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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…