Teaching means to give instruction, instill doctrine, or explain or expound on something. To make disciples but fail to give practical instruction on what it means to be a disciple doesn’t make a great deal of sense. We often speak of evangelism and discipleship as separate functions but, honestly, the…
“I Love to Tell the Story” by A. Kate Hankey was my mom’s absolute favorite hymn. She sang it on her deathbed. I sure hope you’ve heard the story of Jesus and His love, and I hope you’re sharing it with others. I love to tell the story of unseen…
Once Jesus established His authority, he gave a direct command to those who followed Him: make disciples of all nations. In this case, “make” doesn’t mean strong-arm or compel. No one can be forced into Christianity; believing is a choice made by the individual. But believers are to teach other…
If you’re familiar with this section of Matthew’s Gospel, you probably know that the verses we refer to as the Great Commission come next. But I don’t think we should overlook this introduction. Jesus came near… He had been crucified. People saw Him die. People knew He’d been placed in…
Jesus prayed for His disciples, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” As His followers, we are not part of the world. Yet we’re stuck in it until that time we’re called Home. While we’re here walking among people who have no respect for…
In the time period that Peter wrote these words, the people would have been very familiar with making sacrifices—usually animals—to a deity. Christians no longer need to make redemptive animal sacrifices because Jesus’ blood shed on Calvary covers our sins. However, making spiritual sacrifices shows the world we’ve been changed.…
HYMN DAY! “I Surrender All” by Judson VanDeVenter is often sung during altar calls, inviting the lost one to commit himself to Christ. But it’s also a hymn that could be read as a prayer of dedication by those who’ve made a profession of faith. Although the tune is a…
There is no greater “pure milk” than God’s Word. His Word contains the breath of Life! If we aren’t consistently in the Word, we’re doing ourselves a great injustice. Salvation comes when we confess we are sinners in need of grace and ask Jesus to forgive our sins, but it…
In 1 Peter 1:13-25, Peter expounded on the subject of holiness, encouraging Christians to exhibit obedience to Christ. Then he advises attitudes and actions that need to be eliminated. The five sins listed are destructive to relationships. Church congregations, families, spouses, best friends…these relationships have been shattered or permanently scarred…
It’s flat out not easy to be a Christian. People will reject you, hurl accusations at you, or ridicule you. But that doesn’t mean we should hush or change our behavior to match the world. Especially in this time when our religious freedoms are being trampled by those who are…
