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.”…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
(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…