of the many people that have memories of bitterness, conflict and broken relationships. Some may even have no family memories; and spent your…
In the video below, Jim Putman talks about the importance of recognizing the people God is placing in front of you. (You can read the transcript for this video below, or download it to save for later.) …
I hate suicide — we here in North Idaho had another tragic suicide this week. There are so many who are struggling with a world gone crazy right now. When struggling with anxiety and depression, so few understand that we are dealing with a spiritual enemy who convinces you that something is so wrong that…
3 Steps For Sharing The Gospel Sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others can be difficult—even daunting. Sharing the gospel means revealing the most personal aspect of our lives. It’s the core of who we are! And sharing that with someone can be just plain ol’ scary. But if we’re going to be…
1.) The PROBLEM Do you ever feel like you have to wear a mask when you are around other people? Like you have to keep up the appearance that everything is great, everything is under control, everything is… awesome? And yet on the inside – your thoughts and emotions are raging like an out of…
I have a core belief that I think God calls all his followers to hold and that is Christ Centered Relationships. I believe that all my relationships need to be grounded in and centered on Christ and that I should be living out the fruit of the Spirit within them. This belief comes into play for you…
The phrase make disciples, not converts is popping up around the world in magazines, blogs, books, and academic journals as if it’s a great revelation even though Jesus clearly commanded us to make disciples.1 So what’s all the fuss? Is there a substantial difference between a convert and a disciple? It has been said…
Download pdf It is both the job and privilege of every Christian to be a disciple of Jesus. And part of that job is the call to disciple others. You can disciple someone without holding a Bible degree – Jesus did a good job of demonstrating that by the men he chose to be his…
In the video clip below, Jim relates a story of his family float trip down the river, to the way we sometimes prepare for and navigate our lives spiritually during trials. He reminds us that the culture we are in right now is quickly becoming a class 5 rapid, and asks the question – do…
God created us for relationships. He created us to have friendships and be a part of a church body. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done in the extremely hectic society most of us live in. But like God said, it really is ‘not good’ for us to be alone. Larry Crabbe, a preeminent Christian Counselor,…
According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy – Moral Relativism is: The view that moral judgments are true or false only relative to some particular standpoint and that no standpoint is uniquely privileged over all others. This is the perspective held by many in the world today. We see it in our media, classrooms, and social circles.…
In the short video below, Jim lays out some ideas for living out discipleship at home. “One of the most important roles of a disciple maker is that of discipling your own children.” Jim Putman ” The Children’s Ministry Team here at Real Life Ministries put together a list of some discipleship resources that we…
The statistics are alarming – between 70 and 85% of children that are brought up in the church leave the church once they get to college, most never to return. I don’t know about you, but that is a very frightening trend in my mind. The Church will be carried into the future on the…
In the podcast below my dad and I talk about our latest book, Hope for the Prodigal. It is a subject that is very close to the heart of my family as we have lived out the story of the Prodigal son for 3 generations now. It is also an important topic in a time…
Click HERE to download pdf of this post Do you find you are putting several hours of your week into developing your weekly sermon? Do you ever wonder if that is the most effective use of your time? In this post and the attached video, we are sharing Jim Putman’s method for creating effective sermons that…
Hope For The Prodigal is a book that comes straight from the heart. With wisdom that comes from personal experience, Jim Putman with his father, Bill Putman, offer brokenhearted parents and loved ones hope for their prodigals. A prodigal in his younger days, Jim has also found himself in the role of the prodigal’s father when his own son rejected…
