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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…